Steve Lacy cements himself once again as a versatile, deeply vulnerable artist in his latest single, “is it cool?” (feat. SZA).
The song delves into its speaker’s own self-loathing and empathy of their loved one’s apprehension to trust them. In 2026, when love and relationships have become conceptually impossible to understand, Lacy’s release re-establishes his connection to the culture around him. Vulnerability in songwriting, specifically the honesty of admitting wrongdoing, is something both Lacy and SZA have excelled at in their respective discographies.
Steve Lacy’s upcoming album Oh yeah? will be available on July 17th. Oh yeah? follows Lacy’s Grammy-winning Gemini Rights, released in 2022.
“is it cool?” displays Lacy’s unique ability to thoughtfully articulate his own inner workings and shortcomings as a human being, often describing situations many of us find resonant. He not only writes of self-destructive tendencies, but traces them back to their roots in his upbringing/life; elaborating on how his mental roadblocks affect loved ones and the world around him. The single teases similar confessional storytelling being a prominent element of Oh yeah? “is it cool?” immediately opens with Steve Lacy’s intimate admissions:
“Never needed a man /
Tatay died when I was like ten /
I turned out to be just fine /
I just cheat every now and again.”
Anecdotes some of us would rather be waterboarded out of us come naturally to Lacy’s flow. Lacy is more than capable of eloquently describing past mistakes, and in spite of them maintains a hopeful outlook toward giving and receiving love. “is it cool?” is sonically a masterclass. Lacy, four years after Gemini Rights, reemerges as a fixture in the alternative/R&B scene. Crisp guitar motifs are adjoined with percussive techno, more typically associated with the Bedroom Alt subgenre Lacy often taps into. Harmonious backing vocals create a euphoric listening experience.
“Growing up has been so hard for me /
I never learned to love properly/
The mind be playing tricks when the heart’s involved/
I proceed to self-sabotage”
SZA’s feature is intoxicating; her signature sound encapsulates the addictive quality of an on-again-off-again relationship. Her voice is breathtaking on the track, and she lyrically relays a similar narrative of commitment and trust issues(on both sides).
“Being vulnerable is exhausting, babe /
Can we get naked instead of talking, babe /
I ain’t trippin’ we both got options, babe /
Keep coming back, I guess we’re both insane”
SZA’s vocals close out the song, as she acknowledges the lacking trust of both people in the relationship, while hauntingly foreshadowing they’ll find themselves in this predicament over and over again.
“Is it cool? Do you trust me? /
Am I a fool, if I love you? /
Is it cool? Can I get ugly /
Next to you?”
