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Music Review
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By the time the album closes with “Wild Goose Chase,” exhaustion has set in for Brymo. Tired of his foolish, hopeless search for love, relevance, and the pursuit of happiness, he pleads that the mirage should be taken from him. Sung in Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin, “Wild Goose Chase” transitions to become “Arodan”, the title and opening track on the Yoruba segment of Shaitan. Serving as a link, the song neatly ties the albums together, indicating that they are one.
Lyrically, the album resists tidy interpretation. Shallipopi prefers suggestion to clarity, repetition to exposition. Phrases loop until they begin to feel hypnotic, as though meaning might eventually reveal itself through repetition an observation that one might also make about Omah Lay. It may seem like laziness, but it is a strategy. “Laho” is a quintessential example. The repetition of the word “Laho” makes it an ear worm and a global hit.
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Besides that, the album is well-curated and Bella Shmurda’s collaborators perform remarkably, helping him achieve his purpose. “This kind of music is my essence, it’s my purpose,” Bella Shmurda said in a video before the album was released. “The greatest war is sanity…it’s a battle with yourself.”
At 23 tracks, the album overextends itself, disrupting the intensity and ferocity that defined its opening half. Trimmed down to a lean 10–12 tracks, The Machine could have been a focused, tightly wound project. Instead, its sprawl dulls its edge. And by the time the final track, “HALLELUJAH,” featuring Phyno, Jeriq, and Tobe Nwigwe, rolls in, we are torn between joining the celebration and simply sighing with relief that the album has finally ended.
This project is a celebration of his influence and a declaration of his untouchable status. By curating, composing, and directing rather than merely producing, Sarz proves that the title of the album is less hyperbole than prophecy. And even though he doesn’t voice the record, his perspective as well as his personal one is thoroughly reflected.
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What makes the album engaging is not only Odumodu’s delivery but the revolving cast of guests who help him shape the album and make it colourful. “Toy Girl,” with Juno and Valentino Rose, offers a softer, romantic diversion. The singers lace the log-drum-driven beat with silky harmonies that temper Odumodu’s rough-edged persona.
Musically, the album is a buffet with an impressive menu. Burna revisits his early dancehall roots with Leriq, then jumps into trap with Travis Scott, mixes Afrobeats and country music with Shaboozey, goes full rockstar mode with Mick Jagger, before linking up with Stromae for some Francophone flavour
Burna Boy’s collaboration with Shaboozey on the Afro-country track “Change Your Mind” brings a refreshing twist to the uneven album. This track stands out for its soft and heartfelt mood. It’s one of the album’s rare instances where the innovation truly springs from deep emotion rather than just genre-mixing flair.