The performative nature of muting people from one’s life isn't seeking true isolation, but being selective about who is allowed into one’s world.
Though Dej’s talent is walking both sides of that divide, she’s a strong enough singer and rapper that it’s great hearing her not stuck on instrumentals that straddle the genre fence. “Back Up” is the exception, a crisp straight-ahead rap song that forgoes genre blurring.
The EP’s production stays laidback, so Dej can smoothly jump between singing and rapping without leaning too heavily towards one style. She knows the particular sound that works for her mix of rap and R&B. “Butterflies” refers to the little creatures that flutter in nervous stomachs, and it captures the cheeks-blushing sweetness that is the other side of Dej. On “Hey There,” Dej partners with Future-more recently a heel on Dirty Sprite 2-who rediscovers his softer side that won over fans a few years ago with “Turn on the Lights”.ĭej Loaf’s confidence extends to her production. But she never shuts herself off so much to miss when real attraction might be coming her way. Big Sean, someone with a very public and on the record relationship history, struggles to keep up with Dej’s cold-hearted dismissals (“If I fuck and make you come, you gotta promise not to stress me,” she insists). The Big Sean-assisted “Back Up,” one of the most upbeat tracks in Dej’s catalog, focuses on keeping the distance with someone after just one night together. On the EP’s opening track “Desire,” Dej says “I’d rather feel on myself than let you feel on my ass,” and the rest of the EP is just as self-contained and confident.
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