Chlöe Releases ‘In Pieces’ Debut Solo Album [Play or Pass]

Chlöe dropped the “x Halle” for her first solo project.

On Friday, March 31 Chlöe released her debut solo album titled In Pieces. The 24-year-old has been crafting her career since she was 10 and has some stellar music under her belt already with three studio albums – Ungodly Hour (2020), The Kids Are Alright (2018), and The Two of Us (2017) – and two EPs – Sugar Symphony (2016) and Uncovered (2013) – with her sister Halle part of their musical duo Chloe x Halle.

In 2021 it was evident that Chlöe would dabble in a solo project. Her younger sister Halle was off shooting “The Little Mermaid” which gave her ample time to play creatively with her solo sound. Chlöe dropped “Have Mercy” in 2021, “Treat Me,” “Surprise,” and “For the Night” with Latto in 2022 all gearing up for her debut solo project this year.

With few features and heavenly vocals, Chlöe attempts to break out on her own and deliver a memorable sound but falls flat in giving a strong body of work with only a handful of hits. Here’s my breakdown of each track from my FIRST listen letting you know if you should PLAY or PASS.

1. Someone’s Calling (Chlöe)
Chlöe opens her debut album with a jazzy gospel prelude sampling Louis Armstrong’s “Chloe (Song Of The Swamp).” The track really highlights Chlöe’s heavenly vocals and runs but doesn’t do too much in regards to getting me hyped for what’s to come. PASS

2. Pray It Away
The first single released from In Pieces was “Pray It Away.” In context with the album the placement is perfect after the first track because they both are aligned with a gospel vibe with the layered choir-esque background vocals and that familiar church organ, although the lyrics are far from what you’d want to belt out in church. Chlöe is trying to pray away a heartbreak and hold nothing back in how she’s feeling. She sounds great.  PLAY

3. Body Do
“Do you ever wonder, like who else is fucking’ your man?” is how Chlöe opens “Body Do” and it’s so random, but I sure do love this track. It gets me UP as Chlöe sings about not trusting a man and knowing it can never work, but she can get down with something casual to see what his body can do. “Body Do” is a great upbeat track filled with Pop elements splashed with R&B influence with a hint of Khia’s “My Neck, My Back.”  PLAY

4. I Don’t Mind
Latin influence can definitely be heard at the start of this track and throughout. One thing Chlöe is going to give is runs and vocals. It’s one of the more mellow tracks on In Pieces but could really have legs blasted in a salsa dancing class.  PLAY 

5. Worried
Chlöe slows down the album almost midway through on “Worried” with the slightly upbeat R&B beat as she raps-sings her way through the track. The beat and chorus is catchy, but it’s not really a memorable song. PASS

6. Fallin 4 U
This track should really be labeled as an interlude. It’s the shortest track on the album and only features a few seconds of Chlöe singing and then goes into a woman arguing about what she’s not willing to do in a relationship. It’s a shame this song could have easily been in my top songs if it was a full track. I like the direction it was going then it went somewhere I wasn’t expecting and I didn’t like it. PASS

7. How Does It Feel (with Chris Brown)
Sampling Usher’s “Throwback” from his 2004 Confessions album is the sole reason why this song won’t get skipped, but it was such a missed opportunity to have Chris Brown featured on the track instead of Usher. It could have been Chlöe’s Summer Walker “Come Thru” moment. PLAY 

8. Feel Me Cry
Vulnerability and intimacy are the themes of “Feel Me Cry” with a sensual undertone when you really listen to the lyrics, but that’s all it’s giving. I’m a beat girl so that’s what’s going to catch my attention first and this beat didn’t do it for me so I wasn’t interested in the rest of the track. PASS

9. Make It Look Easy
These voice-overs before the tracks are killing me. They are so random and I don’t think they’re needed, but it’s interesting that the tracks that feature them are some of my favorites. Chlöe talks about working through the tough times in life and making it look easy. Her vocals on this track is making singing sound effortless. This song isn’t terrible, but I think I’ll need to revisit it. PASS

10. Looze U
I was expecting more for a track produced by The-Dream. “Looze U,” more like “Snooze U.” Chlöe is going to sound good, that’s never going to be an issue, but this track really does nothing to show off her range and is too mellow to the point where it’s just background noise.  PASS

11. Told Ya (featuring Missy Elliott)
If you ever watched a clip of Chlöe performing live then you’ll know what I mean when I say “Told Ya” channels Chlöe’s on-stage persona. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing yet? This track is a performance piece without a doubt, but listening to it solo isn’t doing it for me. PASS

12. Cheatback (featuring Future)
Starting off with bluesy guitar strings is not what I expected from a song titled “Cheatback” featuring Future. It’s a very country-influenced track and Future’s rap is very displaced. The lyrics are there but this should have been a trap music song to push the message to a hit level. PASS

13. Heart on My Sleeve
Another interlude with powerful vocals that could have been a track with substance, but didn’t get a chance because it’s so short and no worth listening to more than once. PASS

14. In Pieces
Chlöe closes out her debut album with a ballad track titled after the album. The sound builds and builds with every stroke of the piano keys Chlöe plays, but the climax isn’t satisfying. Her deep voice is on display on “In Pieces,” but lacks depth in the emotional message I believe the track is trying to convey. PASS

In Pieces is an interesting body of work from Chlöe and an average solo debut. The talent is there and you’d be a fool to deny that, but there weren’t enough tracks on the album that I gravitated towards and many of the tracks weren’t full-bodied enough to make this album feel complete, but I like Chlöe as an artist and am intrigued to see how she grows as a solo artist if she continues.

In Pieces is available now for digital download and where you stream your favorite artists. Have you listened to Chlöe’s debut album In Pieces yet? What are your favorite tracks? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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