Grammy-nominated singer Alex Isley has released her new EP WHEN via Free Lunch Records/Warner Records.
Isley’s first project under a major label was preceded by the singles “Hands” and “Ms. Goody Two Shoes,” both produced by Grammy winner Camper.
Opening with “Holding On,” Isley flexes a textured falsetto over light keys as she contemplates the future and prosperity of a relationship. “Will this love be my last? / I’ve let go of my past / I can’t see it through / I can’t see what I’m holding on to,” she sings, bracing for the unknown.
Isley’s confidence beams throughout WHEN, shining the brightest on the Kaytranda-produced “Mic On.” She oscillates between airy vocals and a melodic rap-like cadence enveloped in affirming lyrics. “Ain’t Maybelline, I was born with it / You ain’t check the bloodline? Grateful for it all,” Isley sings.
Numbers like “Ms. Goody Two Shoes” and “Hands” touch on the sultry side of love. The former track is a smoldering mix of assurance, seduction and subtle demureness. “Yes, it’s immaculate and it’s magic / Thank your lucky stars imma let you have it,” she coos.
Meanwhile, “Hands” feels like a romantic date night .“There’s so much power in a touch that’s rooted in love and affection. The memory of it can remind you how much it’s really worth,” Isley explained. “This is an ode to really being in the moment with your person.”
The somber “Fool’s Gold” captures a relationship’s deteriorating end: “We pretended not to see the end / But I feel like I always knew.”
Concluding with “Thank You for a Lovely Time,” a hushed ballad, Isley reflects on the aftermath of a relationship. “Guess that’s the small price that I pay back / Just wanting a damn hand to hold,” she sings.
Speaking on her new EP, Isley tells Rated R&B, “WHEN is an exploration of love, identity, intimacy, and emotional growth. It’s a collection of some of my deepest thoughts, dreams, and memories, and the beginning of me leaning more into my sensuality.”
WHEN is Isley’s first project since her 2023 joint album with Terrace Martin, I Left My Heart In Ladera. The latter set debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Before that, in 2022, Isley released her EP Marigold. The Jack Dine-produced project included the Robert Glasper-assisted single “Still Wonder” and “Love Again.”
Most recently, Isley joined R&B veteran Jon B. on “Show Me” from his album Waiting On You. “Her voice is so complimentary to the song that it just made me smile,” Jon B. told Rated R&B in an interview. “I love how subtle Alex Isley is. It’s so beautiful. It’s grown-up R&B, something you can cruise to in your car or [play] at home and just chill out.”
Stream Alex Isley’s new EP WHEN below.
