Album Review: Chrysalis by Iman Europe & Kaelin Ellis
Iman Europe has always worn two crowns. Chrysalis might be rooted in one woman’s story, but its fluttering wingspan casts a glow that many can stand under.
Iman Europe has always worn two crowns—one as a deft rapper, the other as a soulful singer—and on Chrysalis she proves she shouldn’t have to choose. The Los Angeles-based artist (by way of New York) has honed a style that fuses melodic raps with lyrical R&B harmonies, pairing resonant penmanship with a captivating vocal presence. Since her 2015 mixtape Caterpillar, where she described being in “our limbo, our in-between, our cocoon," Iman has made metamorphosis her mission. A self-proclaimed “caterpillar” inspiring listeners to evolve, she now arrives at Chrysalis—a project that feels like the long-awaited emergence. Across this 15-track trip, Europe lays bare a personal transformation in the age of Instagram, examining how to grow and thrive when everyone is watching. It’s an intimate concept delivered in a voice that’s equal parts streetwise poet and velvet-voiced songstress.
The album opens with the title track “Chrysalis,” consuming us in a reflective headspace. Over a mellow, atmospheric beat accented by soft, ethereal synths, Iman raps about the need to retreat and grow: “Somewhere in my chrysalis phase, I just need some time alone, I’ll go and grow a bit.” Her vocals are front and center, layered with lush harmonies that echo her introspection. There’s a quiet confidence in her delivery—she sounds at home over Kaelin Ellis’s subtle drum pulse, as if the beat is a heartbeat steadying her thoughts. By the song’s end, when she murmurs about “wings ready to grow” emerging from solitude, the thematic stage is set: this is an album about breaking out of one’s shell, at one’s own pace.
Seamlessly, the mood pivots on “Come and Get Me,” a sultry R&B jam featuring Rexx Life Raj. The production here hinges on a smooth blend of laid-back R&B and subtle electronic elements, creating an intimate yet club-friendly vibe—the kind of warmth that lets Europe flex her singing chops. She coos the hook “come and get me out this club tonight” in a voice that’s both alluring and longing, as if seeking real connection beyond a crowded room. The low-end bass bumps softly, but it’s her melody that shines above the hazy synth glow. It’s a brief respite of sensuality before the energy kicks up: “Sha’Carri” sprints in next with bright, bouncy swagger. Over an energetic bounce of crisp snares and a pulsating bassline, Iman’s flow turns playful and braggadocious. “Once you like me online, now you loving me,” she winks, nodding to digital-age romance and the instant allure of an online persona. Named after the Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, the track finds Europe confidently running up the score, her verses weaving effortlessly between flirtation and flex. Ellis’s beat is modern and minimalist—a trap-tinged framework that gives her Taurus energy and witty one-liners ample room to land.
As the album unfolds like a series of journal entries, each song flows into the next chapter of self-growth. “Why” (featuring an emotive guest verse by an artist credited as EAT) arrives with a confrontational edge. Iman’s verse opens bluntly—“Riddle me this: Who keep these bitches in a tizzy and her name on they lips?”—calling out envy and chatter with measured calm. By “Ego Death,” the mood turns inward. Iman Europe digs into her darker thoughts over a slow, minimalist soundscape. The beat is skeletal—deep, humming bass and filtered hi-hats—creating a hypnotic, almost meditative quality. She unleashes some of her most intense bars on this track, addressing pride and insecurity head-on: “See that’s my ego, it’s so big… I let it out the house, but now it’s already tripping” she admits with a self-critical bite. True to its title, it has a cathartic feel, as if the sparse production and spoken-word bridges are guiding the ego toward the exit. Europe’s tone is resolute, acknowledging the “enemy’s tool” within and choosing to shed it. It’s a pivotal moment in Chrysalis’ arc—the metamorphosis can’t proceed without first killing off some old selves.
Midway through the album, a gentle hand reaches out in the form of “Homegirl to Homegirl.” Over a quiet, jazzy loop with minimal percussion, featured rapper Ill Camille delivers a heartfelt pep talk to her sister-friend. “Fresh outta cocoon, a beauty beast and flying higher in pursuit,” Camille affirms, explicitly invoking the album’s butterfly metaphor. Her verse feels like loving advice over coffee, warning Iman to “treat your ego like a tool” and reminding her of the light she carries. Iman Europe responds in kind (in the song’s later moments), their voices weaving a conversation about holding onto purpose and faith. The production’s simplicity—just sparse piano-esque chords and echoing textures—makes the track feel like a personal conversation between two women. It’s intimate and comforting, the kind of interlude that lets the emotional weight really sink in. By keeping the beat stripped-down and letting raw emotion take center stage, this interlude becomes one of Chrysalis’s emotional high points, grounded in wisdom and sisterhood.
From that supportive hush, Iman pivots to acceptance on “Surrender,” a slinky collaboration with singer Iman Omari. “Thinking you know your next move is your arrogance,” she muses in the opening line, setting a theme of relinquishing control. The track floats over a laid-back, ambient groove—gentle percussion, soft pads—creating a meditative, soulful space for her vocals. Europe’s singing here is airy and light, blending with Omari’s harmonies until their voices are nearly indistinguishable, like two thoughts in one mind. There’s a serene quality to “Surrender,” as if the song itself is exhaling. In the album’s narrative, it represents the moment of release: yielding to the journey, trusting the process. Fittingly, the overall production is minimalist and smooth, letting the introspective lyrics breathe while maintaining an almost ethereal groove. By the time the chorus hits, with layered voices sighing “I’ll tell you this…” in reassurance, the listener too feels a weight lifted.
Over somber piano chords and soft, layered synths, “Breaking Everyday” is the exorcism of pain that follows. Iman confronts feelings of depression and fatigue. “My heart is breaking every day, I’m breaking every day,” she sings in a weary, heart-on-sleeve refrain. The drum pattern is subtle—a heartbeat-like thump that mirrors the slow trudging of the days—and Europe’s voice cracks with exhaustion as she details being “out my mind, trying to take my time, trying to let it go.” It’s a brave portrayal of vulnerability in the digital era, where such struggles are often hidden behind filtered highlights. Iman lays it out plainly, and the haunting, melancholy atmosphere of the production amplifies the sincerity. Even without belting or vocal fireworks, she transmits raw emotion; the mix wraps her voice in a distant echo, as if she’s singing to herself in an empty room. This cathartic low point is crucial—the hero’s journey of Chrysalis requires facing the darkness before the dawn.
Sure enough, dawn breaks in the next tracks. “Everything Is Breaking,” a brief interlude-like piece, finds Iman Europe almost whispering a mantra amid the rubble: “Let it free, let it flow, let it breathe, let it go,” she repeats over airy ambience. The song’s title suggests destruction, but its tone suggests rebirth. Over a meditative, ambient soundscape laced with soft synths (a continuation of the prior track’s mood), she seems to be actively releasing the hurt—a necessary purge to clear space for growth. This flows naturally into “And So It’s So,” one of the album’s most uplifting moments. Built on warm guitar plucks and smooth synth pads, the track exudes a calming, positive vibe. Iman Europe returns to singing here, almost in a hymnal mode, delivering affirmations like gospel: “I’m holdin’ on to my light… I know abundance is mine,” she declares, her tone clear and resolute. You can hear the smile in her voice. As the title suggests, she speaks her truth into existence—and so it becomes. The minimalist yet soulful arrangement ensures nothing distracts from these affirmations. It’s a quietly powerful track that signals the metamorphosis is well underway—the cocoon is starting to crack open.
From self-love and manifesting, Europe then turns to intimacy on “Closer.” This mid-tempo R&B number wraps her voice in what feels like a soft-focus glow. The production is smooth and atmospheric, blending sultry R&B with dreamy synth layers and soft percussion. There’s a gentle swing in the drums and a subtle bass throb, but much of the song’s pulse comes from Iman’s vocal performance. She sings of being pulled “closer, closer” to someone’s light, her voice echoing out in lush layers. It’s a sensual, almost ethereal love song that provides a different facet of Europe’s artistry—after all the self-work and healing, here she allows herself vulnerability in love. In the context of the album, it’s a tender reminder that emerging from one’s chrysalis also means opening up to others, not just oneself.
The album’s final act delivers its most celebratory and self-assured statements. “Magic,” featuring Cocoa Sarai, is an exultant anthem of spiritual confidence. Kaelin Ellis flips the vibe, infusing warm reggae-inspired rhythms into the soulful R&B palette. A thick, sinuous bassline and syncopated drums give “Magic” a head-nodding groove, while Iman Europe and Cocoa Sarai trade lines about destiny and blessings. “Lightning strike my skin… I’m magic, I’m magic,” Iman proclaims in a sing-rap cadence, embracing an almost mystical self-belief. Cocoa Sarai responds with patois-laced affirmations (“Who Jah bless, no man can curse” rings the intro), amplifying the track’s uplifting, roots-inspired atmosphere. The layered harmonies and radiant synths in the background make the whole song feel, fittingly, enchanting.
That modern awareness continues on “Break,” a chillout track with Nigerian-Canadian rapper TOBi. In today’s hyper-digital grind, “Break” feels especially timely: it’s an ode to unplugging and re-centering. “Baby, put the phone away, moments that we can’t replace,” Iman pleads in the hook, her tone equal parts caring and firm. Kaelin Ellis’s production here is laid-back and mellow, built on smooth jazzy chords and relaxed percussion, conjuring the atmosphere of a lazy Sunday afternoon. TOBi’s verse adds a flirtatious charm (and some clever wordplay about needing a break for a “piece” and peace of mind), but the song’s message is clear: step back, breathe, enjoy the now. Europe’s vocals are notably dry and intimate in the mix on “Break,” almost as if she’s right next to you, gently coaxing you to slow down. Within the broader narrative, this track illustrates how her metamorphosis encompasses behavioral change—the courage to establish boundaries in a world of endless pings and scrolls. It’s a subtle way Chrysalis resists the prevailing trend of constant online presence, advocating instead for balance and real-life connection.
Europe spreads her wings fully here; “Masterpiece” is arguably the record’s lyrical apex—a boom-bap-inspired hip-hop cut that nods to the classic MC tradition even as it remains soulful. Over a minimalist yet dynamic beat of crisp drums and jazzy keys, Iman fires off confident bars declaring her self-worth. “I am a masterpiece, having mastered peace,” she raps in a poised, punchy flow. It’s a line that encapsulates her journey: through all the turbulence, she’s come out centered and self-assured. The references fly by—she playfully invokes Master P (“Make ’em say ‘uh’, getting money like Master P”) and stakes her claim as “the frontrunner” with veteran poise. One can’t help but feel the synergy between artist and producer here; Ellis keeps the instrumental clean and balanced, giving her voice an intimate space to shine.
Chrysalis ends with “Better,” a triumphant finale that radiates closure and new beginnings all at once. The beat is uplifting and smooth—bright keyboard chords, warm bass, mid-tempo drums—exuding the optimism of a sunrise. Iman Europe sounds almost weightless here, her vocals carrying a smile as she sings about overcoming: “(I’m) better than I’ve been, I’m so much better than before… I had to break what couldn’t bend, I had to kill what couldn’t grow.” There’s no shallow platitude in her voice—it’s the sound of someone who earned their self-improvement the hard way. The songwriting cleverly mirrors the metamorphosis motif, as she “had to break what couldn’t bend,” much like a caterpillar breaking out of a restrictive cocoon, and cut off those loose ends that weighed her down.
Iman Europe’s sonic evolution is on full display throughout Chrysalis. The album manages to sound contemporary—with its airy synth backdrops, occasional trap bounce, and genre-fluid mix of rap and R&B—while also feeling deeply personal and timeless in message. It engages with current trends (there are bits of West Coast funk, neo-soul, even a dash of dancehall on “Magic”) but never in a way that feels pandering. Instead, Europe and producer Kaelin Ellis carve out a lane that’s as introspective as it is groovy. In a musical landscape dominated by quick-hit singles, Chrysalis is refreshingly cohesive; its songs flow like chapters, each feeding into the next stage of the story. Through it all, her dual strengths as lyricist and vocalist complement each other. When Iman Europe raps, you hear a singer’s sense of melody in her flow; when she sings, you feel a poet’s precision in her words.
The thematic core of Chrysalis—self-transformation in the digital era—resonates beyond just Iman’s personal journey. In a time where finding oneself often means unplugging from the noise, songs such as “Break” and the title track itself offer a gentle roadmap to introspection. The album aligns with a growing wave of artists prioritizing mental health, authenticity, and growth over nonsense. Yet, it’s not a didactic or preachy record; Europe’s tone remains grounded and relatable, whether she’s talking spiritual epiphanies or venting about industry fakes. When she affirms her growth and embraces her newfound freedom, it’s hard not to feel a sense of uplift. Chrysalis might be rooted in one woman’s story, but its fluttering wingspan casts a glow that many can stand under.
Great (★★★★☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Chrysalis,” “Masterpiece,” “Better”