Almost exactly two years after her sophomore LP Bird’s Eye, Ravyn Lenae is back with Blue Island, a dreamy record that leans into lush, atmospheric production.

The album is deeply vulnerable and curious, riffing on the line between the empowerment and unease Lenae felt after her breakout hit “Love Me Not” took on a life of its own. Tracks on Blue Island don’t shy away from showing all the anxiety and change that came with the pride of being at the height of her career, so far. 

Lenae’s personal experiences seep both into the lyrics and the production of the album’s 14 tracks as if she used the recording process to document the changes she’d been going through. You can hear it most evidently on the Doechii-featuring “Babygirl.” Describing her day-to-day life, Lenae contemplates what it means to create without worrying about how her work will be received, particularly in a predominantly white space. Doechii is a natural fit for this track, changing up the pace on one of the album’s slower moments.

Other highlights include “Wish You Well,” where her appreciation for The Cranberries is clear through her vocal riffs, and “In & Out,” which Lenae says is her personal favourite. Both of which would be nothing less than enchanting to hear live – as would the rest of the album.

Blue Island, in many ways, feels like a continuation of what Lenae’s been building with her previous albums. Still, the honesty in her lyrics, the production, and her vocal performance feels more elevated than before, cementing her status within a newer class of artists who create without waiting for permission.