\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div> \t\t\t\t\tSaweetie introduced Hella Pressure<\/em> after dropping one-off singles \u201cNani\u201d and \u201cRichtivities\u201d last year<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRol.lexx*<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tShe sees Hella Pressure<\/em> as the foundation for finally stepping into her debut album era. It opens with a track that brought her back to \u201cthat Icy Grl in the car rapping,\u201d as she puts it. The song begins with a dramatic intro where she\u2019s \u201ctalking my shit, popping my shit\u201d in response to those who\u2019ve downplayed her artistry, leaning into the project\u2019s diamond-under-pressure theme. Writing it, she says, reminded her why she started making music in the first place.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhen I was rapping in my car, I wasn\u2019t doing it to prove anything to critics or peers. I just liked writing raps,\u201d Saweetie says. \u201cOnce I was introduced into the music industry, it just became really competitive \u2014 you\u2019re now being compared to this person, that person, you\u2019re getting subs from this person and that person. So, it alters the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHas she blocked out those critical voices? \u201cI think it\u2019s a matter of being desensitized,\u201d she says. \u201cIt got to a point where I had just gotten so used to hearing the bullshit. But it\u2019s just like, \u2018\u2018What makes you happy?\u2019 Make something that makes you happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThis EP is exactly that. This time, she\u2019s become much more intentional with her choices around what she releases. \u201cIf a song doesn\u2019t resonate in my heart anymore, I don\u2019t want to release it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \n\tThere\u2019s the Afrobeats-leaning \u201cI Need Some Inspo,\u201d co-written with producer P2J during a creative dry spell. And she calls \u201cTwinzzz\u201d the \u201cbaby sister\u201d to her hit with Doja Cat, \u201cBest Friend,\u201d delivering hype-up energy with the repeated mantra \u201cTwin, lock in!\u201d The project closes with \u201cSuperstars,\u201d a sleek, pop collab with K-pop group Twice<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tSaweetie performs in Tokyo.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShammond Shorter*<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\u201cWe may not speak the same language, but we understood each other\u2019s energy. They remind me of what pop stars felt like in the Nineties or early 2000s, just by their presence, how they carried themselves,\u201d says Saweetie, who spent a day with the girls and was interviewed for a documentary about the group. \u201cIt was really nice to experience that. I felt like a kid, honestly, just experiencing their show and being around them. They felt like some real<\/em> pop stars.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhile a debut album has always been a priority in her music career, Saweetie has made it clear that before she\u2019s a rapper, she\u2019s a businesswoman at heart. (She\u2019s got the USC degree to prove it.) Top of mind right now? A beauty brand she\u2019s launching, based on \u201csomething that I wear a lot,\u201d she says. Like her music, it\u2019s all intentional. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/saweetie-embed-live.jpg?w=819\")
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