It is said that in life, you either evolve or you die. Meant as a more motivational sentiment than a morbid one, the “death” in this sense refers to a spiritual demise. For many, the pandemic (or just life in general) revealed that time is not on our side and sparked a bit of soul-shifting. Artists have the luxury of sharing the harvest of the seeds planted along their respective journeys, and Adi Oasis’ new album Lotus Glow is a groovy depiction of her glorious quest.
Aptly titled after the flower known for its ability to rise from the mud without stain, the album echoes the strength, resilience and rebirth of its namesake. “Lotus Glow is my story,” the beauty formerly known as Adeline shared on Instagram. “The mud is my roots, where I came from. There is no flower without it, there is no beauty without it. The lotus is who I am today. I have blossomed into Adi Oasis, the artist I have worked on becoming all my life. The glow is where I am going next.”
Lucky for us, we’re along for the ride, and it is stunning. She kicks things off with “Le Départ,” a rather sultry ode to her relocation from Paris to New York, followed by the previously released single “Get It Got It.” The groove continues with hefty sides of inspiration with her tribute to tennis legend Serena Williams on “Serena” and the project’s lead single “Red To Violet” featuring Jamila Woods. From there, things take a deeper, slightly darker and much more funkier turn on her collaboration with J.Hoard entitled “Marigold” and “Dumpalltheguns,” where she channels her frustration with the mass shootings happening all over America.
Oasis uses the second half of the album to remind us all of how shamelessly sexy she is and to pay homage to her actual roots. Previously released tracks “Adonis” with KIRBY, “Multiply” and “Naked” featuring Leven Kali are somehow positioned perfectly among the seductive “U Make Me Want It,” an ode to her grandmother on “Sidonie” and the interlude “Sugarcane,” which sets the scene for her tribute to her Martinique island roots entitled “The Water.” The odyssey ends just as it started, with a track identical to the intro, this time featuring Aaron Taylor and entitled “FourSixty.”
Adeline may have reinvented herself as Adi Oasis, but nothing has been lost during the transition. If anything, Lotus Glow is her most real and fully realized release yet. Combining equal parts soul and soul-searching, Adi Oasis is Lotus Glow, and Lotus Glow is Adi Oasis.
Adi Oasis Lotus Glow [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
