Can you say “work ethic?” Holy cannoli. After reviewing both projects I think Tierra’s just trying to find her sound and see what the fans prefer from her. I applaud her efforts! Not many out there today care about the fan experience, so it’s a welcome change of pace.

Apple Music bills the hip-hop/rap record as a “good show of her charisma.” So far, it seems that for the rap EP, “Stand Up” is the most listened to and/or most popular at the moment, while “Body of Water” is getting particular attention on the pop side of things. Not only was it a smart choice to release back to back records this year but it will increase her listenership exponentially. Among the many things that it’s important for artists to do is release the music. It doesn’t have to be every other week, but releasing I’d say at least once a year is optimal unless, of course, you’re working on a bigger project. The best thing then would be to build the momentum more than anything.

Leaning into “Body of Water,” I noticed that Pop? was titled so because her music crosses genres. This track starts out with rap, then goes into a sort of more pop sound, then switches to r&b but seamlessly blends it all together. Tierra’s references and speed were perfectly in tune with all of the other elements. “Lazy” opens with a vintage sounding guitar and vocals. I loved the switch up””there was never a dull moment listening to this one. It’s also funny how “Lazy” sounds like it was just a jam session that turned into a professionally recorded song. I love that element about this, and I could so effortlessly visualize Tierra playing this song in the garage with her band.

“Dolly” leans into a dreamy sounding vocal, talking about people in her life who want her to give up the music for them, which people who truly care will not do. The track is introspective, and showcases a unique self awareness, as well as a standout vocal inflection on various parts of the song. Lyrically, it seems shs only chasing her dreams, and of course, she’s liking the money coming in. Still, it has to be hard to not be able to make time for the people you care about. I’m enamored with the backing instrumentation and overall

simplicity of this song. Less is more here, and it goes to show you how skilled Tierra truly is.

At just over 700,000 followers on Instagram, I’m surprised to find that she’s not more well-known.

Encompassing her entire vibe is the lyric from “Stand Up,” reminiscent of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady”:

Rather have the skill than the sex appeal

Even more is the story behind Meagan Good, which details the speaker in a romantic relationship with someone who was in jail, while she is busy signing contracts for her music. She sends him money via Zelle and Venmo while he’s bringing around other girls. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s clearly not what she signed up for. It also details how they had the same opportunities, the difference being: she decided to take advantage of her time and skill, while he neglected to write new raps while in jail even though they had the same dreams.

Your love wasn’t healthy so I’m on a new diet

We see a return to Tierra both singing and rapping on this track. The title of the song, “Meagan Good” is a play on words, mentioning the actress but really talking about how she’s found what she was looking for: love and success inside herself, rather than externally.