Hip-hop and R&B superpower
Missy Elliott's thumbprint became ingrained on the sound of everything that followed her streak of victorious solo records in the late '90s and early aughts. Though
Elliott never stopped working as a producer, her last solo album before this brief EP was 2005's
The Cookbook. Fourteen years is a long time for fans to subsist on the occasional one-off single or odd track every few years, and the five-track
ICONOLOGY doesn't do much to sate those looking for a new statement from this legendary force. What the EP does provide is a brief and somewhat awkward sampling of various genre exercises, all fun and lively but nowhere near the excellence of
Elliott's best. Opening with two skeletal rap tracks, "Throw It Back" and "Cool Off,"
Elliott adapts her flows and production to more recent trends while recounting some of her past glories. On the warm and funky "DripDemeanor," the atmosphere opens up with a more organic instrumentation and guest vocals from Sum1. This song and the doo wop send-off "Why I Still Love You" feature production from longtime
Elliott collaborator
Timbaland, and only these tracks recall the vivid colors and openness of
Elliott's earlier work. The EP ends with an a capella mix of "Why I Still Love You," exposing some of the tune's hidden subtleties but leaving off with an unfinished feel.
ICONOLOGY is a good placeholder while fans wait for the next chapter of
Elliott's brilliance, but overall seems truncated and undercooked. ~ Fred Thomas