“Little Red” is Kathleen Anne Brien, aka Katy B’s, second album, following the critically-acclaimed “On a Mission.” For those who are not familiar, Katy B is a 24-year-old British artist who emerged in the UK pop consciousness in 2010, with the tune “Katy On A Mission.” After teasing us with the “Danger EP” in 2012, she comes back with a full album that doesn’t disappoint.

After listening to the album, we understand that Katy B has grown as an artist, and that she wants to exploit her voice as much as possible. It gives us beautiful pop ballads like “Crying for No Reason” and “Emotions,” where her voice dominates the melodies.

The first song doesn’t announce these choices, though. In “Next Thing,” a sample of her voice blends in with the funky house production and promises a great moment on the dance floor. But with this new album, the dance floor, (while still the place of Katy B’s adventures,) also becomes a place for of introspection about love, jealousy and envy.

The overwhelming productions of the single “5 AM”, “All My Lovin’” or “Emotions” are saved by catchy and heady choruses. The two best songs, “Play” and “Aaliyah”, feature UK R&B sensations Sampha (who we heard in Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same”) and Jessie Ware. “Aaliyah” was already featured in the “Danger EP,” and is the most layered song in the album. Another beautiful song is “Sapphire Blue,” with a calm garage production by Jacques Greene.

In the past years there has been a wave of young artists from the UK, a wave that includes artists like AlunaGeorge and Grammy nominee Disclosure, who were raised on American R&B, dubstep, garage and house music. Their work is influenced by these music genres, and Katy B’s “Little Red” is a great representative of this new wave.