IVY SOLE. is an artist from Philadelphia who started releasing music in 2016. Her last album, Southpaw, came out in November 2020. Since that time, she’s teased us with a few singles, but now it’s finally time for her new full-length, candid.

One of the most exciting parts of being a music fan is when you come across an artist that clearly has talent and potential, and you get to go along for the ride and watch them figure things out and take that next big step. That’s what it felt like to listen to candid. It’s not that there’s anything drastically different from her previous material, it’s just that everything about IVY SOLE. has been honed and she knows herself well enough as an artist that she knows when and how to deploy all of the tools she has at her disposal. That means that over the course of thirteen tracks, IVY SOLE. is picking just the right moments to rap and sing, knowing when to dial the production up and come with some bangers, and when to keep things cool and let the listeners in for some intimate conversations. These conversations are where the album really becomes special. SOLE. isn’t setting out to make a “big” statement with this album, but by allowing herself to be so vulnerable and really get into the weeds about figuring out her personal life and talking through her relationships and her professional journey, the album really begins to grow into something special. It doesn’t necessarily sound like that much on paper, but when someone like IVY SOLE., who has the talent and charisma and who has put in the work is putting so much of themselves into a project, it really comes through in a major way when you spend the time with album like candid.

candid. Is a great next step for IVY SOLE. She’s confident enough in her abilities to really let her listeners in and show the good, the bad, the ups, and the downs. It’s an album that is a delight to listen to, and really makes it feel like you know IVY SOLE. personally after you listen to it.