Review: ‘Another Style’ by Kaestyle
In many ways, 2024 is proving to be Kaestyle’s moment
It’s pretty much common knowledge that Port Harcourt lies at the heart of Nigerian pop music. Just as the city’s cultural make-up reflects an array of residents who have come from across the breadth of the country, its musical heritage similarly defies stringent classification, pulling influences from Hip-hop, Soul, and Jazz. This ethos of fluid experimentation and astute genre-bending is evident in the work of Port Harcourt greats like Duncan Mighty, Burna Boy, and, more recently, Omah Lay. 2024 is shaping up to be the year when another Port Harcourt export takes off thanks to the exploits of rising star, Kaestyle.
Although he sits in the lineage of Port Harcourt’s musical evolution thanks to his use of the seaside city’s colorful slangs and euphemisms, Kaestyle is very much his own artist thanks to an inimitable style that blends bluesy singing with a delicate, lived-in style of songwriting that channels his emotions and feelings on a range of issues. Since he made his introduction to mainstream audience a with 2022’s “True Love,” a soul-inflected reflection on romance that featured Victony, the KeyQaad-signed singer has been inching towards the moment when his internal turmoil would match the never-ending theater that being young and alive in Nigeria represents.
In many ways, 2024 is proving to be Kaestyle’s moment. In a year when escapism – or even just the allure of it – has been the defining theme for young Nigerians dealing with the crushing effect of a terrible economy, Kaestyle’s voice has risen to the forefront of many listeners’ consciousness. His breakout song, “My Dealer,” has surged to popularity as both an ode to the state of the country and a call to action to cop some of the weed that many young Nigerians are turning to in a bid to deal with the relentless anxieties triggered by economic uncertainties. In the world that Keastyle and Omah Lay construct over plucky drums and twinkling piano keys, a dealer is a link to the bliss that being high confers, even if only momentarily.
The momentum of “My Dealer” has paved the way for ‘Another Style,’ a new project for Kaestyle as he continues to be the architect of his own narrative. Less structurally dense than ‘Asylum,’ last year’s collaborative tape with fellow Port Harcourt native LeriQ, ‘Another Style’ is steeped in traditional afropop influences that are less a recalibration of Kaestyle’s emotive R&B-influenced style, than they are building blocks for a more expansive take on his sound. Opener, “Gin & Juice,” takes influence for its blistering flow from Hip-hop as the singer bigs up his credentials from Port Harcourt to Ikate, an enclave in Lagos’ widely popular Lekki axis. It’s the sort of uber-confident line that the singer would not have said out loud only a year ago. Keastyle has a particular vision for his songs and it’s easy to notice his appreciation for sounds from the way the instrumental for “Kaestyle” switches between gritty boom-bap stretches to interludes punctuated by twinkling keys.
Fellow Keyqaad signee, M3LON, joins for a dedication to living in the moment on “Que Sera Sera.” It’s the song that most mirrors the style that Kaestyle patented upon his debut in 2022 with ‘Kae’s Study.’ The aesthetic is low-lit and it has a stripped-down vibe that heavily signals the inevitability of fate that the song is about. “You can’t take my shit from me / You can’t change my destiny,” Kaestyle soulfully sings about his journey. Beaming in with a verse delivered in English, pidgin, and Yoruba, M3LON stays on theme, recounting the cost of pursuing his dreams of musical stardom and all that comes with it.
While drill took a foothold in Ghana courtesy of Kumasi’s gritty Asakaa boys, the scuzzy Chicago-pioneered Hip-hop offshoot didn’t really take in the Nigerian mainstream with the exception of a few singles. However, “Egberi,” the most inventive song on ‘Another Style,’ takes a huge slice of inspiration from drill with some highlife influences as well. Typical drill songs are explosive affairs but things are dialed down on “Egberi” for a somewhat muted version that plays up the melodies at the core of Kaestyle’s work that’s so potent, even a cameo from Atlanta singer and songwriter, 6LACK, cannot outshine it. It has all the hallmarks of a star coming into his elements.
A sense of predestined success is a key part of what makes Afropop tick. Some of the genre’s biggest stars wholly believe in their status as miracles unto themselves and their loved ones. Kaestyle’s years navigating the Nigerian music industry have clearly imbued him with some of that mythos as well. ‘Another Style’ ends on a self-confident note with “God Sent,” a far cry from the pensive uncertainty of last year’s “Ugly Truth.” On “God Sent,” an orchestral-inspired scorcher, the Port Harcourt native is blunt and forthright about his purpose, “Say na me God send to take my people out of poverty,” he solemnly opens the tracks. It’s a powerful moment of self-realization that both ties into the urgency propelling his new work, and is a window into the mind of a singer eager to forge a reputation for himself and add his name to the storied musical legacy of his hometown.
Listen to Kaestyle’s ‘Another Style’
Mavin Records Opens Applications for the 2025 Edition of Mavin Future Five
A launchpad for the next wave of music industry
As part of its efforts to equip future leaders in the African music landscape with the skills required for successful careers, Mavin Global is now accepting applications for the third cohort of its Executive Talent Accelerator, Mavin Future Five.
Originally launched in 2021, the Mavin Future Five programme was envisioned to bridge the gap between ambition and practical experience. Two cohorts later, the results speak loudly: over 3,200 applications have been made that have led to 10 selected fellows gaining critical tutoring and mentorship across diverse aspects of the music business.
“People always talk about ‘the next big artist,’ but rarely about the next great executive. That’s what we’re changing,” says Don Jazzy, Founder and CEO of Mavin Global. “Talent is Nigeria’s greatest export and that includes the thinkers, builders, and strategists behind the music. Future Five is about giving those people the launchpad necessary to accelerate their development and build on the success we’re experiencing as an industry.”
Applications for the 2025 edition is open to young creatives and professionals aged 18 to 25, across five core pathways: Digital Intelligence Intern, New Business Intern, Content Licensing Intern, Audience Development Intern, and Artist Development Intern. Fellows will be embedded into Mavin’s team for a six-month immersive experience, working on live campaigns with access to mentorship from some of the continent’s top executives and creatives.
“Mavin Future Five is now part of how we recruit, how we innovate, and how we stay young at heart as a company,” says Tega Oghenejobo, President and COO of Mavin Global. “But more than that, it’s our way of investing in the future of the entire African music landscape. When we equip brilliant young minds with the right tools and exposure, the ripple effect goes beyond Mavin. It strengthens the ecosystem, raises the bar, and ensures the next generation of leaders are ready before the spotlight hits them.”
Applications can be made here.
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Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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