Album Review: VANTABLACK by Lalah Hathaway

One thing about Lalah Hathaway is that she continues to serve us quality albums throughout her 30-plus year career, and ‘VANTABLACK,’ her first album in almost seven years, is no different.

Courtesy of Hathaway Entertainment/SRG-ILS Group.

As the daughter of legendary soul singer Donny Hathaway, Lalah Hathaway was destined for a music career. Lalah’s self-titled debut album was released in 1990, showcasing her incredible vocal talent. Her breakthrough came with her second album, A Moment, in 1994, which garnered critical acclaim and solidified her position in the music industry. She has continued to evolve and refine her musical style throughout her career. She has released several successful albums, including Outrun the Sky (2004) and Self Portrait (2008).

Hathaway’s exceptional voice and multi-octave range have earned her multiple Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance in 2014 and 2015. She has collaborated with numerous artists, such as Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, and Pharrell Williams, further showcasing her versatility. Lalah Hathaway’s influence on contemporary R&B and soul music is undeniable, and she continues to inspire aspiring artists. Her last album, Honestly, was released in 2017, marking a different sound for her as Tiffany Gouché handled most of the production, and now she’s back almost seven years later with VANTABLACK.

“So In Love” is an exuberant expression of love. Hathaway is candid and joyous as she describes the profound emotions her beloved evokes. While a love song, it is far from a slow jam. Hathaway intends to inspire movement, inviting us to embrace the rhythm with our significant other. Co-written and co-produced with Phil Beaudreau (who did the album’s majority), the song was initially intended for other artists but was ultimately retained by Hathaway due to their fondness for it.

“BLACK” opens up the album as a moving celebration and affirmation of Black identity and culture, with imagery and cultural signifiers that resonate deeply within the Black community as the cinematic backdrop builds up and swells like her late father’s “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry” composition. Rapsody’s poetically styled verse foregrounds the quotidian yet sacred aspects of Black life—from the sensory delight of flat irons and Blue Magic to the communal joy of electric sliding—articulating a resilient love that persists despite systemic marginalization and trauma. Common’s contribution extends this theme by situating Black identity within a broader historical and existential context, linking personal loss and love to a transcendent, almost ethereal, connectivity with ancestral realms. As he navigates through reflections on fatherhood, loss (“And now Pops is dead, a supporter from the eternal”), and the metaphysical essence that binds Black people across time and space, he elevates the conversation to a spiritual plane.

The title track continues with self-acceptance and identity, rendered through a narrative that navigates the complexities of existing within one’s skin. The recurrent imagery of “Vantablack,” a material known for its ability to absorb nearly all light, metaphorically represents an aspiration towards an unyielding depth of self, unmarred by external judgments. With “Melanin rising, don’t be mad,” Hathaway invokes a celebration of her heritage while confronting the inherent challenges of racial prejudices. 

In one of the album’s singles, “I Am,” Hathaway navigates an introspective journey, asserting her autonomy and self-sufficiency with statements of self-care and creative productivity over an uptempo house production (“Higher” carries the same vibe). She emphasizes her physical and spiritual well-being, presenting her as the guiding light of clarity, energy, and wholeness: “My skin is clearer than it’s ever been” and “I am at one with all that happened and what’s happening.” Hathaway layers her identity with both individuality and collective legacy, symbolizing a convergence of historical aspirations and present achievements: “I am abundant; I am becoming all of the dreams my people ever dreamed.”

The interplay of their voices and styles, harmonized through precise production and lyrical coherence, underscores “Mood for You” as a reflection on modern love and the enduring quest for connection featuring MC Lyte with production from Warryn Campbell (with Eric Dawkins on co-production) that’s melodically reminiscent of The Winans’ “Count It All Joy” as she readies her album scheduled for August. Hathaway’s evocative language and introspective questioning on “The Machine” compels us to confront the broader implications of living “inside the machine,” where life, stripped of its organic vitality, is reduced to a dream-like, mechanistic existence.

Other tracks include “Returning,” which explores the themes of self-discovery, existential dislocation, and the perennial quest for belonging, delves into the human quest for meaning, as expressed in the pursuit of understanding one’s purpose amidst a haze of disillusionments on “Myth of Being” and on “Clearly,” she notions of unfulfilled plans and the impermanence wrought by time, highlighting the fragility of human connection and the inevitable passage of time. “The Energy” taps into the sentimental and sensory recollections of the artist’s past, but it lacks the simplicity and depth compared to other songs on VANTABLACK.

Besides Rapsody, Common and MC Lyte featured, music legend Michael McDonald joins as a supporting background vocalist on the throwback soul “No Lie,” supporting Hathaway’s vocal delivery, rich with emotional nuance, complements the lyrical content, bringing an authentic feel to the song that resonates with universal themes of love, loyalty, and light. Saxophonist Gerald Albright lends his skills on the interlude of “Lower,” while a young prodigy WILLOW hops on the album’s closer, “Tunnels.” Phonte showcases his rapping and singing talents on the triumphant “You Don’t Know,” showcasing their chemistry of introspective reflection, portraying love as a guiding lesson and a redemptive force.

Another song that will surprise her fanbase is an R&B trap-infused “#BITMFW” (an acronym for “Best In the Motherfucking World”), which makes a compelling and assertive anthem. Hathaway constructs a formidable self-image by intertwining human emotions and metaphysical elements, framing herself as a unique and unparalleled entity (“I am aware I’m the only one of my kind”). The recurring motifs of greatness and cosmic origin (“made from the stars,” “I radiate light waves”) serve a dual purpose: They underscore her exceptional talent while imbuing the song with a sense of ethereal, almost spiritual, grandeur. 

Beyond the confident bravado, the album’s construction and lyrical content invite listeners to reflect on themes of self-worth, existential purpose, and the boundless potential of individual creativity, embodying the quintessential confidence of an artist unapologetically claiming her space in the musical cosmos.

Standout (★★★★½)

Favorite Track(s): “No Lie,” “You Don’t Know,” “Vantablack,” “Tunnels”