CLEAR - EP

Editors’ Notes Summer Walker is the definition of an introvert. The Atlanta R&B newcomer and 2019 Up Next artist keeps to herself and prefers the sanctuary of the studio. “Whenever something is completely bothering me, I like to hold it in because I don’t talk to a lot of people,” Walker tells Apple Music. “That’s why, a lot of times, my songs are emotional.”

But however quiet her demeanor is in public, she’s outspoken on this four-song EP recorded live in her hometown. The bare-bones acoustic “Riot” and Latin-tinged “Grave” ask potential suitors for clarity instead of head games. The jazzy “Wasted” showcases her vocal dexterity while linking love and addiction (“Wasted time, my lover/Throw it back and I feel the burn”). On “Settling,” a bittersweet rumination on relationship woes, her timing is decades beyond her 22 years.

If you often feel the need to be alone with your feelings, Walker’s got you. CLEAR is the raw, uncut feed direct from her soul. “Whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, or jealousy, I’ve never been a girl who writes in her diary,” Walker says. “Pro Tools sessions are my diary sessions.”