I queue up my first listen of Jae Stephens’ latest, SELLOUT II, on the treadmill, because some pop releases demand a ritual. This one? It’s kinetic. My lore with Jae Stephens dates back to the pandemic: a late-night discovery spiralling into an unsolicited DM, overflowing with praise. Not much has changed. 

Since then, I’ve interviewed her ahead of her opening slot on FLO’s North American tour, screeched every lyric of SELLOUT from the barricade in a blur of beer and dopamine, and still find myself in her inbox now and then—offering reverent dispatches to one of R&B pop’s most criminally underrated (for now) up-and-coming voices.

“SMH,” the project’s lead single, spills with song-of-the-summer energy—an unrepentant banger that makes me helplessly imagine an alternate timeline where it was an “Espresso” level moment. Riding a minimalist beat that snaps and bounces like a rubber band, Stephens cheekily flips through her roster: “Which one should I choose today? Switch ‘em out like shoes today.” It’s an undeniably infectious opening salvo, dripping with quotability and razor-sharp one-liners.

The six track EP walks the line between straight-up pop bravado (“Kiss It,” “Afterbody”) and slinky ‘00s R&B (“That’s My Baby,” “10/10”), knowing exactly when to flirt, when to flex, and when to ghost. “Afterbody” is a clear career high for Stephens, anchored by one of the year’s most addictive pop hooks and a shimmering, can’t-shake-it refrain. Then there’s “Choosy,” which moves with a hip-hop snap reminiscent of the golden era of Darkchild hi-hats and Neptunes synth squiggles.

It’s refreshing to be right about something—especially when that something is my unshakeable allegiance to Jae Stephens. SELLOUT II not only doubles down on her gift for writing earworms, but also lands with more confidence than the entire current Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. If there’s any justice in this world, this won’t be her underrated era for much longer.