To commemorate Women’s History Month this year, we will be discovering a new female artist every day of this month. Some of these women you may know, others you may have heard of and some will be entirely new discoveries. The aim is to spotlight the remarkable young women from around Africa, who are finding […]
To commemorate Women’s History Month this year, we will be discovering a new female artist every day of this month. Some of these women you may know, others you may have heard of and some will be entirely new discoveries. The aim is to spotlight the remarkable young women from around Africa, who are finding their feet through music and giving women a voice of their own.Â
ICTOOICY is likely to fit in amongst the “women you may know” or at least within the category of artists “you may have heard of”, as her debut on Nigeria’s Apple Music Charts indicates a level of popularity currently comparable with the ubiquitous Mandy & The Jungle, Billie Eilish’s Grammy sweeping, WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO, and Wizkid’s self-titled.
Released just last week, ICTOOICY’s Sorry I Don’t Like Phone Calls already boasts the number 3 spot on Apple Music’s Alternative Album chart, and is ranked 75 in the top 100 Nigerian albums, of all genres. Given her newcomer status, this feat is not one to be overlooked.
ICTOOICY’s achievements become even more awe-inspiring when you consider her paradoxically inaudible Do It Yourself approach to making music. ICTOOICY doesn’t drown her music in technology in order to hide her beginners studio settings, but rather emphasises her circumstances in a way that celebrates the rustic energy of low-quality recordings. It is this refreshingly disruptive contribution to our widely homogenous musical landscape that immediately attracts listeners, and her dexterous versatility that keeps them.
The Poet With A Flow – self-proclaimed in her SoundCloud bio – ICTOOICY doesn’t shy away from enchanting listeners with her mild-mannered singing performances (“Liberty Road”), opponent to her overconfident rap persona which we hear on songs like “Sage“ and “Strep Throat Flow”. Playing with echoes (“Forget About Us”) and layering diverse vocal deliveries, the imaginative artist is able to bring vibrance to simpler beats, as exemplified on “Park Bench” or the Kiyo-assisted “Lights”. Through her numerous creative techniques, ICTOOICY’s music fashions around us a dream-like utopia in which perfection is possible, simply because imperfection is not.
Sorry I Don’t Like Phone Calls, her early 2020 offering, is her fourth project within the year – ICY, as the voice messages that litter the project refer to her, is dedicated to music, her music.Throughout her first couple of years, ICY has remained equally as consistent with her sound as she is consistent with her releases, and it’s payed off.
Join in the rave and stream the chart-topping drop, right now:
Featured Image Credits: ICYTOOICY/Instagram
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Wojumi is a bad bitch and she’s going to bra-g about it. Tweet her your favourite female artists @dewoju
