NAOMI SCOTT - F.I.G.

Elegant, hushed songs, handled with production restraint, as if any extra element would upset their balance. Sophisticated songs that, starting from the genre's eternal reference points (Sade, Wendy Smith, Tracey Thorn), slide steadily forward along the timeline, embracing the legend of Janet Jackson and the synthetic grooves of Jessie Ware and Fabiana Palladino. Concise songs, exactly as long as they need to be, keeping the emotion they hold intact. Barely half an hour long, "F.I.G" (short for "fall into grace") is the debut with which Naomi Scott, far better known as an actress (a Disney past, more recently roles in "Charlie's Angels" and "Smile 2"), finds her musical footing after years of scattered, one-off tracks. She does it with the class and composure of a veteran, with a sound already dense with a maturity that here is synonymous with life experience; because reconnecting with grace is a matter of small moments.

Groove and assorted sophistication, in short: the recipe is a familiar one, less so its combinations, which only rarely venture down the dance route (successfully, see "Cherry", straight out of the "All For You" sessions by the aforementioned Janet Jackson), favouring instead hushed funk steps ("Gracie", a touching closer with a Quincy Jones touch) or smooth r&b vibrations (the minimal, Jai Paul-esque bass lines of "Rhythm").

Together with producer Lido (already behind names like Mariah Carey and Halsey), Scott conjures a world of velvety sensations, of tremors that spend their considerable emotional baggage through subtraction (the hushed reggae step of “Losing You”), as if they were already living in memory, cradled by a fog that dulls their pain. Grace then hits with impact, playing honestly with the prospect of a clean break (the shimmering synths of “Cut Me Loose”, which also bears the touch of Blood Orange) or softening the impulse that obsession can trigger (the slow-burning fire that animates “Bound”).

What's still missing is that extra pinch of production character that would truly make Naomi Scott's music her own, yet even so, amid a sea of synth/electro acts all geared toward maximizing their streamingcore appeal, the British artist's music arrives like a breath of fresh air. Beyond the playlists, a glimmer of elegance.

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05/05/2026