Review: Adekunle Gold’s ‘Tequila Ever After’
a fine showcase of penmanship
With Adekunle Gold, nothing is ever out of place in his sonic world. Each Adekunle Gold project is marked by intentionality, further burnishing his artistic mosaic. His 2016 debut album ‘Gold’ was a collage of traditional Nigerian music influences and the dreams of stardom he held as an up-and-coming act while 2018’s ‘About 30’ showed his maturity as an artist and gave glimpses of his appetite for bold experimentation. ‘Afropop Vol.1’ (2020) was a watershed moment for Adekunle Gold as he settled into a new sonic journey, exemplified by the moniker AG Baby. On 2022’s ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ AG Baby declared his supremacy and, on his latest album, ‘Tequila Ever After,’ Adekunle Gold—or Tio Tequila as he currently identifies—is establishing the mastery of his own lane, his style and his legacy.
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‘Tequila Ever After’ was born after Adekunle Gold, in Los Angeles, discovered his love for tequila, an alcoholic drink which hails from Mexico. “It made me feel good,” he said in his NATIVE Now! Cover story in July. “I wanted to describe the feeling of tequila. The way tequila made me feel that one time; I wanted people to feel the same way with the music. The songs that I made for this album are lighthearted and conversational; they’re conversations you have with friends when tequila kicks in.” In true fashion, the recently released album shepherds Adekunle Gold in a new creative direction, bonding him with new collaborators who bring more colour to his vibrant world and further cement his stardom. For any artist with almost a decade of experience, unearthing new creative sparks is a blessing and AG Baby doesn’t waste that moment.
A few weeks leading up to the album’s release, AG Baby was on a stellar promotional run, inviting audiences into his sonic world by sharing intimate clips of the album recording process. The intentionality of the Adekunle Gold brand isn’t only restricted to the music we hear but also to the music videos and the singer’s fashion choices. To promote ‘Tequila Ever After,’ Adekunle Gold curates “A Shot of Tequila Ever After,” a series that offers behind-the-scenes coverage of how the tracks on the album were made. The series captures raw moments of Adekunle Gold and his collaborators—featured acts and producers—conceptualising ideas and finalising them into songs. While it brings attention to the album, it also shows Adekunle Gold’s comfortability in his craft and his confidence in letting the audience into the unpolished processes of making music.
He sets the mood for ‘Tequila Ever After’ with “Chasing Peace of Mind,” opening with the lines: “My therapist don try/No remedy for my mind/One smoke, I’m alright/Too many lows and no highs/Life is a joke, don’t cry/Who get joy? I wan buy/One shot, I’m alright/One smoke, I’m alright.” His previous album ended with “Catch Me If You Can,” where, with a weary tone, he dared his detractors to match his exploits if they could. “Got a couple blessings on the way/‘Cause all I do is work hard and pray (I work hard and pray)/They say I made it over night/But I hustled till I got it right,” he sings on that song. When he sings “I keep chasing peace of mind” on “Chasing Peace of Mind,” the lyrics serve as exhalation—words condensed with so many emotions and experiences; perhaps, it’s his way of stating that he would rather focus on his business than pay attention to the opinions that seek to stop from him prospering. “Chasing Peace of Mind” is also an indicator of AG Baby’s pan-African and global ambitions, which first shone through on ‘Catch Me If You Can.’ It merges Gold’s Nigerian identity with that of Ami Faku’s South Africa-dipped vocals and Habib Koité’s golden guitar strumming.
Before the release of ‘Tequila Ever After,’ Adekunle Gold had prepped for the album with the three-song pack ‘Tio Tequila.’ One of the songs, “Party No Dey Stop” with Zinoleesky, had served as the opening act for his deal with Def Jam Recordings. Previously, AG was under Platoon with the release of his last two albums and his newly inked deal with Def Jam signalled further sonic expansion. On “Party No Dey Stop,” Gold and street pop disciple Zinoleesky performed the track with panache, bringing the best of both their worlds in a celebration of jubilant moments. “Do You Mind?” is a pop track where Gold plays a lover man tending to the romantic and sexual needs of his partner. On “Omo Eko,” he pays homage to the vibrancy of Lagos as regards its people and music. Those three songs—which also appear on ‘Tequila Ever After’—are snapshots of the themes captured on the album in the way they revolve around his Yoruba identity, love and self-belief.
Since his days as an artist under Olamide’s YBNL Nation, Adekunle Gold’s projects give careful thought to their guest appearances to maximise their contributions. “No Forget” with Simi on ‘Gold’ was a love duet that represented both artists’ understanding of emotions and vocals. The likes of Flavour, Seun Kuti, Dyo, Jacob Banks and the Lagos Community Gospel Choir on ‘About 30’ showed Adekunle Gold’s willingness to try new sounds and fusions. On ‘Afropop Vol. 1,’ Tekno, Nailah Blackman, Yinka and Patoranking were propellers in AG Baby’s reach for pop stardom, and on ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ Davido, Lucky Daye, Fatoumata Diawara, Stefflon Don, Ty Dolla $ign and Fousheé were the star cast of the Adekunle Gold show. Despite welcoming so many into his world, AG is also well-versed in keeping the spotlight squarely on himself as he shirks stylistic expectations and widens the scope of his arsenal.
On ‘Tequila Ever After,’ Adekunle Gold invites his guest artists to infuse emotion and lyrical depth into each new track. None of the visitors strays out of line; instead, they run with the baton passed to them with precision and skill. ODUMODUBLVCK’s confrontational tone is a fitting addition to “Wrong Person,” where Adekunle Gold flings disinterest at the gossip of his detractors. Coco Jones matches Gold’s earnestness for a romantic connection on “Make It Easy.” Singer and wife, Simi, like Adekunle Gold, is neck-deep in love on “Look What You Made Me Do.” Khalid and Gold both rue the mistakes made in a past relationship and on “Falling Up,” Pharrell Williams (alongside Nile Rodgers) reecho Gold’s sentiments that failure is one of the steps to success. The execution of these features tells of the considerable deliberation behind the scenes to select the right songs and the right artists for those songs.
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Save for “Party Never Stop,” “Ogaranya” and “Omo Eko,” other songs on ‘Tequila Ever After’ do not take the pattern of dance-ready anthems like “High” (with Davido) from ‘Catch Me If You Can.’ But this observation is no indictment on the album; here, Adekunle Gold is more concerned with the feelings behind a song than to cater to the demographics setting the dance clubs alight. “Not My Problem” shares subject matter with “Damn Delilah” from ‘About 30’ as Adekunle Gold refuses to be undermined in love, choosing peace of mind over the pain of convincing a disinterested party. “Wọn sọ pe mo kere/But dem dey copy my way,” he sings on “Kere,” revelling in his wins, and on “To My Own,” he finds pleasure in his longevity and in moving at his own pace.
A majority of the lyrics on the album are motivational. At the time Adekunle Gold came with “Sade” and “Orente,” the Nigerian music scene was firmly in the grip of anthemic songs. Gold’s labelmate Lil Kesh was destroying dance floors with “Shoki,” “Gbese” and “Efejoku.” Their boss Olamide was doing the same with “BOBO.” Farther afield, Kizz Daniel’s “Woju” and “Laye,” Tekno’s “Duro” and “Wash” and Harrysong’s “Reggae Blues” were impacting the soundscape on astronomical levels. Adekunle Gold slowed down the tempo of his songs, opting for deep lyricism over Highlife-influenced production. Still, he was able to command the attention of listeners who sought his relatable, nostalgic music. He again showed his inventiveness with ‘About 30,’ taking audiences by surprise with his experimentation of pairing the fundamentals of ‘Gold’ with electronic influences.
“It was until I dropped ‘About 30’ that I started to get criticised. So, for the first time, I just learnt to take the good from criticism and not dwell on it,” he revealed in his NATIVE interview. “Wọn sọ pe mo kere/But dem dey copy my way,” he sings on “Kere,” Steadily, Adekunle Gold has positioned himself as a mainstay in the conversation about Nigerian pop music. The success of his ‘Afropop Vol. 1’ and ‘Catch Me If You Can’ has cleared any doubts about his methods and iterations. In some way, Adekunle Gold remains an outlier: he has morphed into new forms without losing the essence of his sound—down-to-earth observations on groovy melodies—that have served him well since “Sade.” On ‘Tequila Ever After,’ he finds pleasure in his longevity and in moving at his own pace.
In addition to Adekunle Gold’s charismatic presence, the album’s producers are also the winning formula in the entire equation. Michael Bakare and Blaise Beats are the only producers from ‘Catch Me If You Can’ that reappear on ‘Tequila Ever After.’ While there is palpable influence from Western producers like Pharrell Williams, Michaël Brun, The Elements and Fridayy populate the project, African producers such as Blaise Beats, Kel-P, Mannywellz, Michael Bakare and Tony Duardo ensure that the album retains its African flavour and doesn’t stray too far from home.
Kel-P, in particular, is instrumental in this regard, producing more than six songs and establishing a fine chemistry with Adekunle Gold as he did on Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ (2019). His productions on ‘Tequila Ever After’ are some of the closest to an instantly recognisable Nigerian feel. They serve as a tether to Gold’s roots to the homefront, ensuring he doesn’t stray too far from the local audience. But when Adekunle Gold is called to negotiate new terrains, though, he jumps on the opportunity with glee. Pharrell Williams’ four-count loop is the curtain-raiser to a production that adds steady beat thumps with high-octane chants. Labrinth and Michael Bakare elicit a dreamy feel on “To My Own,” as Adekunle Gold sings the brilliantly-written lines: “Long as my heart drumming (Drumming)/And my red blood running (Running)/There’s no cloud over me (‘ver me)/Could stop this light of mine shining (Shining).”
‘Tequila Ever After’ is Adekunle Gold’s finest moment yet. With the help of tequila, he has caught lightning in a bottle and, using it as inspiration, dug into his well of experiences for varied perspectives on life as a man and superstar. “There’s so much more, there’s so much more that I have to offer,” Gold told the NATIVE. “I’m not done; I’m definitely not done, there’s so much more coming.” There’s no doubting Adekunle Gold—or AG Baby or Tio Tequila. Whichever moniker he assumes next, there’s only one constant: quality music that is both fresh and bold in experimentation and relatable content.
Stream ‘Tequila Ever After’ below.
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Skyla Tylaa Is Taking Off
For the next phase of her career, Skyla Tylaa is actively working on creating music while entertaining with...
As a child growing up in South-east London, Skyla Tylaa had a natural affinity for the arts. Whether it was music or stage performances, she found herself exploring these interests intently from a young age. That devotion manifested in multiple ways – her attending the BRIT School and Sylvia Young Theatre School where she performed in a West End production of Annie or her fiddling with several musical instruments while she figured out her creative identity. Through it all, music was a constant, the backdrop to her home life where she grew up between Jamaican and English influences. She remembers being exposed to Drum & Bass, Funky House, and Garage. “I think that’s had a big influence in my DJ career,” Skyla Tylaa admits.
Progressing into adulthood, those musical influences persisted even if she didn’t always engage with them professionally. Things changed when she started DJ-ing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possessed by a visceral desire to experience the euphoria of interacting with people through music, she burrowed deeper into DJ-ing. “I couldn’t be in my room and just have people commenting,” she recalls. “I need to see people’s energy, and feel everything in the moment.”
Since then, she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken the world by storm. Mentored by DJ Tunez, she performed multiple times on the American leg of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ tour and came out of the experience raring to go. “Opening for Wizkid on his tour was a transformative experience,” she says. “It taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability in my craft. I was still pretty much a start-up DJ when I went on tour and it made me really realise how important it is to connect with the audience. Touring from city to city with different crowds, it helped me to learn how to read the room and keep the vibe going.”
Almost as importantly for Skyla Tylaa, Rihanna was present at one of those tour stops and was impressed by her set, stopping by after the show to congratulate her. “After that I felt like I could conquer the world,” she says. Since then, she’s been selected by Rihanna to DJ at a Fenty X Puma Creeper launch event in London in 2024, marking a full-circle moment between the women.
Like Rihanna, Skyla Tylaa is inspired by music from the breadth of the Black diaspora, playing sets that take as much influence from the fervid restlessness of Hip-hop as they do the wavy melodies of House music, and the dancefloor summons of Afrobeats “I love partying! I genuinely love it,” she explains. “When preparing my sets, I’m always thinking of people having a good time. Whatever I can do to connect with them, I’m down to do it!”
In the last few years, few genres have shown the propensity for inspiring a great time with the regularity that Amapiano does. From Johannesburg to Windhoek, to Lagos, London, and New York, the log drums and mutating basslines of the genre have proven integral to a new Pop framework that is as amorphous as it is exhilarating. Since first hearing the genre while on a visit to Ghana years ago, Skyla Tylaa has been hooked. “It was the log drum, the sound, just the vibes that came with it,” she says. “I was like ‘wait – what is this?’ When you hear Amapiano, it’s one of those sounds that no matter what, you’re gonna dance.”
Diving into the genre, she’s picked up valuable lessons from important figures like Maphorisa, Uncle Vinny and Major League DJz while putting her youthful spin on the sound. It’s all coming together for the DJ who’s working with her sister, music heavyweight Jada Pollock, to figure it all out one step at a time. “When I found my passion for DJing, Jada was right there, urging me to dive into the ‘Made in Lagos’ tour,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I was ready, but she believed in me and knew I could handle it. My love for music has been with me since school; it just took some time for me to realize that this was the direction I wanted to pursue. Once I found my calling, her support became endless–she attended my early gigs and pushed me to perform at major festivals like Afro Nation.”
She’s since performed at leading festivals such as Wireless, Piano People and Australia’s Promiseland as well as selling out headline shows across London, London, and Ghana. For the next phase of her career, she’s actively working on creating music. This month, she released her debut single, “Bombshell,” a searing Amapiano banger that has all the hallmarks of a potential summer hit. “Bombshell” features Tanzanian Bongo Flava act, Diamond Platnumz, as well as South African acts, Tyler ICU, Khalil Harrison, and DJ Exit. It’s a blockbuster showing that sits well in the tradition of the genre. “The idea was initially played to me by Tyler ICU in March 2024,” Skyla Tylaa says. “He and I had a session while he was in London, and this was one of the ideas we worked on. Khalil was already on it, at the time, and I loved what I heard!”
After seeding it into her live sets last summer and starting live teasers with a dance challenge, Diamond Platnumz reached out about potentially working on the song and it was arranged. “I started teasing the new version of the song in my sets and then a whole new viral dance challenge came about online in December,” she says. “From that point, I knew the track had all the elements (features included) to be a big release in 2025 !” For DJ Exit, a chance to be part of a transformative song like “Bombshell” was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. “What drew me to this single was the chance to be part of something boundary-breaking,” he explains. “Gqom and Amapiano are both powerful in their own right, but fusing the raw, percussive energy of Gqom with the soulful, hypnotic swing of Amapiano creates a sound the world hasn’t fully experienced yet. This isn’t just another collaboration–it’s a cultural statement.”
The Xhosa word, ‘basazomangala,’ meaning ‘to be shocked,’ is uttered several times on “Bombshell,” and it reflects the message that Harrison was trying to pass on the track. ““Bombshell” is really about letting people know that there’s still so much more to come from me,” he says. “It’s a celebration of the present moment, but also a reminder that this is just the beginning. We’re all dancing to what’s happening now, but there’s an energy in the air that says the best is yet to come.”
In light of Amapiano’s rise to global prominence and the international acclaim it enjoys, Harrison is right about more things being on the horizon, and Skyla Tylaa agrees with him: “When I was introduced to Amapiano, I fell in love instantly and that time it was just on the verge of global appeal. It’s global now and still growing and that makes me appreciate it even more! I love it, and the world loves it! The feeling is mutual ! We can all enjoy it together!”
For Tyler ICU, having DJs from the diaspora like Skyla Tylaa engage with Amapiano and its culture is a win for the genre. “This shows the power of the genre–it’s not just a sound, it’s a movement,” he says. “When someone like Skyla, who appreciates the culture and brings her own flavour, plays Amapiano in places like London, New York or Toronto, she’s not just playing music, she’s building bridges. That’s how we grow–by letting the world feel it in their own way, but staying true to where it started. It’s important that the roots are respected, but the branches can reach far.”
Just a couple of weeks since its release, “Bombshell” has crossed over 650,000 thousand views on YouTube and continues to be a sensation on TikTok. Like everything Skyla Tylaa has done up till now in her career, it’s shaping up perfectly and has shown that she has a knack for the right collaborations. She intends to keep making music. “This year, my focus is all about music,” she says. “I recently signed with Robots and Humans (Sony) in the UK and Epic in the US, which has given me a different level of drive to really want to create good music. I’m also looking forward to exploring the Afro-house genre and collaborating with other talented artists.”
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What OdumoduBlvck’s Greatest School Tour Could Mean For Touring In Nigeria
The rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour of this nature could go on to become a...
There’s no denying that OdumoduBlvck’s 2023 mixtape ‘Eziokwu’ established his musical genius. While the half dozen projects that preceded ‘Eziokwu’ almost served as target practice, largely showcasing the early iterations of Okporoko music – his unique melodious rap fusion – it was his major label debut that truly grounded the rapper in Nigeria’s rich Hip-Hop lineage. The album’s far-reaching success culminated in a historic joint tour with fellow 2023 breakout star Shallipopi, which saw the two share the stage across 9 cities in the United States. Similarly, riding the high of his latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ the Anti-World Gangstar head huncho recently announced a new tour. This time, however, instead of taking his new collection of infectious bangers to stages abroad, the rapper decided to visit different universities across the country for what he calls the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever.’
Touring in Nigeria is a subject that has become somewhat controversial over the last few years, splitting opinions amongst many fans, industry experts, and artists themselves. Back in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, local touring was very much the norm. Platforms like Star Music’s ‘The Trek,’ as well as a few prominent local promoters, enabled some of the biggest names like 2face, Olamide, and M.I to hold annual nationwide tours. These tours included stops in cities like Warri, Makurdi, Owerri and many other places that artists are less likely to visit today. University tours were also popular as they presented an avenue for these artists to connect with their younger audience, who mostly served as the bedrock of their fan base.
The rise of digital streaming platforms, which has partly informed the industry’s rapid evolution over the past decade, coupled with other economic and infrastructural issues, has, however, forced a sharp decline in local touring, making it an almost altruistic endeavour in today’s Nigeria. Afropop gaining global exposure meant that the international market immediately became more viable and lucrative to our biggest stars, and this reshaped their priorities. The extensive, multi-city shows became reserved for diaspora fans, while the local audience, in most cases, are treated to a solitary annual show.
OdumoduBlvck looks to buck this trend with the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ prioritizing his primary audience before tending to those abroad. In truth, the Lagos-born rapper is not the only one who has embarked on this type of tour in recent times. A couple of years ago, UK-based rapper Kida Kudz and Ckay also went on similar campus tours, with the latter making stops at 10 different universities across the country. Llona, one of the breakout stars from last year, is also currently on a nationwide tour coming off the success of his impressive debut album ‘Homeless.’ The ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ is however, peculiar and momentous because of its timing and OdumoduBlvck’s standing as one of the biggest names around.
At the recent 17th Headies Awards, the rapper became the latest recipient of the Next Rated award, a highly coveted plaque that’s historically reserved for standout acts whose music defines the zeitgeist at a given period. He received the award just two days after he gave an electrifying performance at Afe Babalola University. His latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ a precursor to his highly anticipated forthcoming debut, currently sits at the No. 2 spot on the Turntable Top 50 Album charts. It is unheard of in recent times: that the Headies Next Rated act, who has one of the top projects in the country, is on a local university tour. The Abuja-native has, however, shown on numerous occasions that he has never really been one to abide by existing standards. The famous opening lines from his breakout single “Declan Rice” (I can do without their Policy I Know), did not only serve as a message to gatekeepers and naysayers but also as a manifesto that declared his mode of operation going forward.
At the time of this writing, the rapper has only made two stops on his ongoing tour, but his decision to embark on a local tour of this nature already looks to be paying dividends. The first two shows have produced viral clips that capture his star power, the hysteria of his headline shows and his rapidly growing influence, especially amongst younger listeners. The viral clips have already created an increased demand for shows, with many young fans harassing the rapper to add more dates to the tour. With the release of ‘The Machine Is Coming’ and his recent crowning moment at the Headies, it’s safe to assume there’s more attention on him now than ever. While it is, of course, still early days, the rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour, especially given that he’s currently experiencing a career high, could go on to become a significant moment, one that potentially inspires a shift in the touring landscape in Nigeria.
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Ryan Coogler’s Vision For SINNERS
The celebrated filmmaker gives some insight into his new movie,
There is an alternate version of African-American history stitched together by music. From the harmonic melodies that followed them off slavers ships to the home-harkening cottonfield tunes that provided succor during the horrors of slavery, African-Americans have always used music to remember and call one another to action. The stakes are seemingly as important in Ryan Coogler’s new movie, SINNERS, where the music of Sammie (played by newcomer Miles Caton), a prodigious blues singer, turns a night of revelry on its head as a horde of vampires attack a juke joint set up by the identical Moore brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan).
Set in the Mississippi Delta in the 1920s, SINNERS is faithful to its timeline in tone and tenor but confronts issues like racism, colourism, and Black ownership that continue to have modern resonance while deftly sidestepping stringent categorisation. It is Ryan Coogler’s first original conception and it bears the defining personal insights and quirks that have made franchises like Black Panther and Creed hugely successful, while sealing Coogler’s reputation as one of the most respected filmmakers of his eras.
Ahead of the release of SINNERS, we had a brief chat with Ryan Coogler about his latest film.
Where did the inspiration for ‘SINNERS’ come from?
It came from my relationship with my uncle. He came from Mississippi and he loved Blues music. I would listen to the music with him and that happened for most of my life. He passed away 10 years ago and, since he passed away, I got more interested in the music and that’s where the seed of the idea came from.
Do you think the movie was made to honour your uncle’s memory?
Yes, for sure.
‘SINNERS’ is set in the 1920s American South. Why did you settle on that time period?
I settled on that time period through studying what year would make the most sense for Blues history. What I think this time period represents for African-Americans is that it was the Great Depression and, while studying, I found out that it didn’t affect Black people as much as it affected white people because there was nowhere for Black people to go socio-economically, they were already as down as they could be. Interestingly, it was a time when white people and Black people were in contact with each other due to what happened with the economy.
You collaborated with Michael B. Jordan again, what made him the right fit for the role?
I think Mike has a unique combination of range and charisma. Charisma is something that can’t be learnt, you have to be born with it and, a lot of the characters in this movie, are extensions of their charisma. You have to believe that these guys can come back into town after seven years and throw a party and get people to show up. For me, that was the biggest part of it. I wanted an actor that was flexible and charismatic in two different kinds of ways. Smoke has his own charisma but he’s an introvert whereas Stack’s charisma has to be more of a projection, and that’s very difficult because you have to be born with that charisma. Also, you have to know how to manipulate through acting techniques, and Mike is uniquely capable of that.
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