Track Review: Chlöe, "Treat Me"

Following the success of "Have Mercy," her debut solo single, Chlöe has returned with "Treat Me," another entry into her burgeoning uptempo ass-shaking rhythmic pop oeuvre. Constructed around a well-incorporated sample Bubba Sparxxx's "Ms. New Booty," "Treat Me" finds Chlöe meandering through rap cadences, sultry spoken bits, and moments of exquisite vocal layering.

The premise is simple: Chlöe is demanding that any potential suitors follow her self-penned blueprint for how to treat her. "'Cause being on my level is difficult / You better wake up and put me on a pedestal," she sings. Similar to "Have Mercy," the lyrics here are nothing to write home about. Part of the issue is that Chlöe and her collaborators seem to constrain the potential of her song's verses by strictly adhering to a rap/sung delivery. As a result, we're left with basic rhyme schemes and minimal opportunities to let Chlöe's natural knack for vocal interpretation elevate the words on the page.

From a melodic standpoint, the song's pre-chorus is, in the best way, reminiscent of the brightest of Fifth Harmony's sugar-sweet pop confections (think 2014's "BO$$"). The chorus, on the other hand, is a much stronger offering than what was given in "Have Mercy." The "Ms. New Booty" sample adds a touch of continuity between Chlöe's two solo singles and adds a much-needed boost of intensity to the song. Unfortunately, "Treat Me" falls victim to the heinous bridge omission trend which undercuts the power of that gorgeous outro; the song's brevity doesn't allow enough time for it to properly build into the scaled-back vocal-driven moment of the outro.

Produced by OAK ("Sorry Not Sorry"; "Your Love"), "Treat Me" is a moment that marks the solidification of a sound and vision for Chlöe's solo career. She's committing to a kind of uptempo R&B that's been missing from the mainstream — and she sounds like she's having a ball while doing so. "Treat Me" isn't necessarily a great song, it has its fair share of structural and lyrical shortcomings, but it'll keep the party going as we venture into the summer season.

Score: 65