HEAVN is Jamila Woods’s debut album and, along with it, an ode to self-love and the importance of identity. The upbeat tracks on this album along with the slower, more mellow tracks combine to give listener’s a taste of R&B, light pop, and soul throughout. Woods main focus in this album is to emphasize the importance self-love and the appreciation of identity, with tracks such as “Holy” and “Bubbles” using music as a medium to talk about these topics. Though the tracks on this album are easy to listen to- upbeat, positive, and quite light- the focus should be placed upon the lyrics. She stresses the importance of self-love in the tracks listed previously, and in “VRY BLK” and “Blk Girl Magic” Woods cries for black women and girls to unite and find pride in their identity. Tracks to highlight on this album include “HEAVN,” “LSD (feat. Chance the Rapper).” “VRY BLK,” and “Blk Girl Magic,” whether for the marvelously crafted lyrics or for the smooth instrumental featured on the track. Ultimately, with HEAVN JamilaWoods delivers a performance with lyrics that are cleverly crafted and music that is delightful to listen to.
– Kyra Posey