Quick verdict: Lotus is Little Simz’s sixth studio album, released June 6, 2025, and it’s her rawest, most emotionally exposed record to date — stripped of the cinematic orchestration that defined Grey Area and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert in favor of a leaner, jazz-and-funk-inflected sound built entirely with new producer Miles Clinton James. It’s a breakup album, minus the romance: the breakup here is with longtime collaborator Inflo, and it fuels every bar.
Album at a Glance
| Artist | Little Simz |
| Release Date | June 6, 2025 |
| Label | AWAL / Forever Living Originals |
| Producer | Miles Clinton James (entire album) |
| Tracks | 13 |
| Length | ~50 minutes |
| Genre | Hip-hop, jazz, funk, punk, Afrobeat |
| Features | Obongjayar, Sampha, Michael Kiwanuka, Yussef Dayes, Moses Sumney, Moonchild Sanelly, Lydia Kitto, Wretch 32, Cashh, Miraa May, Yukimi Nagano |
What Critics Are Saying: Score Comparison
| Publication | Score | Take |
|---|---|---|
| NME | 80/100 | Praises it as her most vulnerable, soul-searching project |
| AllMusic | 75/100 | Says vulnerability pushes her to be more self-empowering |
| Pitchfork | 74/100 | Notes the uncluttered, jazz- and rock-influenced production |
| Spectrum Culture | 74/100 | Compares her emergence to the lotus itself, “blooming from dark waters” |
The consensus: Lotus trades polish for honesty, and critics are split mainly on whether the stripped-back approach loses some of the drama that made Grey Area and SIMBI so replayable — but nearly everyone agrees the songwriting is her most personal work since her debut.
What “Lotus” Actually Means
The title isn’t just a pretty flower. Simz has explained the lotus is one of the only flowers that thrives in muddy water — a direct nod to the mess she was wading through while making this record: a very public, very costly split from Inflo, the producer behind her career-defining run of Grey Area (2019), Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021), and No Thank You (2022). In January 2025, Simz filed suit against Inflo over roughly £1.7 million ($2.2 million) in unpaid loans. That fallout isn’t subtext on Lotus — it’s the entire emotional engine of the record, most explicitly on “Thief.”
Track-by-Track Highlights
- “Thief” — The opener, and the most direct address of the Inflo fallout. Sets the album’s confrontational-but-controlled tone.
- “Flood” (feat. Obongjayar) — Lead single; intense, bass-driven, and arguably the album’s most propulsive moment.
- “Lion” (feat. Obongjayar) — A groove-heavy highlight built on the tribal low-end bass style Simz has used on past standouts like “Point and Kill.”
- “Only” (feat. Lydia Kitto) — A lush, jazz-leaning cut about overwhelming love; Kitto’s vocals ground it in warmth.
- “Blue” (feat. Sampha) — Album closer, and one of its most vulnerable — Sampha’s hook plays against Simz’s softest rapping on the record.
- “Lonely” — Widely cited as the emotional center of the album, built around the line: “I was lonely making an album / Till I realised I’m all I needed to get through.”
- “Young” — The third single, more conceptual and playful than the rest of the tracklist, easing some of the record’s heavier material.
How Lotus Compares to Her Previous Albums
If you’ve followed Simz through her last three records, Lotus is a clear stylistic pivot:
- Grey Area (2019) and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021) — Built on Inflo’s dense, orchestral, sample-heavy production.
- No Thank You (2022) — Darker and more intense, roughly 80-90% heavy emotional material by most critics’ estimation.
- Lotus (2025) — Closer to 40-50% heavy, with more room for lighter, funk- and groove-driven tracks. It’s the first Simz album made entirely without Inflo, and it shows: the arrangements are sparser, giving her voice more room to breathe.
Fans who loved the maximalism of Grey Area may find Lotus comparatively minimal. But that’s arguably the point — this is Simz rebuilding her sound on her own terms.
Should You Listen to Lotus?
If you’re a longtime fan of Little Simz’s introspective side — think “Point and Kill,” “I Love You I Hate You,” or the quieter moments of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert — Lotus will land immediately. If you came to her through the bigger, brasher singles, it may take a couple of listens to click. Either way, this is a significant entry in one of UK rap’s most consistent discographies, and one of 2025’s most personal hip-hop records.
FAQ
When was Little Simz’s Lotus released? June 6, 2025, via AWAL / Forever Living Originals.
Who produced Lotus? The entire album was produced by Miles Clinton James — Simz’s first full album without former collaborator Inflo.
What does the album title Lotus mean? Simz has said the lotus is one of the only flowers that thrives in muddy water, symbolizing her emergence from the fallout of her lawsuit against Inflo.
Who are the featured artists on Lotus? Obongjayar, Sampha, Michael Kiwanuka, Yussef Dayes, Moses Sumney, Moonchild Sanelly, Lydia Kitto, Wretch 32, Cashh, Miraa May, and Yukimi Nagano.
Is Lotus better than Sometimes I Might Be Introvert or Grey Area? Critics are divided — Lotus trades the orchestral scope of those albums for something rawer and more stripped-back. It’s less immediate but arguably more emotionally direct.
