I think the best way to describe Ann Oso’s “Loyalty (Stand By You)” is by saying it sounds like Aaliyah sonically. That’s to say, if Aaliyah was a part of the Euphoria generation, I feel she’d have something like this in her back pocket. It’s equally about being loyal to someone, but expecting and receiving that right back in bunches. There’s no unrequited love, no four-page letter moments. What Oso does here is take the trope of young woman in love and applies it to herself just as much as she does to her partner. It’s as sweet as it is self-empowering, like many Aaliyah cuts over her legendary career. The beat, produced by LA producer Chris “Big Duke” Malloy, has some real ’90s appeal to it as well.

Honestly, it caught my off-guard because Oso sounds more mature vocally than she appears. I’m unsure of her age, but she sings like someone who’s been doing this for ten, fifteen years. That’s another reason the Aaliyah comparisons come out, at least to me. The visuals feature Ann having a friends’ night where she and her friends practice self-care and just enjoy life. It’s, to me, a refreshing take on the whole “love yourself first” concept. Check out the visuals and the song below and remember to support dope music in all its forms.