Little Simz addresses her father on the raw new song “I Love You, I Hate You.” It’s the latest single from Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, her upcoming album due September 3rd via Age 101.
“I Love You, I Hate You” opens with a cinematic swell of strings, and the beat drops with deep bass, sparse piano chords, and stuttering drums. The track was not only produced by Inflo, but also inspired by a question he put to the British rapper. As Simz said in a statement, “Flo asked me, what do you love and what do you hate? I knew the answer immediately, but I was adamant I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Even the lyrics show some reluctance. The first verse lays out the stakes without nailing down the subject, as she raps, “So much I would give my life for this/ If the bullet was the beat I would probably die for this/ How many times did I cry for this?/ I would hate myself if I didn’t at least try for this.” Only just before the chorus does she ask, “Is you a sperm donor or a dad to me,” right before the sung “I love you,” and “I hate you,” dominate the track.
The second verse is far more personal and haunting. “You made a promise to God to be there for your kids,” Simz spits. “You made a promise to give them a life you didn’t live/ My ego won’t fully allow me to say that I miss you/ A woman who hasn’t confronted all her daddy issues.” Check out “I Love You, I Hate You” below.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert comes out of its shell September 3rd and pre-orders are ongoing. Previously, Little Simz shared the singles “Rollin Stone,” “Woman,” and “Introvert,” which we named Song of the Week.
