Earlier in March, Egertton released “Obiokhan,” arguably his most polarising track to date. Originally premiering on the second instalment of Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Radio, the single’s arrival sparked mild controversy over its “Incantation music” tagline – a loose term Egertton has used to describe his music that’s heavily influenced by his native Edo heritage – and its Cruel Santino-directed music video featuring an animated masquerade, leaving many unsure what to make of it.

For fans who had been following the young singer’s career since his late 2024 debut, the freakishly bubbly single wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, as it cranks up the riotous, high-octane energy that defined tracks like “CRAZE” and “RAGE” from his debut EP ‘KARNAGE,’ But for listeners who only tuned in to the Edo-native after the success of his less-abrasive collab with scottyolorin, “MOLADE,” the track must have come across as quite jarring. 

It’s in the midst of this tension that Egertton has thrived so far. His eclectic output – that ranges from electric, mosh-pit-ready tracks to more melodious releases like “16 Missed Calls” and the aforementioned “MOLADE” – paints a vivid picture of an artist who rejects the polished romanticism that has dominated mainstream Afropop over the last decade, instead embracing distortion that draws equally from Alternative Pop, Rage Rap and Edo iconography. This daring and ravenous energy is what he brings to his self-titled debut mixtape, blending cinematic soundscapes with aggressive rage-driven production and soulful passages.

Across the mixtape, the singer makes it abundantly clear that he’s not in the business of conforming, either musically or otherwise. Halfway into “GANGSTER,” he sings ironically, ‘I love myself some feminine clothes, I accept it,’ before asserting that his sartorial choices don’t make him any less gangster and that shit ain’t sweet regardless. ‘Choppa on my hip incase a nigga want to test me / I swear to God I no go hesitate to shoot,’ he sings repeatedly, sending out a stern warning to those who might try to test him. 

Instead of sounding like he is litigating his own decisions, he speaks with absolute confidence in his actions, whatever they may be. Similarly on “REBEL,” one of the project’s highlights, he repeatedly sings, ‘Different pattern, I’m a rebel, different sauce, I’m a rebel, different sounds, I’m a rebel,’ almost like a personal affirmation and a defining manifesto that guides him and his artistry. 

This confidence and self-assuredness that courses through a lot of the lyrics on ‘EGERTTON’ is also reflected in the mixtape’s expansive sonic choices. With the help of his trusted producer DJ Primeau, who is credited on five of the project’s ten tracks, and other producers like Haram and Hebron, who are credited on “MY SKELLY” and the pre-released “ISSOKAYY,” respectively, the beats constantly shift beneath Egerton, refusing to settle into one sound or aesthetic for long.

The mixtape constantly alternates between abrasion and vulnerability. The Hip-hop-influenced banger “MY SKELLY” embodies its swaggering extremes, while the Indi-assisted “MIDNIGHT,” a love-inspired duet performed over some gauzy Dream-Pop production, briefly suspends that intensity, replacing blown-out bravado with aching intimacy. 

Other tracks like the energetic opener “IYEME” and the Soundchef-produced “BODY SPARKLE” also highlight this push and pull. The former erupts with the same frenzied intensity that has become one of the singer’s calling cards, while the latter leans into a more melodic sensibility without ever sacrificing the eccentricity that underpins the mixtape.

On the closing track “CHOSEN 1,” he reiterates some of the criticism and polarity that has accompanied his relatively short career so far: ‘He’s the chosen one, he’s not the chosen one / He can save us, he can’t save us / Crucify him, he can never resurrect / He’s the agent of the devil,’ before casually brushing them off and fixing his eyes squarely on his mission to prove his doubters wrong and in his own words, ‘televise my pain for my generation.’

It’s a grandiose claim from an artist still slightly finding his feet, but the drive and daring spirit that’s on display across the mixtape’s 25 minutes suggests he might just have the conviction to see it through. ‘EGERTTON’ is imperfect, occasionally sprawling and more interested in instinct than precision, but that’s precisely where its appeal lies. Rather than smoothing out his edges in pursuit of wider acceptance, Egertton doubles down on the very qualities that make him divisive, presenting himself as an artist who would rather provoke a reaction than fade into the background.

Listen to ‘EGERTTON’ here.