The creative vision behind UMI’s third album was to make an entire project dedicated to sharing the stories of other people — a unique approach to storytelling through the musical medium. Typically, recording artists are known for writing about their own stories, eternally tasked with baring their souls so that the rest of the world can sit back and wonder if they’ve ever had a singular unique experience in their lives. While it’s no secret that artists write and sing stories other than their own often, the prospect of shaping the entire point of your album around that idea is ground-breaking for the music industry.

Vocally, UMI stuns as always, with softness and care whispered into every note. UMI has a way of singing in a conversational tone, which pairs well with the theme of the album. She also took an approach seen in projects from SZA, Doechii, and others by having certain excerpts from what sounds to be a therapy session throughout, only further adding the the authenticity and human component of an already deeply sensitive album. This project has a way of reminding listeners of the humanity in each living person. The ability to take others’ stories and reframe them to fit a first-person perspective for mass appeal is a gift that UMI puts on display for 15 tracks straight, all while adding her own flavor to the mix. Hearing the intricacies of a story and figuring out a way to relay it accurately, layered in clever analogies over production, all while maintaining song structure that makes sense is one of the strongest creative flexes of all time. Listening to someone is one thing, but truly hearing them is another thing altogether. If you’re someone who respects the hard work of cultivating community with people who see and care for you deeply, then UMI seems like the coolest friend ever.