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
Music Review
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.
Baddo’s Song’ with the South African musical duo Jazzworx and Thukuthela, a supposed homage to rapper-singer Olamide, does a disservice to his towering reputation in the Nigerian music scene. Why collaborate with artists not attuned to Nigerian street-pop or Olamide’s musical brilliance and influences on a tribute song?
Almost a year after his comeback album, Ikigai, artist Olamide returns with his self-titled 11th…
The production, handled by a lineup of trusted collaborators like Tuzi, Duktor Sett, IBK Sleek, Semzi, and Magicsticks, is a masterclass in variety. From high-energy bangers to soulful ballads and Fuji-infused jam, the album’s sonic diversity keeps us engaged.
Kuti sounds jaded as he continues to address the discomforting political, economic, and social conditions of Nigeria on “Corruption Na Stealing”. Simmering with steady percussion, Femi Kuti shares incisive critiques with exhaustion, bemoaning the use of English language to subvert the truth and rule of law in favour of the rich.
Morayo is just a nominal dedication with erratic lyrics, jumping between different ideas, moods, and styles. It feels fragmented, thematically reflecting an artist at a crossroads. It oscillates between Wizkid’s penchant for romantic, mellow tendencies and upbeat, danceable tracks. The result is a sonically rich yet thematically inconsistent experience
One remarkable attribute of Fireboy is his ability to blend sublime lyrics with the mundane (Lamba). Throughout the album the lyrics poetically explore the complexities of romantic relationships with a touch of levity. The album is well-sequenced from the opening track to the end, but the smooth transition from “obaa sima” to “need me” is simple yet beautiful.
We live in an era defined by artistic collaboration that defy borders. It’s understandable for an artist to seek international collaborations to broaden his horizons but some of the guest artists on Lungu Boy, though talented on their own, can’t seem to connect with Asake’s Lagos street life, especially the Isalẹ Èkó street culture
With featured appearances from Olamide, Qing Ming, Ladi Poe, Amaeya, and the late Mohbad, Chike manages to create an album that further consolidates the strength of his exciting discography while announcing without equivocation the arrival of a legend in the making.
When he cannot productively focus this energy, however, what emerges is an inordinate mess, like the repetitive OZEBA. Working with high octane sounds means Rema often straddles the divide between irritating noise and a beautiful madness; and there are those who will think he has placed his album firmly in the former.
Rema isn’t big on songwriting, but he lets his brilliance shine through occasionally on a few songs. The major statement of this album isn’t lyrical brilliance but a daring experiment of sounds. On HEIS, Rema defies all the rules and limitations many artists impose on their craft