There’s something instantly familiar yet fresh about “What I Want”. A warmth in the production pulls you in before the vocals even kick in. Sophia Bolinder’s voice hits hard, full of quiet ache and certainty, like she’s lived this moment a hundred times. John Soul doesn’t just duet. He counters, he echoes, he makes you believe both sides of this emotional tug-of-war.
The track lives in that in-between space: longing, hesitation, the maybe-love that’s not quite spoken. There’s a late 90s R&B nostalgia here, yes, but it’s not dressed up in vintage polish. It’s raw in all the right places. You can almost hear the 45-minute recording session in the imperfections, in Sophia’s impromptu vocal answers in the chorus. And that’s the magic. It’s not overthought. It just feels.
You don’t need to be an R&B purist to get pulled into this one. If this one finds its way into your head like it did mine, follow Sophia Bolinder. There’s definitely more coming worth waiting for.
