After the breakout success of Summer Walker’s 2019 debut album, Over It, the Atlanta singer-songwriter continued its saga of betrayals and learned lessons with their 2021 follow-up, Still Over It (LVRN/Interscope). The cleaning technician turned songbird fearlessly plumbs the truth in every heartbreak through somber, grappling melodies. On their second album, they continue this approach while sprinkling in more upbeat tracks, such as “Ex for a Reason” (featuring JT of the City Girls) and “4th Baby Mama (Prelude).”
Walker shared a message on Apple Music upon the release of Still Over It last November: “Take this opportunity to learn from my mistakes,” they said. “You don’t have to guess if something is love. Love is shown through actions.” This perfectly sums up the insights you can gain from loving hard without bounds, as Walker expresses in their music. Throughout the record, Walker boldly owns the missteps they’ve made trying to make their relationships work, even acknowledging when they’ve traveled down the wrong roads; on “Circus,” they describe feeling out of control as they chase a lover who doesn’t reciprocate. Still Over It seems largely inspired by their public 2021 breakup with producer London on da Track, who produced much of the material on Walker’s two albums and is the father of their young child. But even though Walker sings from personal experience, their music continues to feel like a universal Band-Aid for the love woes that inevitably find us all. With their transparent lyrics—and with contributions from Cardi B on album opener “Bitter” and fellow Atlanta native Ciara in “Ciara’s Prayer”—Walker taps into something relatable to people from all walks of life, no matter their status. Tickets for Walker’s March 31 show in Chicago sold so quickly that they added a second date on April 1. Walker is sure to comfort and relax their audience, while reminding them that even though the pain of heartbreak feels individual, it’s an experience we all share and has the power to bring us closer together.
No1-Noah, Marvxxl, Summer Walker, Thu 3/31, 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, $69.50, all ages
No1-Noah, Marvxxl, Summer Walker, Fri 4/1, 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, $69.50, all ages
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