Our First Impressions of Victony’s New EP ‘Outlaw’
his debut project
Victony’s ability to turn life experiences into fully realised songs has not gone unnoticed. Last year, the musician returned from a ghastly car crash to imprint his transcendental sound on listeners. After the two-track ‘Dark Times’ produced his most introspective song yet (“Pray”), Victony’s svelte vocals was the dominant feature on arguably the biggest song of the year (“Holy Father”), carrying him into 2022 as one of the artists to watch out for.
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And truly, he hasn’t disappointed. Being in the center of a friendly spar against Omah Lay made his earlier music reshared on social media, where listeners got a taste of Victony’s background in rap. There he emerged as a savant of the Soundcloud era, wielding emo sensibilities and after EP ‘Saturn’, pairing them with the pomp of contemporary Afropop.
The deliberate synthesis of such artistic virtues were again highlighted on “Apollo” and “Kolomental”, his previous pair of singles released earlier this year. Their brilliance has done well to helm the release of Victony’s anticipated EP, ‘Outlaw’. Purple-themed, intricately structured and imminently personal, the seven-track project is bound to dominate discussions over the weekend and most likely, beyond.
Our editorial team at The NATIVE have clocked in their early listens of ‘Outlaw’, and here are our first impressions of the project.
Best Song
Tela: “Outlaw” has to be the best song from the album. There is a melancholic yet hopeful tone to it as if indicating a great renaissance,, which is evident in the tape. Exploring a deeper theme as he translate his headspace into melody, the opening chant “we are the champion, king champion” serves as a reminder that we are champions giving you the will to move ahead despite tribulations. The melody is meticulously infused amid the chant leading to a crescendo as the harmonic set of pitches and the subtle background vocals set the tone for the song. His songwriting is witty offering comfort while still motivating as if he in a conversation. Outlaw emphatically captures the high and lows of an outlaw.
Chibuzo: I’ve listened to the project several times in a bid to be certain of my ‘Best song’ pick and I’ve concluded that “Chop And Slide” is the crown jewel of this majestic 7-track offering for a vast number of reasons. To start with, the production of this song and “Soweto” are incontrovertibly the best on the project. The production is minimal and apt, allowing Victony’s voice to shine through. But make no mistakes, minimal does not imply basic. The keys on the song are dreamy, ethereal and immersive, to say the least. On this song, Victony’s mesmerising vocals take the spotlight and boy! The boy can sing. He maintains cool composure for the first half of the song but when he gets to the second verse, he goes off totally, delivering a jaw-dropping sonic spectacle. His texture is silky and malleable, his range is also dazzling. In many ways, this song functions to display Victony’s overall range as a vocalist and a songwriter.
Moore: “Outlaw” is definitely my personal favourite from this project. The intro drew me in immediately, it feels like something to be chanted along to. This flows well into the rest of the song, which feels like a somber melody that also insists you sing along to it, this time more quietly. At least until the energy begins build until it reaches its peak with the lyrics ‘I no dey fear fire’, a height of emotions.
Best Production
Wonu: For me, the best production will have to be the production on “Soweto”, I mean what was Tempoe on? One thing I’ve noticed about Tempoe’s production has to be the finishing on the beat, down to the last detail. The blend of each element on this beat is very intentional and I’m not just talking about the kicks or drums, I’m talking about how it all comes together. This record is very special if you ask me.
Dennis: I’m not going to lie, this one is hard. Every song on ‘Outlaw’ is a masterclass in instrumental arrangement, which is a huge plus to Victony—his ear for beats has always been phenomenal. Because I have to choose, I’m going with “Apollo” and “Soweto.” With all the great hit songs they’ve produced in recent years, it’s impossible to say P.Priime and Tempoe had due bills when they created these respective songs, but the level of meticulous genius in those beats sounds like their landlords were banging on their doors and hounding them for rent. Thankfully, Victony responded by delivering inspired performances on two of the best beats we’ll hear all year.
Standout verse
Chibuzo: While I feel that Victony’s songwriting on this offering could have been better — considering that his crafting dazzling verses is his forte — his penmanship on ‘Outlaw’ is incredibly stellar. Victony displays this in earnest, melding words with an uncanny deftness into plush earworms. Like how he sings “Ogologo something wey you carry o/When I’m moving west I Dey find your Taribo” on “All Power”, or when he cheekily blurts “Oh keep it shaking, Joliy you be my Faraday. When it is shaking, e dey gimme light, I nah fi explain”, he makes crafting these quintessential Afropop lyrical masterpieces sound painfully easy.
Maria: Victony’s penmanship on “Kolomental” is stupendous. Throughout the mid-tempo track, Victony seamlessly intertwines gems on self-belief, stardom and shrugging off naysayers all while creating a smooth groove. It’s a great combination of danceability and relatability.
Tela: An undeniable fact is that Victony’s approach when creating ‘Outlaw’ was strategic and deliberately different from his previous projects. With an aim of embracing new freedom, he vibrantly tackles deep issues such as his second chance at life while cheekily inserting songs such as “All Power”. Victony’s third verse on “Outlaw” is a burst of emotions. Inviting you to his mental headspace he takes you through his acknowledgement of his fans, naysayers and his self prophecy of being great without having an idea of what to do but his self-belief serves as a reassurance of his greatness. As you listen to the verse, you have the epochal feel of redemption.
Biggest Potential Hit
Moore: It’s always hard to predict what will connect with people, but I’d say I can imagine “Jolene” being a hit. It’s infectious beat immediately makes you want to dance, which is necessary for Nigerian listeners. It also has an extremely catchy and easy to learn chorus that I’m sure many will sing along to.
Chibuzo: “Soweto” and “All Power” both have hit potential. They both check all the boxes that have defined hit songs in the past year and half — resonating lyrics, tight production, and breezy vocal delivery, but I reckon “All Power” has more potential. It’s a mid-tempo bop but it’s fast enough to dance to, plus it’s a song that would fly for TikTok videos.
Maria: My pick for this would be “All Power”. It’s clear that I have a bias for songs that praise women’s bodies (I mean, why not?) but asides that, the beat is infectious and Victony’s vocals are silky smooth throughout the track. Also, the hook is really catchy, you can almost visualise girls acting up when it comes on. It has all the necessary elements of a hit single. This one is going to be shaking clubs up for sure.
Overall first impressions
Dennis: If I wasn’t obligated to be more elaborate with my opinions, I’d just insert the mind-blown emoji here and be on my way. Outlaw is one of the best projects of 2022, and I’m saying that off one listen. I can already tell the replay value of the entire project is insane. The beats are multi-coloured, multi-layered slabs of excellence. Victony sings every syllable of every melody with an infectious passion. I’m going to repeat myself again: ‘Outlaw’ is one of the best projects of 2022. I’m about to run it back and send out a tweet with the project link and a mind-blown emoji.
Emmanuel: Victony’s unique ability is sounding fresh each time you hear him. His songs have this mesmerising attention to detail, building subtle layers of sound in each count of the minute. I first experienced this on “More”, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Suffice to say, I entered ‘Outlaw’ with high expectations and frankly, I wasn’t let down. Each song on there is arguably the best song, distinct in their own way as they cover the subjects we know him for. There’s lot of sex, but also lots of introspection; however, it’s his songwriting that renders them heft, makes you listen and listen till you can’t wait to sing along. Production-wise, the EP is also competent, building clouds of mostly soft beats under Victony’s alert vocals. In all, ‘Outlaw’ is a thoroughly enjoyable project that will go on to do great things for this talented artist.
Wonu: I’ve listened to this ‘Outlaw’ EP about 4 different times now and I must share, when I heard it the first time I knew it was going all the way up. Victony created something magical on this project. There’s a different experience with every listen and there’s this level of confidence you can sense in terms of the delivery. His writing on the EP, the production, the song selection, the track arrangement, everything seemed so organised and in order. On first listen, I knew this would definitely be here for some time. The replay value is also there so I’m excited to see how it all works out for him and how he manages the marketing of the project.
Stream ‘Outlaw’ below.
Featured image credits/TSE
ICYMI: PROJECT RUNAWAY
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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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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Tems Partners With Hennessy For Leading Vibe Initiative
Launching in Lagos, Nigeria, this event pioneered by Tems marks the beginning of a continent-wide movement to...
In July, Tems announced the Leading Vibe Initiative (LVI) to support women in music and the creative space on their journey to make a mark in their fields and create space for other women in those industries. Born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist with a focus on driving change, the initiative offers training, mentorship, industry access, and community for women in music in Africa.
After a rigorous selection process for its inaugural cohort, Hennessy will join the two-time Grammy Award-winning star to celebrate the launch of the Leading Vibe (LVI) Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. Held from August 8 to 9, 2025, the two-day event is the beginning of a bold new chapter in Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to music and culture in Africa.
“I’m excited to partner with Hennessy in bringing this initiative to life, supporting talented young women in music as they find their voices, embrace their power, and shape the future of the industry across Africa and beyond,” Tems said about the partnership.
The Leading Vibe Initiative aims to champion the next generation of female artists, producers, songwriters, and music professionals, increasing representation within all areas of music across the continent and beyond.
With Hennessy as lead partner, this ambitious program kicks off with an immersive event in Lagos featuring curated workshops, networking moments, and panel discussions led by top-tier talent from across the global and African music industries.
“Her vision, talent, and purpose align deeply with Hennessy’s legacy of championing those who push boundaries and redefine the world around them. We’re honored to support the Leading Vibe Initiative and to continue empowering African communities and cultures,” said Vincent Montalescot, Hennessy Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Hennessy’s partnership with Tems builds on the brand’s decades-long history of supporting music and artistic expression globally and on the continent. From Hip-Hop to Afrobeats, Hennessy continues to stand beside the artists and communities that shape culture.
In Africa, the Maison has deepened its commitment through meaningful initiatives like In the Paint and now, with the Leading Vibe Initiative, is taking a focused step toward amplifying women’s voices in music. With the Lagos launch as a powerful first step, the Leading Vibe Initiative will expand across Africa and globally, creating a cross-continental network of empowered women ready to shape the future of African music.
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