“Once upon a time, there was a young girl who believed in love” is how Halle starts off her debut album. With 15 tracks, Love?… Or Something Like It begins as a fairytale, then delves into a cautionary one. With the features from artists like GloRilla, H.E.R., Mariah the Scientist, and her sister Chlöe, it reached 798,000 Spotify streams on its release day.
Halle began teasing this project in 2023, playing tiny snippets of guitar strums on Instagram Live. One of those songs was “Angel,” a song in which she preached self-love in a melodic tone. After three years in the making, she said during an interview on House Guest that she wanted to release her album this year because she was entering a different phase.
“Some of these songs are from two, three years ago; I was in a different space. I told my label this is the year that I have to put it out because after this year these songs are not going to feel honest anymore.”
The album starts off slow with a ballad titled “Overtime.” She uses heavy metaphors to describe betrayal. “Like a snake shedding her skin/She was way too innocent/She was way too easy to fool.” After going through a public breakup, Halle has stayed away from talking about it on social media. In certain songs and in her interlude, she gives us a tiny glimpse into the heartbreak she experienced.
Love?…or something like it doesn’t only detail heartbreak. Halle surprises us all on “Know About Me” when she begins rapping over a trap beat. The song is reminiscent of the sounds of her hometown peers. Halle was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the birthplace of “trap music.” Relying on the southern sound, the track features GloRilla, who helps her maintain the cheekiness in the song’s overall tone.
Since Disney announced Halle would play Ariel in the live-action version of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ certain corners of the internet labeled her as “innocent.” However, she clears up misconceptions about her character in the lyrics.
“I’m not innocent, can’t you see/I’m no Angel but this Halo gives you wings.” – Halle Bailey, “What You Know.”
“Heaven” is one of the more fun and upbeat songs on Halle’s album. With lines like “Angel in my bedroom” and “Send me straight to Heaven,” she uses spiritual symbolism to engage with her more sensual and sexual side. For longtime fans of Halle, this song feels nostalgic to the Chloe x Halle album, Ungodly Hour.
She recruits her sister and other half of the harmonizing duo in “so I can feel again.” Before reuniting on Chlöe’s song “Want Me,” the sister duo hadn’t sung together since Ungodly Hour, which was released in 2020. The reunion was pleasing to fans but also to their mentor, Beyoncé. The iconic singer noted she was “obsessed” with hearing the duo’s voices together. Their combination of Halle’s siren-like tone and Chlöe’s powerful belts on the track feels familiar and warm to anyone who misses the duo together.
While we hope for more music from the duo, Halle has showcased her individuality perfectly on this project. Specifically, “Bite Your Lip,” which is arguably Halle’s most soulful track, is strong enough to generate buzz for the actor-singer. Halle has always been known for her ethereal voice, but in this track, her tone is deeper and more soulful, further proving she has more range than what she is recognized for. Overall, Love?… Or Something Like It is a solid debut for the singer, who has made her way through Hollywood, mainly as an actress and as part of a duo.
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