Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Missy Elliott Returns, Hits Reset With 'I'm Better (Feat. Lamb)'

When Missy Elliott tells you, "I'm better," you sit down and listen. Or you go through several costume changes on an Afro-futuristic dancefloor and in a disco swimming pool, as seen in a video directed by Dave Meyers and Missy Elliot.

It's been over a decade since her last full album, The Cookbook, but in the last couple of years, Elliott has come back with a few singles that are just enough to make us remember why she's so vital and why we miss her deeply.

"I'm Better" was produced by and features Lamb, who offers the sly hook, but Elliott's bravado and faith in female camaraderie is clearly the center of this minimalist track. "Man I'm 3000, I'm Andre," she raps. "Yo Missy talk big, I'm so grande / Bruce Lee on the beat, I don't compete with none of these geeks / I just rant like I'm Kanye." Missy doesn't want any foolishness; she continues, "He watchin' my body like he watchin' Scandal / But I'm just here with my girls."

"I'm Better" is out now.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Listen to the Viking's Choice playlist, subscribe to the newsletter.