Blimes album Castles feels like she released a chunk out of her diary. Every song feels so personal and deeply rooted in her soul that I feel like I’ve met her after listening through.
One of the beautiful things about Blimes is how genuine she seems. Her lyrics are raw and honest; speaking about difficult real life shit that everyone deals with to some degree. Whether it’s through her lyrics or on social media, Blimes opens up to her audience in a way that adds a comforting and relatable element to her music.
Stream Blimes album Castles on Spotify
Quick Thoughts on the Slaps
A fanfare plays as the album starts as if Blimes just took a seat on her throne. Picture her sitting there while delivering bars in a sharkskin suit with the snakeskin boots. If she had a ‘Grand Vizier’ in her kingdom, no doubt it’d be Missy Elliot.
Blimes released the single, “Snake Skin Boots” right before she dropped the album, receiving immediate praise from Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. She named the track the hottest record of the day on her Future Sounds show.
“Look At Me Now” is a powerful anthem that personally helped me break out of a depressive slump. It’s three minutes to sit and remind yourself of where you’ve been, how much you’ve grown, and to always stay true to who you are.
Back in 2017, Blimes met the legendary Method Man after he suggested her for the battle rap centric show, Drop The Mic. This was a major turning point as it led to her getting him to drop a verse on their single, “Hot Damn.” This here is the definition of a bop.
Blimes and Method Man “Hot Damn”
When I listen to the song, “My Dance,” I picture Blimes in a dark room. One spotlight shines down on her as she’s standing behind a cauldron stirring bars like she’s making a potion.
This is when the album takes a shift after Blimes hops an international flight. The romantic track, “Around Us,” features Olivia.Wav and paints a picture of a French love affair. “…is this for real? Zig-zag legs on a windowsill.”
Honestly, if I “Woke Up In Paris,” I’d probably brag about it in a song and music video too. Featuring the dope Los Angeles emcee, Reverie, this video gives me major wonderlust.
Blimes “Woke Up In Paris” Ft. Reverie
“Neon Dreams” really feels like we stepped into Blimes’ head while she’s in the middle of daydreaming. This one truly stands out on its own, adding yet another layer to this stacked album.
Drifting back to reality, we hear one of the most iconic voicemails to ever turn into an interlude. In 2018, we saw Blimes and Gab team up for the first time with their hit song, “Come Correct.” The Andrew Imanaka directed music video went viral, being viewed millions of times in the past year.
Watch Blimes and Gab “Come Correct” Music Video
Continuing to show her range of diversity, Blimes gives us more of an electro-dance vibe in the track, “Involved.” These last few tracks tell a story within themselves. “I just want what’s best for you and I hope that I’m involved.”
Flipping the switch for “The Policy,” Blimes gets vicious with the bars. Using her tongue like a sword she slices up this beat talking about the down turn in a relationship. “I don’t give a fuck what you want from me. You all up in my business, no company.”
On “Question,” as she’s reflecting on a tumultuous relationship, you can hear the pain in her voice. Blimes realizes in an air of clarity that, “maybe, maybe, you weren’t the answer, no, you were the question.” She ends the track with a voicemail from her ex, giving us insight into what is, assumingly, the inspiration behind the song. We hear her apologize to Blimes, taking responsibility for what happened during their breakup.
Overall, listening through this album was an emotional journey. I laughed, I cried, and I reminded myself of a few things that I had been slipping on. The diversity of songs ensures that anybody who listens will find something that they like on it. As well, the overarching cohesion ties everything together into a body of work, which I believe, will stand the test of time.
