Hot Takes: ‘Subaru Boys’ reactions, the new Oscars development & more
Extra, extra. Read Chibuzo's thoughts.
With the month of march in full bloom, I have found myself constantly overwhelmed by the amount of information I’m exposed to on social media and in real life. Everyday a crop of riveting or disturbing news finds its way into my feed and seeps into my day. Whether it’s a story about a corrupt politician who was busted, or news of the horrors going on in Russia-invaded Ukraine, or about a high-profile celeb being called out on Twitter, these days I find myself suffering from a pathological case of information overload. A holiday in Zanzibar, off from the chaos of social media would really slap right now, but sadly, I’m in the media business and staying on top of current happenings is the cardinal rule of the job.
Luckily I have a conduit through which I can let out pent up emotions and opinions. Our Hot Takes Column was crafted to get you up to speed with the current interesting and riveting topics in pop culture, and also offer out infamous insightful takes on them. From Motolani’s divisive article that seems to see him egg Santi and the Alté community to the couple of other topics that deserve a take, strap in as I take you on a breath-taking ride. Enjoy!
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Since I completed the second season of HBO MAX’s infamous Euphoria, and Netflix’s enthralling Inventing Anna, I have found myself clueless as to what series to start binging on. Over the weekend, I settled on watching a movie, after hours of nerve wracking research, I settled on a movie titled The Power Of The Dog, it had off-the-chart reviews. In retrospect I regret watching it, and no, there was no Dog in the movie (yeah, bummer, I know).
It wasn’t at all a terrible movie, it’s one of those staid-yet-profound movies that go on to win Oscars to the bewilderment of everyone. It’s a painfully long, slow burn film with Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead act. When the curtains metaphorically closed on the film, I was left shocked, shocked because I couldn’t still make out what the film was about nor grasp the full scope of the movie. If you love slow sedated films however, you’d love it. The movie explores concepts ranging from masculinity, alcohol abuse, to queerness.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
Santi’s fresh release, ‘Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN’, has been the buzz of the media for a minute. As a music critic and an avid Santi fan I’ve spent the past couple of days soaking up the project. Since the release of his debut album, ‘Mandy And The Jungle‘, I had been craving for a new immersive Santi project, imagine the jolt of adrenaline that flooded my system when the project finally dropped.
I followed the album rollout avidly, the 30-second snippets on instagram, through to the piquant anime clips he released. So, even though no singles were dropped prior to the album’s release, I thought I had a lucid picture of what it would be like. However, the first listen was ironically jarring, it was totally different from what I expected it to sound like, it sounded vaguely otherworldly. Props to him though, he really went hard on the universe he promised to create, from the first track, the experience was immersive and palpable. The first listen was relatively uneventful, I plugged my earbuds in and let the songs play in sequence, the album started off really slow for me, I just kept waiting for something spectacular to happen. It wasn’t until “Final Champion” that the album picked up steam. The sonics of the project are quite complex and unique, so after the initial listen I gave it time to marinate.
So far, after over ten listens, I have done a one-eighty on many of my initial thoughts. Ironically, I now have five faves from the first half of the project I initially berated as slow. I also initially felt that some of the mixes sounded weird, I’ve warmed up to the sound now. Overall the fantastical Subaru World Santi created on the album has become more familiar, it almost sounds like the soundtrack to a movie (It would really slap if Santi releases a Subaru World anime series to accompany the album).
I’ve been hooked on the album for days now, not because it’s the best album in the world or my favourite, but because of the way it reels me into Santi’s fantastical world. I know comparisons are now said to be in bad taste but if I were to draw parallels between his latest cut and his previous album, I’d say that sonically Mandy And The Jungle has the upper hand—it’s easy on the ears and based on infectious minimalist melodies, Subaru Boys on the other hand shines for its cutting-edge inventiveness and the fantastical universe Santi built around it.
Nigerian parliament rescinds decision on gender equality bills
For years, several Women rights bills have been underway, moving up the ranks and looking poised to be passed into the law. On the first of March, which ironically marked the start of international women’s month, Nigerian lawmakers rejected all five bills. At the start of the week several women groups have taken the streets to express distaste over this happening, and from the look of things women across the country are poised to turn up the heat in the coming weeks. The protests have started taking effect as the Nigerian parliament made concessions yesterday, rescinding its decision on three of the five bills.
It’s hard to believe how patriarchal Nigeria still is in the 21st century. The lop-sidedness of power distribution is jarring, and this divide is one of the reasons Nigeria is still trapped in the conundrum of bad governance. We do hope that the protests succeed in upending the tide by ensuring the bills get passed into the law.
Breaking:
Constitution Review: @HouseNGR rescinds decisons on three women-related bills for re-consideration. They are the bills on citizenship, indigenship and 35% affirmative action for women.— House of Reps NGR (@HouseNGR) March 8, 2022
ARE THE OSCARS SETTING A PRECARIOUS PRECEDENT?
The Oscars have caused public uproar over their decision to move eight categories to an hour prior to the live broadcast and pre-tape and edit in those acceptance speeches. This move has earned the prestigious award show serious backlash from fans and industry folks alike. Among the leading voices against this move is the legendary Steven Spielberg, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest directors of the past fifty years. Over the past week, the 19-time Oscar nominee has taken to various media to brazenly express his displeasure over the development.
This saga calls us as unified lovers of film to question the values of the movie industry’s prime award show. Are some categories more important than the others? The movie industry is one that is upholstered by collaborative effort, every piece of the machine functions to make the engine run, why then should some winners receive their awards before the main show, behind the spectacular audience that makes the award even more prized? Definitely the organizers have reasons for this move, perhaps commercial or logistic reasons, but are these reasons strong enough to upend the age-old tradition of the Oscars?
THE WOES OF CO-PARENTING IN THE LIMELIGHT
Kanye’s feud with his estranged wife Kim swivels a new arc. In the early hours of Sunday, Kanye West took to Instagram in a series of videos, accusing Kim of not allowing his oldest child North West to attend his Sunday Service, he harped on the reality of ‘shared custody’, and speaking on the realities of co-parenting and how the wellbeing and actions of the kids leans full-tilt towards the woman, even though the both parties are supposed to have shared control. He also berated Kim for allowing North West, who is just 8-years-old to have a TikTok account against his will.
While Kanye may have some legit grievances, it seems that his complaints have fallen on deaf ears and failed to gain him the sympathy he would have hoped. Kim, his ex-wife has been seen on many occasions commenting on how Kanye spinning incessant lies on their ongoing coparenting situation is hurting her, and by extension their kids. While we do recognise that talking about Ye won’t be complete without talking about his mental health struggles, we can also recognise when he is perpetuating harm on himself and his family. Divorce is brutal and its even worse when publicly displayed in a battle for custody. We hope Ye finds the help he needs and Kim, and the kids are able to move on from the entire ordeal.
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ASUU EXTENDS WARNING STRIKE BY TWO MONTHS
This week, the Academic Staff Union (ASUU) announced their decision to extend the ongoing warning strike by an additional two months, given that talks between the union and the federal government had stalled. The announcement cast a sodden amber gloom on students enrolled in state-owned universities across the country. The result was the full gamut of reactions, spanning the entire spectrum — from staid pragmatic assessments of the situation to Nigerians making light of the situation in their usual manner.
Amid the hubbub, students were encouraged by government officials to see the ongoing strike as an opportunity, ” to cultivate new skills”. While this take is not an entirely bad one, it does ring as deaf tone in a country where access to basic education is not a fundamental priority by our government. Nigerians have the flexibility to contort themselves to accommodate almost any situation by seeing every setback as an opportunity but when is enough ENOUGH?
In an ideal educational system, school is supposed to train students to a high level of proficiency in their desired course of study, this means girding them up with the required skills to be relevant in their preferred choice of profession. These students applied to a university to obtain the technical know-how and skills of the trade. The rhetoric of students taking advantage of the strike to bag up skills is a testament to the insidious failure of the Nigerian educational system.
BREAKING NEWS: ASUU extends the strike action by 8 weeks. Stay tuned for more details. #ASUU #ASUUstrike
— ASUU (@ASUUNGN) March 14, 2022
MAXIMILLAN DAVIS APPOINTED AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF FERRAGAMO
Black people have often gotten little to no respect within the fashion industry, with them working behind the scenes for generations as dressmakers. In modern times, black people are often still not valued in fashion, with aspects of black culture often appropriated or mocked.
This past month has seen some big and little wins for black people however. One of the most notable wins came with the announcement that 26 year old Trinidadian designer Maximilian Davis was appointed as the creative director of Ferragamo, a major Italian luxury house.
He recently withdrew from the LVMH prize of which he was a finalist, shocking many. The Ferragamo announcement made this more understandable. This however, coupled with Davis’s statement that he is putting his personal brand Maximilian on hold is a little worrying. The thought that he could be putting personal projects on the back burner in service of a larger company may or may not be too pessimistic.
Regardless, it is refreshing to see a young black person be put in a position of such influence in the industry. Hopefully this is a sign of even larger changes to come.
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NCVRD: HOW UPSON MARTIN HELPED CRUEL SANTINO CREATE ART FOR ‘SUBARU WORLD’
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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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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