At 34 minutes, Little Jackie's The Stoop is slight in length, but
it's still a monster of a debut. Musically, The Stoop fuses catchy R&B; with
flourishes of doo-wop, hip-hop, and pop—courtesy of producer Adam
Pallin—but its soul stems from singer Imani Coppola, whose late-'90s hit "Legend
Of A Cowgirl" only hinted at her capabilities. Coppola's lyrical wit and
swagger define The Stoop's appeal, be they in the form of a charged empowerment anthem
like "The World Should Revolve Around Me" ("I ain't concerned with my
biological clock / Since I never grow old, my heart is always in stock"), the
bouncy kiss-off to a cheating lover "LOL" ("LOL, I text your cell, gotta spell
out 'go to hell' / Toss you in the trash bin, reduce you to an acronym"), or
even a critique of the perpetually tragic Amy Winehouse, "Cryin' For The Queen"
("Sick of your behavior and your junkie routine / It's time for you to get
clean and stop creating a scene"). Drawing from a seemingly inexhaustible
supply of sass, Coppola wraps her laid-back vocals around narratives that are
innovative yet accessible, resulting in one of the most promising pop debuts
2008 is likely to see.
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