flowerovlove’s debut album brings Black whimsy to pop music

Njeri Kamenwa
The cover of flowerovlove's debut album MINI SKIRT WARRIOR. It features the artist posing in front of a Zebra.
"MINI SKIRT WARRIOR" by flowerovlove (Capital Records)

“Legend has it,” the opening track of “MINI SKIRT WARRIOR,” ends with: 

Flowerovlove / She’s my favorite pop star / You know, the girl with the afro and the mini skirts / Cute heels, and her socks are thigh high / She’s so fly.

And as a new listener, I agree: flowerovlove is so fly.

I was particularly drawn to flowerovlove, whose real name is Joyce Cissé, through her single “new friends,” which she released on June 27, 2025. Scrolling through YouTube one afternoon, I saw her perform a snippet of it when she opened for Olivia Rodrigo. She impressed me in a lot of ways: her bouncy hair, her strong vocals, her catwalk across the stage. I loved her when I saw her and I loved her even more when I listened to her music for the first time.

The British-Ivorian singer-songwriter released her 12-track debut album on Aug. 28. The album is a collection of the early, and often negative, experiences in her love life. Despite the album’s thematic moodiness, flowerovlove approaches the theme of romantic love, self-love and growing older with sweet, airy vocals and Black whimsy.

What about her is whimsical, you ask? The way her hair moves like it has a mind of its own. The way her voice sounds so cheerful even when singing about lying ex-boyfriends. The way she confidently carries herself in short outfits in a world where girls are told to “cover up” and “stay modest.” That’s where the title “MINI SKIRT WARRIOR” came from; in an interview with MCD, flowerovlove says, “I feel so empowered when I have some skin out.”

In contrast with her standalone singles like “breaking news” (her most popular song on Spotify), flowerovlove explores a more acoustic and country-esque sound in “MINI SKIRT WARRIOR.” This is especially evident in tracks like “Don’t Even,” “KISS KISS KISS,” “baby,” and “girls will be girls (feat. WILLOW).” Despite having sad instrumentals dominate the album, her vocal delivery has an airiness that balances them out. The lighter tracks, like “16 Seconds” and “Debonair,” on the other hand, match her vocal tone perfectly: sweet-sounding instrumentation to a sweet-sounding voice.

Over the summer, the 21-year-old performed at Coachella, The Governors Ball and is set to open for Niall Horan on the European leg of his Dinner Party tour. She also announced on Instagram on Sept. 14 that she’d be going on her own European tour in February 2027. With these songs accompanying her on the road, flowerovlove is proving herself to be the next big thing in Black pop music.