WILLOW's 'Petal Rock Black' Praised
WILLOW's seventh album *petal rock black* dropped last week and is earning praise for its compact yet diverse tracks, especially the tender moments. Music enthusiast @Top10Nathan highlighted the album among current listening recommendations alongside artists like Lauryn Hill, Doja Cat's latest album, Cleo Sol's *Gold*, and Olivia Dean's *The Art of Loving*.
- The album features a notable lineup of collaborators, including Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and the experimental pop duo Tune-Yards. - *petal rock black* continues WILLOW's shift away from the pop-punk of her 2021 album *lately I feel EVERYTHING* and into a blend of experimental jazz fusion, soul, and progressive pop. - The album was a surprise release on February 17, 2026, and was written and produced by WILLOW, who spent over a year and a half developing the record largely in isolation. - To debut the new material, WILLOW performed two intimate shows at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Hollywood, highlighting the album's focus on live musicianship and its improvisational jazz feel. - The comparison to Cleo Sol is fitting, as Sol's 2023 album *Gold* was also praised for its tender fusion of neo-soul, '70s soul, and modern jazz. - The mention of Lauryn Hill contextualizes WILLOW's work within the lineage of "neo-soul," a genre Hill helped popularize by blending hip-hop and mainstream R&B with personal, introspective lyrics. - In contrast to WILLOW's experimental jazz direction, the other contemporary albums mentioned, like Doja Cat's *Vie* and Olivia Dean's *The Art of Loving*, lean more heavily into pop and R&B.
