ROC4LIFE

Today, Solange dropped her True EP, a collaborative effort with Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange). It’s instantly compelling and enjoyable and effective. But don’t take our word for it. Take it from those paid to parse lyrics and notes for every modicum of blemish. Here’s what professional critics are saying about True.

Definition of Pop Perfection
Not our words. Theirs. “The 26-year-old is not a hit-making pop star, but an antidote to pop homogenisation; something that sounds different to everything on the radio, but could still be on the radio.On that front, ‘True’ delivers.” [NME]

In which Solo Finds Her Voice
HuffPo’s Mesfin Fekadu dubs Solange “a vocal tease.” Fekadu explains: “She starts songs lightly and often adds enjoyable riffs near the end of the tracks. That’s especially on “Lovers In the Parking Lot,” and it’s a voice worth listening to. [Huffington Post]

Strong…Successful
Pretty Much Amazing calls True, particularly “Losing You,” a “strong and successful statement of intent.” [PMA]

Groundbreaking?
Speaking of “Losing You,” Spin’s Phillip Sherburne remarks, “a remarkable song in its own right, with a breezy fusion of singer-centric R&B, 1980s pop, and lanky, mid-tempo hip-house beats… it feels like one of those moments when something lurking just below the surface of the zeitgeist breaks through in a big way.” [Spin]

OK. Now that your mind has been sufficiently blown, you can proceed to iTunes for your own copy of True. And if you’ve already heard the album, tell us your favorite track in the comment section.

Bonus
+ True gets Fader’s By the Numbers treatment.

+ And peep this neat artwork (below) by Tim Lukowiak, courtesy of Consequence of Sound, up for grabs via Society6.

—Rizoh