This post was updated Nov. 19 at 3:35 p.m.
Summer Walker is closing a chapter of her career with another confessional album.
The R&B singer-songwriter’s third LP, “Finally Over It,” released Nov. 14, arrived as the final entry in a trilogy that includes her 2019 debut “Over It” and her 2021 sophomore album “Still Over It.” The new project spans 55 minutes of music across 18 tracks, split evenly between two discs with the first nine songs labeled “For Better” and the second half called “For Worse.” While Walker’s honest lyrics remain engaging across the LP over a variety of nostalgic R&B beats, the overabundance of 13 guest appearances never produces a collaboration on par with her best work.
After the opener “Scars” and the woozy Mariah the Scientist collaboration “Robbed You,” the album’s first standout moment appears on the brief but memorable third track “No.” The song cleverly puts a spin on a sample of Beyoncé’s 2003 track “Yes,” transitioning from that tune’s romantic tones to instead create a compelling kiss off for an unsatisfactory partner. The lilting rhythmic production adds to Walker’s assertive lyrics as she decisively sings, “Get used to hearing this, ‘cause the answer’s no.” This is not the first time Walker has directly referenced music written by Beyoncé in her work. The 2019 highlight “Playing Games” interpolated “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child – and “No” finds Walker fully in her element.
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Another major sample is used two tracks later with the Chris Brown pairing “Baby,” which borrows from Mariah Carey’s effervescent 1995 chart-topper “Always Be My Baby.” The verses of the song fuse Carey’s original lyrics with Walker’s sensual wordplay on lines such as “Come let me ride it, boy, you’ll never steer me wrong.” Brown’s lackluster appearance on the track fails to add any value to the song, but the evergreen catchiness of the sample ensures that “Baby” remains pleasant to the ear.
The album’s seventh track and lead single “Heart Of A Woman” stands out as perhaps the best song on the album, merging a memorable hook with Walker’s characteristic contemplative wordplay. Lyrics such as “Wanna give up on you, but, damn, I know I can’t/I put the blame on me for giving you chance after chance” ring true with the brutal frankness Walker has perfected. Fittingly, the track received two Grammy nominations for the upcoming 2026 ceremony in the Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance categories.
Despite the quality of songs such as “No” and “Heart Of A Woman,” the first half of the album is unfortunately weighed down by some of its underwhelming collaborations. The Anderson .Paak partnership on the album’s longest song, “1-800 Heartbreak,” is particularly disappointing because there is limited interplay between the two singers, as the guest artist’s verses are relegated to the conclusion of the track when a back-and-forth dynamic would have been more effective to portray some of the emotional angst. Another middling tune is the monotonous “Go Girl,” which features some of the most lifeless rapping Latto and Doja Cat have ever recorded.
The hooks on the second half of the album are not as immediate, but there are still some worthwhile songs to be found. The strumming guitar that anchors the plaintive “FMT” is especially evocative, justifying its selection as the album’s latest single as Walker contemplates the type of men she is attracted to. The melodic and bouncy “Stitch Me Up” is another earworm that adds some much-needed juice to the album’s closing stretch.
[Related: Album review: Mariah Carey’s ‘Here For It All’ may not be all we want, but we’re still obsessed]
Similar to the first half of the LP, some of the collaborations on the back half regrettably flounder rather than soar. “Baller” features lively contributions from GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Monaleo, but its downtempo sample of the R&B staple “The Closer I Get to You” zaps the club-ready energy that could have made it a proper banger. An even worse output is the Teddy Swims assist on the penultimate ballad “Allegedly,” which exists as a bizarre pairing bridging two artists with little in common, rather than the euphonious duet it was likely intended to be.
As a whole, “Finally Over It” closes Walker’s trilogy of albums without the same emotional intensity as “Over It” or catharsis as “Still Over It,” but still contains enough enjoyable material to satisfy her fans. Listeners cannot be blamed for wishing to hear more of Walker in between the exhausting excess of features, none of which match the dynamism of 2019’s Usher bop “Come Thru” or 2021’s SZA anthem “No Love.” Regardless, the way the 29-year-old artist wears her heart on her sleeve through most of the record demonstrates her understanding of contemporary R&B in line with musicians who inspired her, such as Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu.
Walker is “Finally Over It,” and hopefully her next release will bring a bit more energy without sacrificing her storytelling talents.
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