Larry Gaaga’s reputation as an afropop curator continues to grow with hids latest effort being the curator of the soundtrack for Nollywood classic, “Living in Bondage” sequel. The 12-track soundtrack album was released earlier on in the month, ahead of the film’s nationwide premiere last week. Larry Gaaga keeps the promotional momentum of the film going as he releases the music video for Flavour-assisted “Tene” off the project.
Flavour delivers lyrics centred around the film’s romantic theme on “Tene” and the music video directed by Clarence Peters captures his emotional sentiments. The song’s accompanying video follows Flavour as he falls in love with a woman he finds in the pouring rain. Other scenes show their relationship’s progress, clipped together with scenes from “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free” to form a montage to the romance between the film’s hero and his love interest.
Watch the music video for “Tene” by Flavour and Larry Gaaga below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Larry Gaaga
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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
Merry-Lynn first caught our attention when she debuted “911” with a haunting music video to match the song’s destructive depiction of love. The song earned her a spot to perform at this year’s Lemon Curd concert alongside artists like Wavythecreator and Lady Donli, and also served as the first hint at the rustic direction she would eventually take with her debut project, ‘Petrichor’.
The Abuja based singer released ‘Petrichor’ a few days ago to her growing poll of adoring fans. The opening track, “Skin”, sets up the romantic story she tells all through the 6 tracks on the project. The Veen-produced guitar-led beat ushers Merry-Lynn’s sultry vocals into a cinematic world of strings and piano harmonies, where she develops her emotionally charged characters.
If “Skin” told the story of falling in love with ‘Mr Wrong’, the next track, “Temptation” expands further on the sensual intentions behind her feelings, while still reinforcing the relationship’s toxicity as she likens her desires to sin; “Stuck between the night and day/ In limbo baby/ We’re so high, it’s too hard to see the limits baby/ Ain’t no stopping me”. While her vocals are as enthralling as the story she tells, the country beat Veen produces is what makes “Temptation” so captivating.
Merry-Lynn’s vocal prowess is further pronounced on “Boy Tears”, which is fueled by her fierce lyrics aimed at the heart of a boy she’s over. She returns to singing from a vulnerable place on the next track, “In My Feelings”, before we hear the updated King Perry-assisted “911” where he shows off his penmanship with a romantic closing verse. “Osa (Interlude)” is a rapturous closer written in appreciation of fans and significant others who inspire and support her. Her lyrics, “Can’t you see I live for you” are even more compelling within the context of the project where she describes the torture she’s dealing with in her relationship.
Though the production on ‘Petrichor’ stands out for its distinct guitar riffs, Merry-Lynn remains the star of the show, leading the project down a romantic path. Veen only stays in the background, creating a backdrop of crisp synth melodies and haunting guitar riffs that move her plot forward with the vivid ambience of a daydream.
Stream Merry-Lynn’s ‘Petrichor’ album below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/asipoflynn
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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
With its inclination towards rawness, songs from the street-hop subgenre have been as entertaining as they are crude and a little bit suspect. Case in point, being Reminisce’s new single, “Instagram”, a jovial cut about thirst traps on social media that quickly devolves into unfettered slut-shaming.
On the Sarz-produced “Instagram”, the track mixes a jagged bassline with bombastic synth drums for a Zanku ready beat. Olamide handles the hook, describing the high traffic in his DMs, while also doing a roll call of names in the same vein as Kizz Daniel’s “Fvck You”. Naira Marley and Reminisce deliver a verse each, with the former referencing women who send him nudes to do the Soapy dance to, while the latter rebukes the demands of someone he deems a gold-digger.
You can listen to “Instagram” below.
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Olamide is one of the most consistent musicians we have working today, and this is what makes him such an important figure in the street-hop scene. With his previously released singles, “Oil & Gas” and “Pawon”, still making the rounds on the set lists of club DJs, he’s just dropped “Choko Milo”, another single with the potential to join his list of big songs in 2019.
Over the South African house-inspired drums, eerie whistles and bass guitar riff produced by Spaceboy Mercury, Olamide delivers a set that playfully highlights his ability to mix anecdotes and streetwise idioms. On the hook, he jokes casually about drinking habits with raunchy innuendo, while he spins a loose narrative about his attractiveness on the sole verse, citing his affluence and sexual prowess as the main factors.
You can listen to “Choko Milo” here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/baddosneh
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Disney launched their new streaming platform, Disney Plus yesterday, housing a number of their classic productions available for streaming. In a Christmas special, “Noelle” starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, the accompanying sound track features our very own DAP, who is currently piecing together his latest body of work, CTIII.
“Be Nice”, is a festive number from Lawrence the band and Stolen Jars, which sees DAP on top form as usual. Disney films were a ritual for most millennials, therefore it’s always a welcome time, made even more special by one of our very own contributing to this.
‘Noelle’ follows the story of Santa Claus’ kids played by Kendrick and Hader, faced with the task of becoming the next Santa Claus, Hader runs away because of the pressure to live up to his father. In his place, Kendrick step up as ‘Noelle’ find her brother and save the Christmas season.
Stream “Be Nice” below.
Featured image credits/AkinkunleAkinkugbe
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
Last week on Nigerian Twitter, a viral trending topic, #RedFlag , explored the peculiarities of the dating culture in Nigeria. After a full 48 hours of hilarious tweets contributing to the topic, it also highlighted how influential crowd-sourcing personal experience and social expectations is, for an entire generation who have been self-groomed on a diet of social media.
It started innocently enough, with a single tweet about rap’s toxic king, Future, which suggested that men who ascribe to his ethos should be avoided. This sparked some serious, other humorous responses, making a digital compendium of all the ways in which we have come to define behaviour in potential romantic partners.
Inspired by the women’s takes on what they consider red flags, Twitter user @D_iiW asked other men to share what they consider red flags in romance and relationships, and all of Twitter descended on the trend, sharing their souped-up versions of anecdotal evidence.
Although strappy sandals, took the worst hit (spawning nearly 24 hours of pure entertainment), two things were made clear amidst the banter; millennial humour fuelled the conversation, and everyone’s ‘Red Flags’ hinted at a complex, yet, defined rule book for relationships and courting in the age of @s and hashtags.
THE CURSE OF PSEUDO-SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
While the Red Flag trend seems like an isolated case, the reality is that it’s only one event in a series of ever-expanding negotiations on the dynamics of contemporary relationships.
In the past, to meet someone new, you would have to leave your home, whereas, these days, digital media has made it such that without your input, permission or physical effort, you are offered an endless array of potentially compatible persons to connect with, all with the click of a button. The Internet, by extension, circumvents a lot of the emotional and intellectual barriers required when starting new relationships, platonic and otherwise. For many young people, their most enduring and fulfilling relationships live online, however, the real task is keeping a manageable network of friends and acquaintances – much like a start-up CEO would.
In Twitter threads, Instagram and Facebook DMs, swiping and tapping through Tinder, Bumble and Grindr, we are trying to sift through a near-endless offering of attractive, emotionally available people to find someone who we can take ‘offline’. It has never been this easy to be in constant virtual communication with a plethora of desirable people from all over the world, hoping for a possible happy ending. Having this many options means we often develop choice paralysis, and tend to look to external sources for metrics to cull our options.
Relationships online seem like a low-risk, high-reward bargain at first, with the possibility of a big offline pay-off, if your gamble works in your favour. However, it also comes with the risk of increasing susceptibility to pseudo-social relationships, where we form strong bonds with people who seem to share enough of themselves that we are able to create a convincing illusion of a real relationship – platonic or otherwise.
WHAT’S YOUR PLATFORM
Much like cars revolutionised modern love in the ’40s and drugs revolutionised courting in the ’60s, social media has changed the dating game for the past decade. One’s preferred choice of social media platform has a significant influence on who they become, and how they date. On Instagram for example, a spur of likes on old photos indicates that a person is trying to get your attention. Frequent responses to tweets can constitute as very subtle flirting on Twitter, and Facebook is renowned for its descriptors that allow people to announce changes in their romantic status, without having to officially inform their families and friends.
Tinder, Bumble and Grindr, all give the option for a user to connect their social media profiles to their dating profiles, so significant love interests don’t have to stalk to find secondary information – even the cursory Google search to browse a potential lover’s digital footprint is now as commonplace as a handshake.
As with everything, social media comes with its pitfalls, with the most reviled being cat-fishing, the use of false identities to start and sustain real relationships. The betrayal when the party being catfished uncovers the truth has become a reality of digital dating, so much so, that there are hit television shows built around the idea.
Infidelity is much easier with social media, as is narcissistic and sociopathic behaviour. The ‘delay’ of digital interaction means that a facade of interest and civility can be kept alive much longer than it would be possible to in a physical relationship. But the most frightening thing about social media-based relationships is the dual reality of performativity and isolation.
CROWDSOURCING SEXUAL EXPERIENCES IN A DIGITAL AGE
Every social media relationship is plagued with the decision of publicly displaying affection and opening the relationship to an audience or maintaining privacy and forgoing any public spontaneity for risk of outing the relationship. These flaws, however, are no less damning than the risks of a physical relationship.
While the nature of these conversations are fairly predictable and subject to the rules of the platforms they’re being had, their triggers aren’t so easily predictable. Anecdotes, a random question, an unrelated video clip, anything really can spark an interaction that spirals into wildfire topic, enveloping the denizens of Nigerian Twitter, spilling out onto other platforms and eventually offline.
The combination of the volatility of the internet and the emotional toll of the experiences that inspire these conversations mean that the debates that follow are extremely difficult to navigate with neutrality. Sometimes, they veer into a territory that would be considered bullying.
A recent example happened a few weeks ago when male Twitter users started a pointed conversation about how heterosexual men, who had started public relationships on the platform were dealing (or not dealing) with the eventual fallout from the uncoupling of their very public relationships. Laced with the acerbic humour that usually undercuts conversations that revolve around male emotions, a number of the named subjects had to step forward and make public statements addressing the chatter, naming it as ‘harassment’, and essentially reiterating that breakups are devastating for men as they are for women.
These conversations aren’t always productive, however. #TwitterAfterDark, is a hashtag that celebrates sex, the naked body and wanton lust. Pockets of resistance, aptly categorised as freak accounts, exist for users who want to indulge their baser instincts without worrying about their carefully constructed digital identities.
Sub-fetish groups like furries and BDSM groups are able to find each other and form visible communities on the internet, challenging the misconceptions about their sexual identities and proclivities. The end product of all these niche communities and sociological conversations is information about relationships that is crowdsourced and sifted through to simultaneously affirm and disprove whatever beliefs we already hold.
A TRULY WOKE DATING SCENE
This stew of pseudo-social relationships, choice paralysis and oversharing has led to a truly woke dating scene. Misogyny, privilege and consent are words we weave into our discussions of sex, rarely misapplying them in romantic situations. While everything is clearly defined, because we have worried each topic down to the bone, the internet keeps expanding the boundaries for possibilities, and demanding more acceptance for non-mainstream fetishes, expectations and desires.
This hyper-visibility has created catchment for LGBT+ and non-conforming persons, who are unable to express their sexualities offline. It has also made internet-aged young people hesitant to commit; to any assumptions, declarations or expectations. Nothing has to be taken purely on its merit, when there is an answer or personal anecdote an Instastory away.
Digital dating is one that demands radical honesty from its commentators and its principal players. In exchange, it offers validation that our experiences, while unique are not isolated. Dating in the Internet age avails a cloud resource that challenges our biases and occasionally affirms them. Today, young people now have universal romance languages, like #RedFlags under which we can couch our diverse experiences, no matter whether we’re dating in Brooklyn or Bariga.
Last week, Ghanaian rapper Ko-jo Cue released his latest album, ‘For My Brothers’, a 15-track project, Ko-jo tackles generational failures with purpose, unpacking various shades of trauma while urging young people to do better for the sake of the next generation. The project is an excellent combination of honest lyricism, great production and impressive features.
On standout track, “Smiling”, Ko-jo features Lady Donli and Show Dem Camp, the only non-Ghanaian artists on the project. The song is an example of the musical cross-pollination that has occurred between Nigeria and Ghana in the last five decades, with its groovy, highlife-inspired beat mirroring sounds all three artists have played around with in recent times.
Subverting the serious topics Ko-jo explores on his album, “Smiling” is a hustler’s anthem with a light-hearted edge. Lady Donli sings the infectious hook in a helium-pitched, echoing the same poverty-rebuking ideals of her debut album, ‘Enjoy Your Life’. Ko-jo, Tec and Ghost take turns delivering rapped verses, reiterating their drive to keep getting money.
Listen to “Smiling” here.
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Nigerians wasted no time showing their displeasure at the Oscars’ disqualification of Genevieve Nnaji’s “Lionheart” film. The film which premiered on Netflix was very well received by Nigerian movie lovers and critics, and was Nollywood’s first-ever submission for the Best International Film category.
Created in 2006 to spotlight films with diverse cultures, one of the rules for the category is that eligible movies must have “Predominantly non-English dialogue.” National loyalties aside, it’s hard to rule out the negligence on the path of the Nigerian academy for submitting the film without confirming that it met the requirements for the category.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) Nigeria isn’t the only country that has been disqualified from the category, as Austria’s entry, Sudabeh Mortezai’s “Joy” also violated the Academy’s rule against the use of the English language. The larger split of the English and German dialogue on “Joy” falls to the English side. This knocks out Sudabeh Mortezai’s film from being considered for the award despite the strong message on African women caught up in sex trafficking in Vienna, and drops the total number of films in the category down to 91.
See the trailer for “Joy” below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Filmladen Filmverleih
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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
Since skyrocketing into a higher level of notoriety, everything Naira Marley puts his name to is met with massive fanfare these days. With a stack of hit singles and a pack of stans, there’s every assurance that this online reverence will turn to physical support if need be. In September, the singer was the star attraction at ‘MarlianFest Ibadan’, his first ever headlining show which reportedly pulled in thousands of Marlians.
Looking to end his high flying year on a strong note, he’s just announced ‘MarlianFest Lagos’, the potentially bigger sequel to his Ibadan concert. ‘MarlianFest Lagos’ is set to take place on December 30, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos. While the list of performers have not yet been released, it goes without saying that Naira will be headlining the show, with guest appearances from a long list of A-list artists.
Mark your calendars and get your tickets here, Marlians!
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Featured Image Credits: Instagram/nairamarley
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
We’re experiencing a paradigm shift, where social media culture is growing and shaping the way we consume everything. This creates a boundless cyber community where nothing is lost, and it has never been easier to access.
“Old Town Road” singer, Lil Nas X is undeniably one of the biggest breakout stars from this year. His rise to prominence came after building a strong fan base online due to his popular Twitter account, where he won the hearts of fans everywhere around the world.
Nigerian music is currently benefitting from this and that has been the case for a while as we have had instances of Nigerian music crossing over to more global audiences via social media, gaining the attention of the likes of the business mogul, Rihanna who was listening to Burna Boy while doing her makeup and Rema’s “Iron Man” making its way to the Obama’s summer playlist.
Over the weekend, American singer/songwriter, Billie Eilish shared a video on her Instagram story where she was singing along to “Agege” by Zlatan and Tekno. Fans soon caught on, and re-shared the video to other social media platforms, and many insisted that the ‘simulation’ we exist in is experiencing a glitch, as it’s so bizarre that the LA-based singer knew the words to the song mostly performed in Yoruba.
It is not crazy to see how much pop-culture influences certain age groups around the world, who will find that they have similar taste in music and fashion,however, the surprise rose from the fact that Billie Eilish is not the typical target for Zlatan’s music which is mainly in Yoruba language, doted with outrageous adlibs and suggestive lyrics.
This just goes to show the immense power of social media the ease of global reach over the past decade. With the advent of streaming and the internet in general, discovering music that wouldn’t usually be within your reach is easier than ever, as almost every song that exists is available for listening or download via popular streaming platforms.
Given the current rates, we’re confident that we’ll continue to see more afropop sounds crossing borders in the coming decade, as many popular Nigerian artists already boast of international collabs, take for example, the many Nigerian artists featured on Beyonce’s ‘Lion King: The Gift’ album to Tekno co-producing a Drake and Swae Lee collab “Won’t Be Late”.
Not only is social media blurring the musical borders internationally, it’s also making it easier for unlikely collaborations within Nigeria to come up. Over the weekend, Nonso Amadi and Zlatan hinted at a possible collaboration on the horizon, after a fan tweeted about wanting this and was met with ridicule online. This joins a list of growing collaborations made possible by social media over the past years including one of Buju’s biggest hits this year “Spiritual” also gaining a Zlatan feature.
As we enter a new decade, it will be interesting to see how technology and social media further develop to bring afropop into different cultural spheres and improve its level of global visibility and commercial viability.
The Lijadu Sisters are one of the few women who managed to break boundaries, by standing the test of time in Nigeria’s music history today. Their music, a blend of reggae, soul, disco and psychedelic rock, is known for empowering women with their sassy and self-aware lyrics, reflecting their feminist values.
They earned international acclaim in 1976 when their hit single, “Danger”, saw them touring in the UK and effectively made them the first female exports out of Nigeria, with no male retinue or male bandmates.
Kehinde Lijadu, half of the duo, passed away at 71, after reportedly suffering a stroke on Saturday. As expected, friends, family, fans and well-wishers were quick to offer their condolences on social media. Nigerian flautists, Tee Mac, is reported saying “Kehinde Lijadu left us and sings in heaven now”, and this sentiment is echoed in the Lajidu Sister’s track, “Reincarnation”.
Off ‘Sunshine’, one of the duo’s 6 albums, the track finds them singing “Reincarnation, I’m waiting for you/ Reincarnation, I have no regret/ So be quick, take me there, bring me back home where I belong”. This captures their acceptance of their mortality and unabashed celebration of their spiritual beliefs without fear of judgement Their heartfelt performance makes for an infinitely sad, yet, boundlessly joyful song. This enshrined them, and ensures that their music will remain relevant for generations to come.
Stream Lijadu Sisters’ “Reincarnation” below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/The Fader
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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
Last month, Rema released his third 4-track project ‘Bad Commando’. Since then he has teamed up with Thutmose on “Love in the Morning” for his first international collaboration, started the American leg of his ongoing tour and released the music video for his project’s titular track “Bad Commando”.
Now, another one of Rema’s singles from his latest EP is given a befitting video treatment. The video for “Lady” premiered on Youtube yesterday.
Directed and produced by Link Up Tv’s Tadas Vanagas, the video for “Lady” is shot in a dimly-lit room in East London. In the music video, a woman tosses her coat aside as she walks up a set of stairs. As the song begins she is unable to control her whining and dancing to the hypnotic beat. A blindfolded Rema performs his verse while being restrained to a chair, with the mysterious woman dancing suggestively around him.
We are left to wonder who ties Rema up in the room, but if there’s anything to go by from the blacked out windows and the chemistry between the dancer and Rema on screen, it is easy to see the clues that Rema is being trapped in by the mysterious dancer.
Watch the music video for “Lady” below.
Featured image credits/Youtube
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
A few weeks ago, Jadesola Osiberu, producer of award-winning blockbuster “Isoken”, announced a that D’banj will be co-producing her new film, “Sugar Rush”. She also disclosed the film’s star-studded cast, including Bisola Aiyeola, Adesua Etomi, Tobi Bakre, Toke Makinwa, Bankole Wellington and more.
To get us more excited, GreOH House, Jadesola’s production outfit, has just shared the official trailer for “Sugar Rush”, and it seems we should be expecting a compelling and entertaining film. Directed by Kayode Kasum, the screenplay is set around the events that occur after a missing $800,000 is found by the main characters, Sola (Bisola Aiyeola) and Sussie (Adesua Etomi).
The trailer opens with Sola and Sussie celebrating their newfound fortune, followed by glossy clips of them flexing around and spending lavishly. As the trailer unfolds, things take a darker turn, as the claimants—all ominously looking characters played by Bankole Wellington, Uzor Arukwe and Toke Makinwa—come into play, seeking to regain the lost money by any means possible.
“Sugar Rush” will be in cinemas nationwide on December 25, until then, You can watch the trailer here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/GreOH House
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
P2J is no new name around here, and his work has been key in increasing the demand for afropop songs around the world. Beyond some of our best songs here, he’s contributed production for Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Goldlink’s ‘Diaspora’, Beyonce’s ‘The Gift’ and many more.
Now, P2J’s has added to his collection with Doja Cat’s, “Addiction” off her latest album, ‘Hot Pink’, where he expands his range of influences. With the synth-pop fueled sound he produced alongside Ari PenSmith, the groovy drum riff lays over the sultry synth samples. The beat for “Addiction” creates a steamy backdrop for Doja Cat’s seductive performance, as they combine to make a song designed for dancefloors.
Though afropop songs have a similar objective, very few artists take the synth-pop direction with their songs. If P2J chooses to keep exploring this sound, Odunsi is one artist whose music catalogue has shown his prowess with the synth-pop genre and we would love to see it.
Stream Doja Cat’s “Addiction” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/p2jmusic
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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
Street Billionaires made their NATIVE debut back in September, with the colourful music video for their catchy single, “Yoruba Ni Mi”. Since then, the Chocolate City-backed group have put out their debut EP, ‘Street Born’, a 5-song tape that channels their knack for streetwise topics, and displays the synergy between all four members of the group.
Currently in promotion mode, they’ve just shared the music video for a song off their EP, “Aprachapre”, a lively, dancehall-infused cut on which they celebrate their affluence and collective drive to keep making money. In the video Temiloluwa Films and The Myth co-direct, each member of the group is seen in playful scenes, performing their lyrics in the company of friends and models.
Watch “Aprachapre” below.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Street Billionaires
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Dave got to flex his acting muscles in the new season of the critically acclaimed crime-drama show, “Top Boy”. In addition to his on-screen involvement as Modie, an unhinged drug dealer and all-round ruffian, the UK rap superstar also contributed two new tracks, “Professor X” and “God’s Eye”, to the show’s official compilation project, ‘Top Boy (A Selection of Music Inspired by the Series)’.
To turn our attention to the project, Dave has just put out the music video for “Professor X”, and it contains elements inspired by the Marvel Comic character the song is named after. On the thrilling cut itself, Dave puts on a rap clinic over an ominously thumping beat, delivering a storm of boastful lines in a nihilistic tone befitting of Modie’s character.
The music video opens with Dave in a empty room, styled in a similar manner as the X-Men character, before the camera takes us into an alternate universe where the rest of the video takes place. In there, we see Dave controlling dancers with his mind and hand gestures, while there are also shots of him intensely rapping his lyrics in the booth.
Watch “Professor X” here.
Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Dave
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Ebony Life Films has been behind some of the biggest Nollywood films we have come to enjoy in recent years. Every Christmas, they’ve broken records with a new blockbuster, and their upcoming production is set to follow suit, as it also serves as veteran actress, Funke Akindele’s directorial debut.
‘Your Excellency’ follows the story of a billionaire businessman and failed presidential candidate, who then becomes a credible contender through the power of social media.
In the newly released trailer, we see Chief Olalekan Ajadi played by Akin Lewis becoming the public’s forerunner for the presidential elections owing to his social media fame, particularly because of his famous Ajadi dance. Funke Akindele also stars in the film as the wife to the Chief alongside popular Nollywood actors like Kunle Coker, Shaffy Bello, Emmanuel Edunjobi, Alexx Ekubo, Eku Edewor, Toni Tones, Bimbo Manuel and many more.
The film is set for release in cinemas nationwide on December 13.
Watch the trailer for ‘Your Excellency’ below.
Featured image credits/EbonyLifeFilms
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Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
In his storied career as one of afropop’s most consistent hit-makers and elite innovators, Sarz has only been behind the boards for an entire album once, producing every song on eLDee’s 2011 album, ‘Undeniable’. Considering the great work he did on that album, one would expect Sarz’s album stat line to be higher, but the producer has explained that he would only work on a full project with an artist he deems intriguing enough to match the less popular quirks of his sound.
On ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’, his new joint EP with fast rising singer, WurlD, Sarz seems to have found a worthy partner. WurlD first broke into Nigerian playlists when his collaboration with Shizzi and Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire, “Show You Off” took off. Prior to that, the singer did notable work with Polish DJ/producer Gromee, turning out a handful of electro-house cuts that found success in the Eastern parts of Europe. With this background, he was able to standout and compliment Sarz’s universe of throbbing beats.
The pair first announced their collaboration with “Trobul” last year, a bubbly cut on which WurlD goes through the motions of being hopelessly in love with a trying partner, over thumping synths and eerie piano keys. This combination of confessional, somewhat tragic subject matter and dance music production lays out the blueprint for ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’, twisting traits from their respective solo work into something unique and fitting for both artists.
Featuring some of his most layered beats yet, Sarz pushes the boundaries of the afro-house fascination he famously displayed on Niniola’s “Maradona”. He retains the genre’s club-ready knock, heightening its colour by infusing elements from a myriad of other musical influences. Like on the EP’s fourth track, “SWEAT”, glittering ’80s pop piano keys solemnly opens the song, before a serrated bassline and swinging drums arrive to soundtrack WurlD’s plea for affection from an undecided love interest.
Elsewhere on “Sade”, light piano keys and punchy, mid-tempo drums are surrounded by a robust bass guitar riff and intermittent, afrobeat-inclined horns. On the song, WurlD plays the role of a distraught admirer searching for a woman he met a few weeks prior. “Sade” closes out the 3-track narrative on the project’s back end, starting off with “Nobody Wins Interlude”, a phone call between Sade and her friend where she shares details of a one night stand who is yet to call her since their encounter.
Pre-released single, “Ego” serves as the conduit between both songs, describing the hesitation between both parties of a situationship, which could hinder the potential of a full relationship. On ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’, WurlD relishes this type of tension in his writing, opting for a more lived-in approach than the blue-eyed outlook of his debut EP from earlier this year, ‘Love Is Contagious’.
While WurlD still presents himself as a hopeless romantic, his lyrics are darker and they come across as more risky. “50 shades, make I sign the waiver/January till December, this your love is on another level”, he sings over the local percussions of intro track “Prisona”, describing the intoxicating feel of falling for someone, while implicitly acknowledging the dangers of losing yourself in that scenario.
Paired with Sarz’s excellent production, and delivered in WurlD’s eternally tender voice, the songs on ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’ ultimately come across as ear-worms, culminating in a superb project that could only be achieved by high-functioning pair.
Stream ‘I Love Girls With Trobul’ here.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/
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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter
Just days after announcing his signing with Virgin EMI Records, Timi Dakolo shared the album titled single for his upcoming album, ‘Merry Christmas, Darling’. The album is scheduled to premiere on the 22nd of November, however, the emotive performance on the single captures the holiday spirit so poignantly, it feels ready-made for a big movie montage.
The orchestra-tinged production paired with velvety vocals from Timi Dakolo and guest artist, Emeli Sande, summons listeners to lean into their Christmas spirit while also exploring their romantic feelings. The back and forth of their holiday-themed lyrics seem to imitate the exchange of passionate letters between lovers.
You can stream Timi Dakolo and Emeli Sande’s “Merry Christmas, Darling” below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/timidakolo
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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
The opening track of Ycee’s debut album, “It’s Amazing” sets the tone for his introspective and boastful project. Fans who have followed the rapper from his ‘First Wave’ project already know he’s got enough sauce to rap and sing melodic pop songs, and pre-released singles such as “Dakun” hinted that ‘Ycee Vs Zaheer’ would feature more of the same. Having grown comfortably into his position as a celebrated artist, he’s more confident on this album however, and delivers each of the 15 tracks with more assertiveness.
After bragging about his growth from “Tiny money straight to super-rich”, he closes “It’s Amazing” with a conversation between himself and his projected future self. The split personality doesn’t sustain through the rest of the project but it creates a sense of purpose through the rest of the tape. The second track, “Wahala Dey”, changes the pace for a slow-burning romantic number designed for dimly lit dancefloors. He quickly returns to rapping on “Bossing”, where he’s joined by Ms Banks to stunt on their opposition over the catchy Fanatix-produced beat, with a sample of Dre’s “Still D.R.E”.
Apart from showing off the range of Ycee’s influences, ‘Ycee Vs Zaheer’ also shows that he never does anything halfway. The Niniola-assisted “Chocolata” finds him exploring the niche house sound of afropop, as he sings over the mix of throbbing bass and synth harmonies produced by Beatsbykarma, for the raunchy number. He gets in his R&B bag for “Vibing”; imbibes a Caribbean swing for “Love Like That” and “So Nice” then switches to a trap bounce on the Phyno-assisted “Man”, where they both speak on the challenges they’ve faced while struggling to make something of themselves.
With heartfelt tracks like “Vacancy” and “Lair”, romance is a notable theme on ‘Ycee Vs Zaheer’. Ycee’s commitment to making music for everyone means party-themed songs with lustful intentions also feature on the project. “Bassline” featuring Davido and BOJ particularly stands out for the harmony the three share, delivering catchy melodies over the airy instrumentals produced by Adey for the dancefloor-inclined song.
Although Ycee never directly references his dispute with his former label, he cleverly alludes to it at several points during the course of the project. The lyrics for “Cheque” for instance, seem inspired by his rage from feeling under-compensated for his efforts as he brags about his accomplishments. His decision to avoid sensationalising the project pays off with tracks that can be appreciated with or without the context of his exit, as he leans into his more pleasant feelings from being an established independent artist.
Stream Ycee’s ‘Ycee Vs Zaheer’ below.
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/iam_ycee
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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
Nigerian-Canadian rapper and singer, TOBi has been on everyone’s radar since he released his debut studio album “STILL” earlier this year. This was quickly followed up by his partnership with Colors X Studio for new single “Beige” on which he flexes his vocal range and switches seamlessly between rapping and singing.
Now, the rising star has teamed up with Söulsection artist and producer, Sango and Wax Roof over an EDM-insipired beat where the young artist muses about navigating life while dealing with his new-found popularity. ‘In a jam no one can help, where you going with your bad self?’ he sings, dealing with his tangled emotions; he wants to get away from these faces but he also can’t help getting involved.
TOBi provides a relatable number for anyone who has made bad decisions even though they knew better.
Stream “Faces” below.
Featured image credits/Instagram: 3rd.visions
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Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
