Great music tends to start with a vibe, and no matter which version of Lisa G. Allen’s new single “Big Momma” you check out this summer, I think you’re going to find that vibes are produced from beats and verses alike. Allen is assisted by Ronnue in her endeavors here, and although there’s something to be said about the latter’s influence over her sound and these different mixes available on the EP of the same title, there’s no debating whether or not this is a singer showcase that was made to please those with an ear for melodicism.
The classic sample featured in the stock version of “Big Momma” is of course iconic, but it doesn’t feel forced into place here at all – quite the contrary, truth be told. The vocal style that Allen utilizes is one that puts a lot of the tension off of the bassline, which makes this kind of angular arrangement perfect for demonstrating what she can do with her voice in the right situation. She doesn’t have to push the envelope aesthetically, primarily because she’s already got the right type of setup to give us unfiltered insight into her skillset as a singer and performer.
These lyrics, which were written by Ronnue, have a forcefulness that doesn’t come off of the page itself but instead from the potency with which Allen is putting the verses to the melody. When she’s got something she’s feeling deep about here, she isn’t afraid to give us everything she’s got, which is more than can be said for the vast majority of her peers coming out of the northwest underground in 2022. She doesn’t need all the frills, and anyone who would think otherwise needs to hear this for themselves before the summer is over.
The groove, whether we’re listening to the album version, the “Done Did It Again” or “West Coast” versions, is one of the more enticing elements of artistry we’re getting a heaping handful of in all of these mixes, including the acapella take, but it’s not over the top nor made to sound imposing over the melodic instrumentation. This isn’t a track that needs a fat percussive force nudging us toward the hook – if anything, it’s already got enough of a push coming from the vocal Allen is putting down at the center of the mix.
“Big Momma” in all of its different incarnations is undeniably a likable pop track that makes me curious what Lisa G. Allen could do next both in the studio with Ronnue as well as on her own, pursuing a more ambitious look than what we’re getting in this initial offering. She’s surrounded by the right influences that are definitely drawing a lot of quality content to the surface with a piece like this one, and if she can learn to hone what others are helping her to recognize about herself and the music she’s making at the moment, she’s going to be a real wrecking ball in the underground.
Troy Johnstone