Who is NO1-NOAH? Summer Walker's 'SWV' and 'White Tee' has fans talking about the featured independent artiste
Summer Walker has returned with her 'Life on Earth' EP and it is five tracks of pure, contemporary R&B bliss. But what really has fans talking is songwriter and producer NO1-NOAH who features on two of the album's tracks, 'SWV' and 'White Tee'.
'Life on Earth' dropped across streaming platforms along with an extended description of the record which read, "Whether social distancing has your love life flourishing or falling apart, Summer Walker’s 'Life on Earth' offers something for every mood. The Atlanta singer’s lithe voice, in addition to her ability to capture the nuances of romance—from the messiest feelings to the most blissful—makes her R&B some of the most striking and relatable around today. This five-song EP, her follow-up to 2019’s 'Over It', offers several opportunities to locate yourself within her musings—but even if you can’t, its mellowed production and buttery vocals are enough to take you away."
In addition to this, Walker also personally wrote a track-by-track overview for the record. 'SWV', which is Walker's ode to an "R&B trio who became one of the most successful R&B groups of the ’90s." She added, "I reference their hits ‘Weak’ and ‘Rain’ in the song. But it's basically about loving someone so good that you make sure they don't leave." For 'White Tee', Walker shared, "‘White Tee’ is another song featuring NO1-NOAH, and in the chorus, he talks about treating someone like a white tee. You know you always wanna keep a white tee fresh and clean, but in my verse, I'm basically saying the opposite."
Fans are already praising the album and Walker's artistry. One tweet read, "Baby them lyrics..Summer Walker did it again," another user shared, "Summer walker This Album Got Me Feeling All Types Of Emotions Rn," one fan stated, "Sis did not have to snap like that," and another shared, "Summer Walker Always Dropping Some Relatable Shit When I Need It."
But what got most people interested is NO1-NOAH. "IDK who NO1-NOAH- is but I’m about to find out. His flow on white tee *chefs kiss*," tweeted one fan, "Yea, y’all showed out on this track," said another, one person mused, "This NO1-NOAH sounds like Trey Ward," and another said, "Alright i’ve been sleeping on no1-noah." Fans of the artiste were excited to see him finally getting recognition.
"SWV is my fav bc of no1-noah, I luv him," shared one fan, "Finally everybody gettin put on NO1-NOAH dude makes heaters," tweeted another, "No1-Noah been fire y’all gotta listen to Stuck on Stupid," said one fan, and one shared, "NO1-NOAH getting that recognition. This EP my goshhhhh!" But for many, NO1-NOAH was a name they'd never heard before, with one user tweeting, "Tell me why I immediately thought NO1-NOAH was a new virus strain."
So who exactly is NO1-NOAH? Well for starters, as his bio reads, "Yes It's One Person." Beginning as an independent artiste exploring his craft, which included baring his soul in some raw and cathartic early singles, NO1-NOAH found SoundCloud success with his nine-track release, 'Feeling In Color', which featured a collage of emotions and themes that reflected the producer/songwriter's own emotional depth and experiences with young love.
What was particularly impressive with this album was that each track was given its own 'color', each representing an emotion, demonstrating the artiste's ability to be as diverse as he is vulnerable with his music. And on both 'SWV' and 'White Tee', NO1-NOAH manages to bring the same level of expressiveness and poignance delivered through some stunningly understated vocals and harmonies.
However, despite many being thoroughly impressed by NO1-NOAH, not all were happy with him featuring on Walker's tracks. "No1-Noah lowkey ruined these songs g," stated one user while another stated, "This n***a NO1-Noah ruining the vibes yo." But for some, it was a slow-burn. One user shared, "It’s growing on me quick lol."