West London rapper and singer claim for themselves a sidebar spot…

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Katherine St Asaph: If you, like us all, loved last year’s Hoodboi/Tkay Maidza track, here’s more of that picturesque house-rap. “Selfish” begins like “Hold On, We’re Going Home” covered by Jessie Ware, which would already be great, then adds string swoons, woozy woodwinds, reflective piano, and everything luxe.
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Nortey Dowuona: A heavy, thudding drumbeat steamrolls a clenched piano line. The purring bass backflips over Simz’s languid drawl and is swept up in Cleo Sol’s ghostly, warm coo.
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Julian Axelrod: I’m a sucker for this strain of rainy day rap, but “Selfish” is exceptional enough to transcend comparison. Every detail is perfectly calibrated (the hiccuping bass, the canned strings, especially the way Little Simz says “class”) but it never piles on too much. It’s a pristine canvas for Simz to throw her voice around, asserting her independence while bemoaning her betrayals. Who needs another person when you’re killing it on your own?
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Joshua Minsoo Kim: Self-love being mistaken for selfishness? It’s a good topic for a beat this slow-paced, and Little Simz has a flow that fits: She sounds like she’s blocking out the world, comfortable and assured of herself and her decisions. “Selfish” is oddly overstuffed, though, and the solution is in Simz’s own words: “Don’t rush everything in this divine time.” This song needs room to breathe, for the beat to ride out and for its themes to soak in one’s mind. I want to feel what Little Simz and Cleo Sol are feeling — that doesn’t happen when there’s constant stimulation.
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Alfred Soto: When the drums thud over a mournful block synth chord in the outro, it’s the most poignant moment in a track suffocating in poignancy. Cleo does the heaviest lifting. 
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Juana Giaimo: “Selfish” is an elegant song, with the violins, the high-pitched vocals of the chorus and the deep rap verses. Both vocalists sound relaxed, but Little Simz definitely sounds more confident, while Cleo Sol’s voice has a nostalgic feeling in how it fades. 
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Iris Xie: I’m a big fan of the internal monologue represented by Little Simz and Cleo Soul here, with Cleo Soul being the internal voice that is simultaneously soothing and doubting, and Little Simz being the chill but frank boundary-stater. Their verses contrast and alternate throughout the song, and it’s an affirming, peaceful representation of common, rollicking feelings about self-doubt, and whether one is doing too much or too little for themselves and others. Combined with a warm bassline, an arching violin synth, and gentle piano melody and percussion, it holds the atmosphere of interiority when it comes to having to make difficult decisions about how to take care of yourself when takers get angry. The slow blendout of the outro, as it fades out to the synth, helps anchor that quiet and defiant new attitude, where it’s okay to be “Selfish.”
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Ian Mathers: That unassuming little piano figure might as well be someone in the next room over, mulling over their thoughts over the keys. Cleo Sol’s chorus is satisfying enough I was fully prepared for it to just be the song, but when Simz and that bass coolly and calmly take over the track, that has its own set of pleasures. Even the strings fit in nicely when they start swelling. The whole thing would already be stellar as an instrumental, and with both vocalists coming in and being matter of fact-ly excellent, it’s a powerful combination.
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Iain Mew: Earnest without being stuffy, the ease into the sumptuous embrace of the strings is a gentle delight. Also the way Little Simz pronounces “class” like she really means it makes me smile a lot.
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Thomas Inskeep: Mellow vibe, crisp beat, solid bars, great vocals.
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