GRAMMY®-Nominated Singer/Songwriter Alex Isley Delivers Soulful Intimacy on WHEN
- blrbmag
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
GRAMMY®-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer Alex Isley turns the volume up on vulnerability with her stunning new EP, WHEN, out now via Free Lunch Records/Warner Records. A collection of six deeply intimate tracks, the project balances lush soundscapes with Isley’s signature airy vocals, exploring themes of love, identity, intimacy, and emotional growth. Highlights include the hypnotic focus track “Mic On,” produced by GRAMMY® winner Kaytranada, and the soulful “Hands,” which has already garnered critical acclaim from outlets like Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Essence. With contributions from renowned producer Camper (Brandy, H.E.R., Coco Jones), WHEN reveals a more sensual and candid side of Isley, immersing listeners in a dreamlike world of longing and connection.
From start to finish, WHEN is a sonic universe of vulnerability, clarity, and sensuality. Songs like “Ms. Goody Two Shoes” and “Thank You For A Lovely Time” showcase Isley’s unique ability to weave emotional candor into sophisticated, genre-blurring production. The EP arrives following her acclaimed collaboration with Terrace Martin on I Left My Heart in Ladera, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Now, with WHEN, Isley cements herself as one of R&B’s most arresting and important voices, offering listeners a rare blend of honesty and refinement.
Born into music royalty as the daughter of Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers, Alex Isley has forged her own path by blending Soul, R&B, Jazz, and ethereal soundscapes into a style entirely her own. Since her self-produced debut Love/Art Memoirs, she has built a catalog of critically acclaimed projects, collaborated with artists like Robert Glasper, PJ Morton, and Lucky Daye, and earned GRAMMY® nominations for her work with Glasper. With standout performances at NPR’s Tiny Desk and the GRAMMY® stage alongside Alicia Keys, Alex continues to emerge as one of today’s most compelling and versatile artists.
For more information on Alex Isley and WHEN, tap here.
REVIEWS
“[WHEN] is full of songs that yearn and liberate.”
—Rolling Stone
“[Alex] turned her heartache into lullabies and lust into mood music, never raising her voice or overpowering her thoughtful production.”
—Rolling Stone
“[Alex] takes on each track as preciously as the moments of connection and uncertainty they capture.”
—Rolling Stone
"Alex Isley Launches Sensual New Era With ‘Hands’’
—Billboard
“Alex Isley sings with warm and seductive vocals”
—Elle Magazine
“She playfully breathes new life into the phrase: “lady in the streets, freak in the sheets”
—Vibe Magazine
“Alex Isley enchants with the velvety ‘Hands’”
—Essence Magazine
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