Over the last 18 months, FOLA, born Afolarin Odunlami, has entered a new tier in his music career. A gifted singer-songwriter who is a touch more tonal and digestible than most of his peers, he got his start towards the end of 2018. His early singles like “Beholder” and “cool me down” are thematically romantic, a meandering display of young love, equal parts passionate and all-consuming.

A cursory listen to his music reveals that he possesses the charm of a lovestruck man and the sleekness of a paramour. Through it all, he’s motivated by middle-class aspirations and subtle street orientations that jolt even the most affectionate lovers to use their heads as much as their hearts.

FOLA was still an emerging name when he released 2024’s “alone” featuring Bhadboi OML, and declared that, “Music na my iyawo,” meaning his music is his companion. Although this mid-tempo jam touches on his passion for music, it also intersects with other feelings that paint a picture of lovers drifting apart yet longing for each other. What was supposed to be a song written for a friend became the start of something big for FOLA. Months later, a remix of the song with BNXN followed, leading to bigger momentum as FOLA’s music got on the radar of many, including achieving his first No. 1 entry on Turntable Charts.

As his star rose and internet chatter turned into a record deal, A-list features, and rookie debates, he has held onto his style and spotlight with all his might. He officially signed to Bella Shmurda’s Dangbana Republik in 2024, two years after he collaborated with Shmurda on “Ginger Me,” a tune steeped in longing and desire. Impressively, FOLA operates in a musical world where his Street-Pop sensibilities don’t encroach on his lithe Afropop-R&B tone.

FOLA’s debut EP, 2024’s ‘what a feeling,’ took advantage of his virality and progress with a project that fused contributions from Bella Shmurda, BNXN, Bhadboi OML, and Magixx into an EP revolving around the excitement of his momentum and romantic notions. The EP was concise and had the effortless charm of a new Afropop sensation in the thick of a blistering come-up.

Since his rise to fame, FOLA has leveraged his stardom astutely, popping out occasionally on new tracks with Afropop’s heavy hitters of diverse music styles, but pulling more influence from the Afro-Emo style than anything. He continues down this road with ‘catharsis,’ his debut album that strips his writing to the bare essentials while staying hip enough to cultivate creative ties with celebrated artists like Kizz Daniel, Victony, Young Jonn, and Gabzy.  Behind the boards, producers like Sbthaproducer, Kel-P, LOL, Damie, Shallythechampion, KTIZO Hoodini, Jhay2unez, Harrison Song, and Adam Fritzler help shape this odyssey towards relief. 

At 24, we encounter FOLA at that tender moment when love, passion, and stardom are staring you in the face. He chases his dream while notably juggling love interests. A lot of the tracks on ‘catharsis’ revolve around the complexities of dealing with it all, but while much of this new album exists in reaction to emotional bonds, it’s also informed by the singer’s commitment to music, especially now that he’s in the spotlight.

New chapters of his life are unfolding, and the singer is transforming his vicarious experiences into music to a remarkable degree of success. FOLA, crushed under the weight of love in “gokada,” wields his confidence to emphasise his competence at maintaining a satisfying relationship. His pragmatic commitment comes to play here as he sings, “Even if she cheat on me, I won’t baja.” FOLA seems to believe that, unfairly or not, forgiveness and the relationship’s benefits outweigh the pain. He strips himself of the fragile ego that usually makes a man hide tolerance for infidelity. Perhaps, forgiveness is a calculated choice.

Some of the album’s boldest moments result from finding the middle ground between prospective relationships, unreciprocated feelings, and the complicated feelings on the margins of his love life. “golibe” featuring Victony is built around an attempt to impress a love interest, even if that means prioritising material gains over emotional connection.

On “you,” FOLA continues to put himself at the mercy of this love interest, itching for attention. In the first verse, he speaks about the need to see every day, expounding that “I no go like if you forget the bobo.” There is a subtle evolution in the dynamics of how FOLA approaches romance by the time we reach “lost.” The tone he employs across the song with Kizz Daniel exposes his weariness as he tries to hold on to his lover for an enduring relationship, even if money is her only motivation for being with him.

Still, Kizz Daniel’s verse is a problematic addition here. The context of the song title suggests deep dependence on a lover, but it gets completely out of hand when he sings, “Getting agitated when you never say yes oo.” It reflects sexual entitlement and coercive behaviour. Just before that, he says, “Anytime you carry tampon, I know say that night no go transform,” which implies that her menstrual period is a barrier to sex. Kizz Daniel’s verse gets more sour as he closes his verse dismissing a woman who isn’t doing his bidding as one who wouldn’t receieve material benefit. This not only shows Kizz’s mentality and how he views women, but it also amplifies patriarchal views. It’s a rote rehashing of views he’s expressed on songs like “Yeba,” “Fuck You,” “Pak ‘n’ Go,” and “Cough (Odo).”

For all the attempts at polarisation, this is FOLA’s moment. Love washes over the singer on “healer,” moving back to the cute romantic notions that made him lovers’ choice. Here, his songwriting fully explores affection and bonding, and the validation and pride that almost erase the feelings of abandonment expressed in the opening tracks. He sounds noticeably self-regulated on “cruise control,” less willing to come off as an attention junkie. The woe is back on “robbery” featuring Gabzy. It’s a song that clearly shows the pitfalls of being with an emotionally withdrawn partner who starves their relationship of time and presence. Frustration has set in, but FOLA remains keen to hold it together, even on “caricature,” the track that follows.

On “disco,” featuring Young Jonn, the production opts for log drums to amp up listeners and free them from the moody mid-tempo lull that has dominated the project so far. When the tension’s been released, FOLA sounds lighter and ready to sing his ass off. His sharp writing remains intact, straightforward and economical while being reflective and motivational: “Everyday, reminiscing about the pain / Stacking my paper, I wasn’t ready for this game / But I keep chasing, I can’t stop chasing,” he sings on the closing track “it’s going.”

At this point, the words he utters are slivers of the tough circumstances that shaped his journey. There are some smug brags and self-motivational quips to persevere with his newfound success. It’s a continuation of the hustle-themed “eko,” a quasi-aspirational song that tracked his evolution from struggling singer to newly minted music star. By throwing it back and reminiscing on the early days, he keeps himself grounded.

Clocking in at approximately 28 minutes, ‘catharsis’ offers FOLA’s new music as a diary of a young hustler who decided to leave Ibadan suddenly to pursue music dreams in Lagos in 2018. Seven years later, he’s still in Lagos, living out some of his dreams. The only difference from all those years ago is that FOLA is now arguably on top of his game, digging into personal experiences and relishing his musical freedom. He’s reaching into every corner of Afropop to get him there. Across ‘catharsis,’ he’s trying to make sense of himself through romantic exploration and suave songwriting. There’s no right way to release tension, but it’s riveting listening to one of this era’s more talented acts try to figure it out on the journey to finding himself.