Formerly known as Hoodlem, TESSA continues to validate the extensive buzz around her with a modern, r&b-infused pop single that harnesses the maturity of a seasoned veteran prepared to make waves throughout the scene. It’s personal yet punchy, sentimental yet self-assertive, cycling through a range of emotional approaches that all fit neatly within one another’s form. The song also features a killer assist from Terrell Morris as he refracts the track’s approach through a rap lens, adding a delicious new layer that shows just how ready-made TESSA’s approach is to coexist with any genre. Dropping a persona in favor of living her truth, TESSA has made her best music to date.
Bad love immediately conjures up images of romantic relationships gone wrong, but this notion applies to friendships as well. I can identify a couple of friendships in my life where they were soured by the inability to foster a mutually loving existence. One of those friendships ended poorly as bad love tends to do, while the other friendship has been reconfigured from my perspective so that I don’t expect the other person to emotionally provide anything more than they’re capable of. We can’t expect other people to bend toward our expectations if they don’t have the capacity – instead, we need to find people who meet our needs. That’s how I see it, anyway.