8/10

For as long as she has been in our lives, producer and vocalist Lorely Rodriguez aka Empress Of has always been a boundary pusher of modern and contemporary music. Never quite settled into one particular direction, her first two albums 'Me' and 'Us' were a vast and explorative adventure through her own ambitions and interests, regularly landing us with a bright and eclectic mix of multiple ideas. But for this new collection, she looks to showcase more of her personal journey as 'I'm Your Empress Of' is more about paying tribute to the heritage and upbringing that brought her to this point in her career.

Opening up with a short spoken word verse from her own mother on the record's title-track, this new release instantly lets us know that this is more than just another broad and diverse selection of concepts, but something that Rodriguez feels is far more intimate than her usual output. Wrapped up in far more electro-focused base, which is there to pay homage to her Chicago house influences, 'I'm Your Empress Of' is a shining and uplifting selection of dynamic ideas that present her in a far more vulnerable guise as she continues to offer more of her own personal story to us through these new offerings.

Sonically, it may be moving very differently to much of her work to date, but the general tone of this release is simply irresistible. Empress Of has always been one to circumnavigate the commercial pop world, and it is records like this that show how easy it can be to deliver something with a mainstream edge that still holds true and authentic emotion.