Asides being an engaging interviewee, passion and desire seem to be the essence of Jinmi Abduls’ art: His music always circles back to a boy yearning for love. After releasing his JOLAG debut tape earlier in the year and following up with “Itan”, his latest single, “Stranger” is an exercise in tension-building and suspense. He narrates his doomed long-distant romance on a song about perseverance and hunger, about ambition and appetite, and every other emotion that has kept the flame of R&B alive since its inception.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bazt8tJh43p/?hl=en&taken-by=jinmiabduls

Though Jinmi Abduls wears his folk music influences proudly on his sleeves, he is careful not to rehash the past on “Stranger”. He produces with synth strings, blocky piano chords, and vast harmony stacks lifting his vocals into a melancholy cry to the heavens—“You See I’m Praying That You Love Me”—hoping to get enough money to get the girl he loves.

The song has many strengths—it’s catchy, economical, and perfectly paced. It makes lush and melodic pop seem like a natural extension of Jinmi Abduls’ aesthetic, rather than a calculated change in scene from his indigenous influences. Listen to Jinmi Abduls’ new single, “Stranger” below.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/jinmiabduls