Summer is over, and while most of us have nothing but fading tan lines and Instagram photos to show for it, Taylor Simone is out with a new project that may very well boost her career to the next level.

Now a senior at Columbia University, Taylor’s fan base seems to be growing larger and larger every year. Her new project is titled Songs From the Front Yard, and she is going big to say the least. When asked about the inspiration behind the title, Taylor says, “It’s based on a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks called ‘A Song in the Front Yard.’ In a nutshell, the CD is an introduction, a coming of age from a woman(ist) perspective…”

So with the official release party set for this Friday, she is already gearing fans up with her first official music video release: “Name of the Game” feat. Chill Pittman.

The video is sporting around 700 views and as usual, B&C is here to break down the song for those of you who may not immediately catch onto the musical details. So before you even watch the video (if you haven’t already), read below for Olivia Harris’ artistic spin on it:*

The playground hand game introduction says it all: Taylor is ready to tell us the name of the game and win it. Y’all remember Concentration? Guess it’s throwback Thursday already. Time to concentrate, so pay close attention to what Taylor’s saying.  The smooth, spare, yet still danceable beat paired with Taylor’s assured vocals get us hype, but there’s still plenty of space to think about Taylor’s message to all the ladies: “don’t front, do better/ don’t quit.” As she asks us how we would feel about changing the flow, we ask ourselves, is it the lush jazz chords changing the flow or is this even bigger?  Taylor seems unafraid to add a lil’ hip hop flow to a lil’ soul. And that mix sounds like the dreamy futuristic world where only Ms. Badu and Ms. Monae have been taking us. Chill Martin complements with rhymes that remind us of that good ol’ Country Grammar and every childhood ditty we’ve ever forgotten. And the music video dreams just as big, with a very creative and inventive blacklight scene that keeps us floating. Somehow, Taylor has managed to take a home-sweet-home feeling and update it for a sophisticated crowd with get-down sensibilities.

Love it? So do we. If you’re in NYC, tell all your friends that you have plans this Friday the 13th. The album release party kicks off at 8 pm in the IRC on Columbia’s campus (552 W114th St btw Broadway and Amsterdam). For more info, click here.

P.S. Expect a lot more from the incredible Olivia Harris (CC’13) this year on the site! More info. to come.