Snoh Aalegra's fourth album, Legendary Love, is her most successful front-to-back statement yet, according to a new review. The Swedish-Iranian singer, who describes her music as "cinematic soul," delivers a sparse and warm collection that showcases her androgynous, Sade-like voice against plush production.
A Blend of Styles
The album features a hybrid of Afrobeats and 80s R&B on the hypnotic "I Love You," and minimalist guitars with moonlit synths on "This That," which reviewers note could have been produced by Jai Paul. Aalegra's music, a mix of R&B, hip-hop, soul, and pop, has often struggled to match its aesthetic, hampered by her love of the greats and generic lyrics.
Her previous album, 2021's Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies, made progress toward a more distinctive sound with production from Tyler, the Creator, No ID, P2J, and the Neptunes, but still didn't feel like the right fit.
Tribute or Original?
For much of the first half of Legendary Love, Aalegra references artists like Dev Hynes and Wet, who put modern spins on 80s pastiche, and the approach suits her. However, the promising start is let down by "Nothing Compares," despite production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and "Greatest of All Time," which sound like lesser tributes to Janet and Whitney.
The review concludes that while Aalegra is not that legendary yet, she has more to work with than most.
