The journey to Summer Walker’s Finally Over It is one fans have been on since the R&B songstress first teased the follow-up to 2021’s Still Over It. The latest offering is the final instalment of her Over It trilogy, which began back in 2019 with her debut album. The three albums have soundtracked Summer's journey of love, heartbreak, motherhood and everything in between.
Finally Over It feels like an absolute chapter of growth for Summer, who offers a mature, grown-up version of herself, coming through not just in the album's lyrical content. But also through herself artistically and creatively. Not one to shy away from her feelings or from being in the public space, she has had issues with social anxiety. She has navigated her fame experience, including how she interacts with fans and how she has been a successful artist.
Throughout the years, we have seen how that has impacted her, whether at her live shows or in situations that call for her to deal with large crowds. However, the love and support her fans have shown her have always been clear, and even at this point, it is clear that it has been well worth the wait for everybody involved.
The 18-track album is a journey in two parts. The first half, titled ‘For Better’, is a powerful testament to empowerment and self-love. It's about choosing oneself and putting oneself first. The second half, ‘For Worse’, is a raw, honest account of pain and heartbreak. It reflects the experiences that have shaped Summer's journey to this point.
Laced with features and offering a wide variety of sounds and vibes, we get across the project. “Robbed You” sees her and Mariah The Scientist reflectively speaking on what should’ve been done to an ex after the disrespect caused throughout the relationship; their energies match up and complement each other. “1-800 Heartbreak” has her and Anderson. Paak speaks on the experience of getting over heartbreak and what that looks like, and on what it feels like, in a way that feels refreshing, before Anderson offers a different perspective on said heartbreak. Bryson Tiller, who is no stranger to pairing sonically with Summer, as evidenced by their previous offering “Playing Games”, is back with “Give Me A Reason”, a love song that shows appreciation for choosing the right person. “Allegedly” blends Summer and Teddy Swims' voices, each speaking to the feelings of two perspectives on being in love and what that feels like for the two of them.
Outside of her collaborative moments, the solo performances, which appear on 8 of the 18 tracks, feel like some of the moments where she can just shine on her own. From the Beyoncé interpolated “No,” which flips Beyoncé's “Yes” and sees her finally putting her foot down with her partner, saying no and not accepting the behaviour, which is a disservice to herself. “Situationship” is also a more R&B, acoustic moment where she expresses her feelings about being in a complicated situationship, feeling like she deserves more, and not wanting to put herself in that situation anymore. Fuck My Type, “FMT as titled, is a standout in the listening experience and feels like a SZA’s Nobody Gets Me, but almost country-esque when you first press play in its soft and gentle melodies. Its lyrical content sees Summers “trading her broken heart for a good life”. It is a message of empowerment and a moment of self-reflection, leaving behind what has always been her norm—choosing the wrong type of guy—and instead wanting to do better herself and to deserve the right type of guy. “Stich Me Up” is another moment of honesty about her vulnerability and fears in a new relationship, having been broken by her past experiences and “needing somebody to stitch me up and pick me up when I’m down”. The title track, album closer “Finally Over It,” is an orchestral moment that feels like the dramatic end of a movie—the movie being the experiences that have shaped Summer over the last few years of her life. As the theme of the album's artwork ties to the idea of marriage, the marriage is between the various sides of summer and the experiences she has had that have shaped her in the moment she is in.
As you listen to Finally Over It. Having been on the journey with the last two albums, it feels like a different Summer we met in 2019 —not only in the lyrical content, which feels more open and vulnerable than we have previously seen from her, but also sonically. There is a softness you hear in the strings' instrumentation, and a more acoustic, gentle sound that, in itself, feels like a reflection of where Summer is and how she is really over it and ready for the next chapter.
