She might be called N3WYRKLA (“New York LA”) but she’s an artist rooted here in Philly, and I’ve been waiting to hear her music. I’ve heard a lot about her: that she is an excellent singer, that she may even be the next one to blow from Philly. Strong claims, but after listening to her debut project SELFishly enTITLED, I can see why people would speak so highly about N3WYRKLA’s talent. Like Willow and Hannah Jadagu, I see this young Philly songbird as a soulful rockstar. From the beginning of track 1 to the end of track 5, N3WYRKLA makes a bold statement with her talent that she is definitely on the rise!
The SELFishly enTITLED EP dropped on August 11th, and while she should be excited and happy with the work she has put in, I’m pretty sure it’s probably been difficult for N3WYRKLA to enjoy the fruits of her labor and positive feedback of her debut project. She tragically lost her older brother Devin Spady, aka YNG Cheese of Philly’s Macc N Cheese, three weeks before the release of her debut project. The city continues to still send their prayers and condolences to N3WYRKLA, as well as her father – Philly hip hop vet / podcaster Gillie The Kid – and the rest of her family during these trying and confusing times. However, I would like to believe that YNG Cheese is smiling down from heaven looking over his younger sister and playing his favorite jawn off the EP.
“care about myself” is great way to start off, letting listeners know she was here to get shit off herself and yelling the theme of this project is about caring for herself. “plain old human being” is my favorite joint on the album. The energy, the message of not needing to be as perfect as the most high and know that they are loved just by being a regular person, makes it a jam that I think will resonate with many people (who will then add it to their music library). Then comes “imposter,” a track where N3WYRKLA rants about meeting men who aren’t who they claim to be over a hard, dope beat. “just like you” is a song featuring hip hop artist Toosii, and it’s primed for a big push as a single . It’s a good song, so I can understand why. The cadence sounds like it’s mixed with punk and trap, making Toosii’s melodic flow a perfect match to N3WYRKLA’s punk delivery. On “better cold,” she sings about realizing that though the truth may be cold and heartbreaking, it’s better than living in warmth that is created from lies. “more than pretty” is a great way to end the project, with a statement letting the world know there’s more to N3WYRKLA than what you see on the surface.
The only thing that I don’t like – and this is no fault of N3WYRKLA herself – is that I don’t think it should be classified as R&B/Soul on Apple Music. I think her music is a mixture of punk, rap, rock, and soul; it’s eclectic, and if it was classified as alternative, I wouldn’t be mad. Other than that, I think it’s a solid project and I’m a believer of the N3WYRKLA hype I’ve been hearing. I am very excited to see what’s next for the young soulful rockstar.
