Last year, Sierra Leonean-born, Ghana-based singer Skillz 8Figure became one of those artists no one could possibly ignore with the release of his debut EP ‘Gangsta Luv’, an honest 6-track confessional that merged dancehall sensibilities with trap-soul melodies, while staying true to his familiar Ghana  bounce. Since then, the singer has been putting out new music, clearly improving on his sound with each subsequent release and amassing considerable fanfare on the way.

 

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With his debut EP still making waves around these parts, Skillz 8Figure has now released a smooth follow-up EP titled ‘After Dark’, blending his musical influences from Ghana and Sierra Leone over distinct Afropop and highlife melodies into what he’s coined as ‘coastal music‘. The newly-released 8-track tape with features from Psycho YP, Twitch 4VA, Oxlade, Enam, and more, finds the singer with the melodic flow penning lyrics influenced by familiar experiences in his interpersonal relationships. Here, he presents his thoughts in a raw, intimate, and no-holds-barred manner. Together, Skillz 8Figure and his collaborators go to great lengths to capture their romantic and lustful desires, and this comes through the most on the Oxlade-assisted “Make Sense”.

Over a colourful and slinky mid-tempo beat produced by VT, Skillz 8Figure makes the act of lust sound playful and romantic, turning up his boyish charm alongside Oxlade to capture the heart of the song: beautiful and endowed women. “And baby girl if you go leave me, my head fit to scatter/Your body dey make sense oo,” quips the singer over the groovy production, as he admires the girl of his dreams. His amorous and sensual lyrics paint a picture of a beautiful woman who he seems to have inadvertently fallen in love with, after witnessing her greatest asset: her beauty. He’s unwilling to end what they currently have built together because anything less than being in her presence might signal the end to him.

Although it’s clear that he’s enamoured with this woman because of her beautiful looks, Skillz 8Figure’s soothing voice and affectionate lyrics seem to suggest that he’s found himself falling deeper than the physical. Oxlade joins him on the song’s second verse singing “Your body makes a lot of sense, na confam oo/Give me love, I will give you mine”. Against the dance-ready beat, Oxlade pleads for his love interest to take a plunge further into their romance, whilst reassuring her that he’s just as committed to their love as she is. Both artists consistently change their flow and pitch to express their emotions, driving Skillz 8Figure’s message that they are completely smitten.

Given that physical attraction plays a huge role in most millennial and Gen Z relationships these days, it’s not surprising that both artists choose to express their feelings on these type of relationships, but while doing so they end up unpacking more than these base feelings, revealing a softer side that requires quality time and attention from their partners. “Make Sense” speaks to the power of trusting your feelings, despite not knowing where they may lead you. Skillz 8Figure embodies a heart on your sleeve approach, unlike many do in the modern dating scene, choosing to show all his cards rather than hide his true feelings. It’s important to see male artists show this level of self-awareness, speaking to some of the most vital conversations on emotional intelligence right now.

With this, they share an important reason to stick to your guns, as their self-assuredness allows them the room to express exactly what they’re feeling, which a lot of us will be able to relate to.

Listen to “Make Sense” below.

Featured image credits: Instagram/Skillz 8Figure

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