Summer Walker's R&B Takeover
Summer Marjani Walker (born April 11, 1996) is an R&B singer who signed to Love Renaissance and Interscope Records in 2017. In 2018 she released her mixtape Last Day of Summer which gave Walker her first top 40 entry on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Girls Need Love”. She released her platinum Album Over it in 2019 which broke the record for the biggest streaming debut-week ever for a female R&B artist. Her 2021 album Still Over It broke this record, debuting at #1. Walker is helping to prove that R&B still plays a pivotal role in today’s musical landscape.
Walker was born in Atlanta, Georgia and spent most of her time growing up there with her mother who is American and her father who is from London. Walker ran a cleaning business from 2016-2018 and also worked as a dancer before beginning her professional singing career. Walker taught herself how to play guitar and would post various song covers to Youtube. She was later discovered by the studio manager of Love Renaissance. She has often spoken about her struggles with anxiety and has said “I would be more at peace if I could just record music and slide it under the door.” Nevertheless, fans gravitate to her and her performances. Walker’s music speaks to her experiences with love, doubt, and common obstacles that are faced when navigating womanhood. These themes can be seen in songs such as “Playing Games” and “My Affection”, which were both featured on President Obama’s favorite songs playlist. In the past, she has given her fans advice saying “…learn from my mistakes. You don’t have to guess if something is love. Love is shown through actions…Don’t ignore the red flags.”
Walker sites artists such as Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, and Erykah Badu as being sources of inspiration. She has collaborated with a wide array of artists such as Ari Lenox, Jhené Aiko, Bryson Tiller, and Drake. She has had two major tours and has won awards such as a Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Female Artist and a Soul Train Music Award for Album of the Year.
Conclusion
Summer Walker’s music is unique and often very relatable for her fans. She is a newcomer but has already broken major records and amassed a significant following. Women and men alike appreciate the honesty of her lyrics, her production style, and her unique tone and vocal style. Walker is still a relatively new artist but through mer music and widespread support from fans internationally, she is proving that R&B is alive and well.
Bibliography:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-10-21/summer-walker-over-it-drake
Summer Walker Is a Star. But She Signed a ‘Brutal’ Record Deal to Get There
Musicians on Musicians: Erykah Badu & Summer Walker
https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/summer-walker-billboard-record-1234636847/
https://www.spin.com/featured/summer-walker-is-doing-it-her-way/
Summer Walker Is In It For The Songs She Loves To Make
