Best New Music: D-O changes his pace on WANI-assisted “Mentally”
D-O continues to bring the heat to make listeners sweat on the dancefloor and in the sheets
Last week, Prettyboy D-O released his long-awaited project, ‘Wildfire’ which saw him in the exact form we’re expecting from our bolshy fave. Nestled among the 8-track tape of his typical aggressive bravado, “Mentally” is a pause for tender thoughts, where he teams up with WANI to confess his romantic feelings.
When Prettyboy D-O adopted his forceful, DGAF demeanour on the socially conscious anthem, “Chop Elbow”, fans welcomed the aggression as the necessary language to deliver his message about the struggles of living as a young person in Nigeria. It became clear after a few tracks and his first solo show in Lagos, that he intended to keep that energy for a while longer, which was cemented when he dropped the Santi-assisted “Pull Up”. Having gained a reputation for this, he showed no signs of stopping when he released “Dey Go Hear Wehh”, “Same Energy” and “Odeshi” – the lead singles for the recently released EP, and so we were expecting this in full force when it dropped.
Regardless, one of the project’s most notable highlights came from his ability to channel his confidence into a romantic confession on “Mentally”. Produced by Adey, the dancehall-influenced beat inspires D-O’s passionate mood of infatuation. The song’s straightforward production matches the force of the emotional confession from D-O and WANI, with a simple drum riff, percussion harmonies and synth samples to elevate their vocals.
Singing “You dey kill me mentally, soft and tenderly”, it’s clear that D-O’s muse successfully tamed the beast and he has given in to the will of his heart. WANI’s smooth closing verse is the icing on the cake, where he wears his heart on his sleeve, as usual, confessing how much he needs his girl’s love while he’s down on his luck and feeling stuck.
“Mentally” pulls back the aggressive layers of Prettyboy DO’s ethos to reveal the contextual skill and range beneath. Though it dilutes the aggressive energy heard through most of the project, it sustains D-O’s distinct music flavour which is designed to make listeners sweat; if not on the dance floor, then under the sheets.
Stream “Mentally” by Prettyboy D-O and WANI below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/prettyboydo[mc4wp_form id=”26074″]
You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu
ICYMI: Watch the video for D-O’s’ “Dey Go Hear Wehh” here
