Jessie Reyez plays no games on her debut album, Before Love Came to Kill Us, which dropped on March 27. I mean, the opening lines are, “I should’ve f*cked your friends / It would’ve been the best revenge / For the fire that you started.” I almost spit out my tea when I heard it the first time (seriously, that happened), and I knew immediately that this LP would be my new go-to for unapologetic bops. The second track, “Deaf”, further ups the ante with a badass beat and an unrepentant message.
Still, Reyez does show a softer side on other tracks — including “Coffin” featuring Eminem — while maintaining her grit-and-grind attitude. What also remains constant is her sharp lyricism and charismatic expression. The album is so quotable, I had to compile a list of the best verses. Keep reading to see some of the standout lines on Before Love Came to Kill Us!