Collaborations are at the heart of Nigerian pop. Some of the most storied records in the history of our music have sprung from artists acting on those collaborative impulses. In recent years, the very nature of those collaborations have evolved beyond just singles to lengthier projects that test the chemistry and bond between acts across a variety of settings. The most famous case would, perhaps, be the trio of tapes that Sarz has worked on with WurlD, Lojay, and Obongjayar respectively. In 2024, Ruger and Bnxn took things up a notch with ‘RnB,’ their surprise seven-track project. 

Rising singers, Raybekah And Tha Boy Myles, take something from that playbook on their new project, ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER (B.O.A.F),’ dexterously colliding their worlds for a six-tracker that reverberates with the weight of reflections on the modern dynamics of love and relationships and the factors that aid romantic bliss. 

In the five years since Tha Boy Myles piqued interest with his emotive style and soul-inflected music, the singer has risen through the ranks to become a respected curator of the intricacies of  love, attraction, and betrayal. Tha Boy Myles’ rise has occurred tangentially to the come-up of singer, Raybekah, who is regarded as one of Afropop’s most talented rising acts. Born Rebecca Chinonso Arinola, she first piqued interest with her 2022 single, “EX BOYFRIEND,” before working her way up to a debut extended play, ‘Lazy Girl,’ in 2024. 

Like all great collaborations, ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ works because it doesn’t just situate itself in one world. It moves long at its own pace between the universes of its primary creators with a leisurely pace that allows for the conversations its broaches to go down with a light-hearted summons to the dancefloor. ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ kicks off with “Gatchu,” a mellow reflection on the depths of service that romance can inspire as both singers sweetly sing about the things they’ll do for a romantic partner. Sprawling over a bouncy mid-tempo instrumental, Tha Boy Myles and Raybekah swap verses that course with a thrilling intensity. It sets the pace for  “Nights Like This,” a swaying tribute to an escapist dream fuelled by attraction and love. 

The highlights on ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ present themselves when the artists gently nudge themselves into their specific visions for the project. “Wet, Wild & Wicked” finds Raybekah at her most unrestrained as she delivers a stunning chorus about cutting free to enjoy herself while Tha Boy Myles sets the stage for a tungba-influenced extravaganza on the  enjoyable“Roki,” displaying an intuitive understanding of each other that allows them to find a place in each other’s world without misstep.    

Speaking about the project, Raybekah said that ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ was dedicated to people who are experiencing love: “It’s for the lovers; everything about how the project was designed and the sequencing is to celebrate love in its essence.”

Also, Tha Boy Myles described it as a project that has been a long time coming. “We’ve always talked about linking up to do something and when we started we just couldn’t stop,” he explains. “We created these songs from a deep place in our hearts and we know that it’ll resonate with our fans.”

Listen to ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ here.