Album Review: Halle Explains Love, or Something Like it

BY: JAEQWON SUAREZ / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Photo Credit: Genius

After a couple of years of releasing singles, actress and musician Halle Bailey has finally given fans an album that shows the good, the bad, and the rather uglier sides of experiencing love for the first time with Love?...or Something Like It. 

The little mermaid has had an interesting set of moments with her online presence, with the two biggest ones being a black actress playing what many people believed should have been a “white” mermaid, to her public breakup with her son’s father, rapper DDG.

Love?... or Something Like It relives that time period of her life where so much was happening for her, including the good and bad we hear on these intricate soft rock and R&B alternative albums.

In the span of 40 minutes with 14 songs, an intro, and an interlude, Halle’s album explores what it means to be loved by others, and even yourself, as you try to figure your way out in real life, realizing that not everything is as whimsical and fantastical as it may seem.

Her intro sets the tone perfectly, with the Disney vibe flowing through it. It’s the start of her journey, as she begins to tell a tale of a little girl believing in love naively, not quite understanding that love is work, and she even questions that to herself: Is that possible? Can love be that easy?

Leading into the first song, overtime immediately answers her doubt. The build-up of the piano and strings gives this answer a grand ambience of a “bad-girl”, or at least what she perceives it to be.

As the title implies, she has future men after the initial one who caused her damage, to be overworked when it comes to getting close to her and understanding her. The ending is by far my favorite moment of the song, as this is the physical representation of her anger and frustration, repeating the idea of closing the “door” to this person or relationship that rid her of her innocence when it came to love.

The third track, which also includes our first feature, GloRilla, continues this idea of the girl understanding how love is a bit more complicated than she thought. The trap beat is quite a shock, but it works well when it comes to the album as a whole. This idea that love isn’t as it always seems is the overarching theme, so touching on the topic with trap and soft rock is an interesting perspective of expressing her frustration with the concept of love.

One of the many things that know about me and the rest of the album does amazingly at is letting the instrumentation shine and exist in that moment, such as when the ending of know about me turns into a piano solo, turning into a gospel-like melody riff.

His type is particularly interesting, as it feels like it is a flashback to the relationship she was once in. The production sounds unsure, just like the lyrics themselves, because one part of her believes that her partner truly loves her, but then another part of her drags herself back into reality with the lyric: “You’re not.”

Halle’s vocals have always been angelic, and with this track, his type, it really feels like we’re in her mind as she thinks these thoughts and the anxiety it brings up in her. 

Continuing on with this flashback, we go back further to possibly when they first met, with the track being named heaven. The R&B elements mixed with African drums make this track one of my favorites from the album, especially with her vocals sending me to the heavens themselves, just like this person seems to be doing for her.

Then, an interlude comes on, with Halle showing off her acting skills through audio. Just like the intro, it serves as a pause in the story for Halle to tell us what’s to come. She begins to argue with what seems like her partner about them cheating on her.

The vocals and the guitars work in tandem as it builds up to abruptly nothing as the conversation also ends abruptly, leading to Alone.

This track is all those anxious thoughts flooding in as she contemplates the idea of this person and not being able to be around this person. Not only is she once again showing off her lyricism, but this beautiful R&B ballad to me represents the Act II of Love?... or Something Like it.

Back and forth was one of my favorite singles she released, and it’s still up there even with the new songs. I love how she plays with the idea of a dreamy production that hides a hint of a sinister presence, because that becomes really expressed with her lyrics, with imagery of toxic love going, as she puts it, back and forth.

Another great single, braveface is definitely an anthem for the girls who have been abused within a relationship, no matter whether it be physical or emotional. Once again, her imagery wordplay comes out as she goes through her makeup routine to put on this “bravefave” for the rest of the world to let her fans and family know she is fine, even though she doesn't feel like it.

The guitar-driven song also provides a much vulnerable side to the album, as she has seemingly found a new love for herself, and possibly others who only want to check in on her.

The next track seems to be a breakthrough as her sister, Chloe, joins in so I can feel again. The song is weirdly similar to back and forth with its dreamy production, but differs in  both artists and production stuttering over their verses, knowing what they are singing about is shameful because they’re missing such a toxic person who did them so bad.

What I love, though, is that this is not a solo song with just Halle, and I love the idea that in some kind of way, she has reached out to express that she’d rather have that person in her life than not ever feel again or have someone close enough to understand her like they did, to which Chloe matches that energy.

Leading to another one of her singles, in your hands is a refreshing piano and guitar duo that rises to again, themes of love, but also accepting that this person, no matter how bad you want the fantasy of them to exist, just doesn’t match up with reality.

Not only is she literally telling them that she melts away at their touch, but she also curses them in a way, as she expresses that once they're done and she’s moved on, that person will never feel the feeling of falling in love again, which is like a light at the end of this dark tunnel.

We get a new song with the last feature of the album as well, no warning featuring H.E.R. is fun and playful. It takes this innocent approach and twists it as they explain that, sure, they can be crazy, but if that’s what their partner wants, then they can play it ten times better. With only strings and vocals, Halle and H.E.R. definitely nailed the nice but naughty vibe they were going for.

One of the last new songs off the album, and what seemingly has to be everyone’s favorite from the album, bite your lip is a rock ballad that I adore to its fullest. It all blends and builds so well together that it truly does leave you on the edge of your seat.

By far, bite your lip has been a song on repeat no matter how many times I go back to this album. Halle then ends her album with two of her singles, angel and lastly because i love you, which are both great songs that close out her album in a bittersweet way.

One thing to note is that the album doesn’t wrap a neat little bow on what love should be, but rather explores what people can become when falling in love with a person and the relationship turning toxic or sour. 

As her first album, she hit it out of the water, and I can’t wait to see this next era of Halle and the kind of music she may bring to her fans and the world.