Ritz The Lioness

From Mount Vernon, New York, Ritz the Lioness entered the music industry by taking part on a rap duo, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she decided to release the EP, “Savage”, betting on a solo career. The singer, songwriter just dropped “Abandonne”, a seven track masterpiece that fuses R&B, soul, and some intoxicating Afro beats.

Starting us off with “Band$” featuring Papi Ocho, Ritz captures us by putting together a soft guitar contrasting with her delicate vocals that carry a confessional tone. The track delivers a different number of timbers, some echoes created by the second voice and intermediate dialogues, this all ends up working very well together creating an intimate song. 

“The APPLE” is the song that follows and it has the great collaboration of J SOULJA. The start of the track is unique, intense, and unexpected with a riveting beat that sounds like a  rhythmic knock on a door that later develops into the beat of a heart. The wobbly synth and the use of delay just enrich the song all together, making use of synthesized sounds and unexpected pauses that break the emergence of an expected pattern.

Next, with an impactful and seductive bass, we have, “ROSTER”. The song delivers an instrumental arpeggio created by the initial melody, we can sense a more exposed and raw tone both in Ritz vocals as in her lyrics. In “ROSTER” it is notable the duality between the melody and the little details introduced by the second voice, transporting the song to a more affirmative beat that unexpectedly ends like it began.

“Abandonne” is the track which names this beautiful EP. It starts with a fade-in of the beat, we can hear some echoes that are kept in a distant plan until Ritz vocals enter in a French dialect with an honest tone describing the feeling of abandonment and desolation. There is this single, but impactful strum of a guitar followed by a descend played on the piano allowing the entrance of a more complex and constructed chorus.

Creating the need of movement comes “Limit”. Inspired on the Afro beats and melodies, with an anthem like attitude Ritz is calling that “There is a Limit”. In this song we can witness the fusion of the traditional with innovation the means are modern but the material is ethnological.
Once again Ritz features Papi Ocho to deliver another amazing theme, “SIGNS”. The song begins with the use of different vocals and effects followed by a strong faster stimulating beat. There is the detail of the voicemail, complemented with sweet vocals with a clear narrative and some great storytelling.

Last but not least we have, “Circles”, an authentic track that makes us connect with the story being told. It begins with the crescendo of the beat that again evokes Afro roots,  stabilizing until the entrance of the layered vocals building a strong presence and strength. It is created a sense of transparency by the use of the naked voice while the instrumentation breaks. There is also a playfulness around the sound layered with different dynamics, detailed effects, and the notion of a circular spatialization of the beat that makes us feel inside of the song this can maybe be related to the title of the song. Overall, “Abandonne” is a cohesive, vulnerable, and unapologetic EP. It is not only inspired by  Afro roots as it brings a great balance between the duality of the speaking and the singing voice and the importance and impact of each. There is this versatility on the vocals created by inflections and a way of singing that is uniquely delivered according to the vibe of the song. This EP is a must listen and it can be found in all different streaming platforms, make sure you don’t miss it and be aware of what is coming next for Ritz the Lioness.