Where Are You Lexa Gates?

Earlier this year, I had the privilege to cover Lexa Gate’s captivating album “Hungry”, so you can imagine how excited I got when she released her latest 12 track masterpiece of an album Universe Wrapped in Flesh, lets dive right into it. The album starts with an intense beat followed by a beautiful piano, “Selfish” is where the singer retracts herself through a fluid layered rap. “Nothing Really Hurts Me” is the effortless track that follows, with an impacting fast paced beat but with a relaxed instrumental that contrasts with her words.

Starting with a playful piano, “If I Die, I Die” has a chill beat accompanied by a more soulful delicate tone. The song carries a laid-back vibe but with an important message, chase your dreams because the only certain thing is death. “Delusional” starts with a sample followed by a more trappy beat and faded voices that then break into a slower rhythm. “Where Are You” is where Lexa shows off her RnB legacy, with a striking beat that accompanies the pure vocals that are enhanced by an inflated decaying synth. Overall, it is a mysterious track where the intensity of the singer’s pain is felt in every word.

 “I’m All the Way In” proves again that Lexa is not scared to fight against a crooked system, she doesn’t leave nothing unsaid using the repetition to create impactful mottos and genuine lyrics: “no one wants to hear this from a girl”. “Sfcd” begins with a distorted male vocal that leaves space for the artist to through a more aggressive rap over it keeping a lot of vocal details throughout the song.

Subsequently, “It’s Always Something” is filled with vocal effects accompanied by an angelical piano. The echo and delay let the feelings of Lexa clearly show through a beautiful sad melody. “The Person That I Was Before” starts with a radiophonic intro that serves as background for a spoken introduction followed by a strong rhythm that leaves space for a rap that transforms into a sung section. The dense harsh beat and slick bass create the disposition for the genius message of the song: “you just living in a lie, I do everything that you’re too scared to even try”.

 Delivering a deeper beat, “Rotten to the Core” begins with a plucked synth that creates a stable base for a distinct heavy rap. “What Will I Have” has a dreamy beginning with birds chipping, the slow vibe track puts the rap has a second layer leveled with the backing vocals instead of focusing on it.

To wrap up the album, “Mind Your Business” focuses on Lexa’s beautiful tone, full of vocal layers and harmonies that create an isolated melody. There is a great exploration of registers and accentuation of certain words that are naturally sung: “How could I go wrong when I’ve tried nothing but my best”. Once again, Lexa brings pure strong rhymes that are accompanied by a genius instrumental creating an astounding sonority. It is hard to choose a favorite track from this intoxicating yet hypnotic album, “Universe Wrapped in Flesh” proves that Lexa has a profound understanding of her own emotions and is not scared of showing her true colors.