Connie Diiamond begins her 2025 album Underdog Szn 2 with a mission statement. Titled “Letter to My Fans”, the track features a whisper of a synth melody and a minimal drum groove. It’s barely there, just supportive enough to float beneath Diiamond’s impassioned, dynamic flow. The Bronx drill affiliate’s greatest strength is her lyrical prowess, and she immediately puts her best asset on display. “Every day when I wake up, I say I’m thankful for life,” she begins, and this gratitude, this celebratory positivity, infuses the record’s strongest moments. “Jodeci”, which features Vontee the Singer and Cash Cobain, highlights the dynamic places Diiamond has brought NYC drill since its emergence in the 2010s, infusing the sub-genre with sticky melodies and dance-inspired percussion. The album is full of these subtly experimental decisions, like “Messy”, which features a yodel sample flipped on its head, and “JAT”, which finds Diiamond turning nothing more than a syncopated bass drum into an ass-shaking anthem.