Latto‘s third studio album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, debuted on Friday (Aug. 9) after many months of anticipation. The 21-song effort arrived with contributions from Hunxho, Teezo Touchdown, Ciara, Mariah the Scientist, and more. Production, on the other hand, was handled by the likes of Go Grizzley, jetsonmade, Kid Hazel, and Bankroll Got It.
“Put It On Da Floor” and “Sunday Service” served as the project’s pre-release singles alongside their remixes, which featured Cardi B as well as Flo Milli and Megan Thee Stallion, respectively. June’s “Big Mama” also made the final cut.
The Coco Jones-assisted “Ear Candy,” which was teased in the LP’s trailer, came through as another standout. Meanwhile, Latto paid tribute to her Atlanta roots on tracks like “Georgia Peach” and “Copper Cove.” Listen to Sugar Honey Iced Tea below.
Regarding the album’s influences, Latto shared with Billboard, “I feel like what I’m doing has not been done before, so let’s start there. [Aesthetically], I’ve been pulling from Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Lil’ Kim. [Musically], I’ve been pulling from Kelis, but obviously with a Southern hip-hop twist.”
“I love the music that I’m making right now. I’m not chasing achievements. I’m just doing me. This is the happiest I’ve been to the point where I even told the label [to] fall back,” she said elsewhere during their interview. “I really haven’t been this confident for a project yet.”
Sugar Honey Iced Tea built on the momentum of Latto’s 2022 effort, 777, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. The earlier release housed her smash hit “Big Energy,” in addition to features from 21 Savage, Childish Gambino, and Lil Wayne, to name a few.
Outside of her own music, Latto made a guest appearance on Usher’s “A-Town Girl” from February’s COMING HOME. She teamed up with Jennifer Lopez for “Can’t Get Enough (Remix)” the month prior.