Kaandace Cooper’s ‘Love and Life EP’ is seamless and smooth [Pulse EP Review]

Earlier in the year, she released her debut EP, Love and Life. Immediately, her excellence on R&B elements shine through. The EP canvasses a myriad of topics, but she shines the brightest on the R&B records, with her Afro-pop reps still in obvious formation.

‘Ex Mes,’ the post-breakup record, which sees Cooper portray a character who rejects the apologies of an errant ex, is an obvious standout on the album. With beautiful songwriting, the song is a representation of what Kandace Cooper could be in a world that constantly opens up for Whisper Girls.

She doesn’t whisper though. She belts out notes with effortlessness. While her Afro-pop-influenced tracks are still good, they are not exactly on the same level. At times, it feels like she approaches Afro-pop with the deftness and dexterity that R&B or a Ballad requires. Her songwriting and delivery obviously align, but she and the sound, not as much.

Nonetheless, ‘Mamacita,’ the Dancehall/Afro-swing record is another standout, which comes perfectly-timed on the tracklist. While Cooper’s verses seem rough around the edges once again, the sheer quality of her hook will make anybody overlook those aforementioned flaws. Equally, the featured artists on this EP are impressive.

Regardless of certain reservations, Cooper remains a massive talent. Only a finicky music listener like this writer will notice those flaws because as one unit, this EP is seamless and smooth. It also projects Cooper’s trajectory as potentially scary, in terms of what she could become.

When it comes to Afro-pop, her team might want to put her in a room with a more seasoned Afro-pop writer, with whom she can create magical records, which merge her R&B strength with the required level of lamba that she requires.

Themes and Delivery: 1.5/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.6/2