Folarin Falana, better known as Falz (the Bahdguy), has always been a storyteller with a sharp tongue and a sharper conscience. His sixth solo studio album, The Feast, dropped on May 30, 2025, and it’s a banquet of sound, soul, and defiance, perhaps his most personal offering to date.
With this project, Falz invites us into a carefully curated spread, serving up songs garnished with a variety of sounds and emotions while insisting we dig into the complexities of his world. It’s a lively mix of Afrobeat rhythms, hip-hop bravado, Fuji-inspired jam, and introspective lyricism, delivered with his deadpan humour and jovial flair.
“This album is the most personal I’ve ever made,” Falz said in a pre-release interview. “It’s a feast of everything I’ve been cooking internally, emotionally, artistically, even spiritually.” True to his word, the 14-track album explores themes of self-adulation, love, resilience, political activism, and social commentary.
Though there’s no track explicitly titled The Feast, the album itself plays like a multi-course all-you-can-eat offering, with each track offering its distinct flavour.
Tracks like” Round of Applause”, “Old Soja”, and “Anything Goes” set the tone of the album’s jolly intention, with infectious beats and lyrics that ooze self-assurance and activism. “Round of Applause” is self-celebratory, and Falz raps about his success. On “Old Soja” featuring singer Majeeed, Falz continues hopping from topic to topic, rapping about his resilience despite challenges with corrupt politicians and police brutality.
“Dem don Dey kill us / Dem think dem don defeat us all / Dem want to cheat us all / We no be idiot o,” Falz raps on “Anything Goes” featuring rapper, ODUMODUBLVCK. His guest frames his battles as spiritual warfare, asking how many principalities he must conquer before finding peace, even jokingly threatening to unleash his prayer warrior mother on his enemies. It’s a fiery track grounded in Falz’s long-standing activism, brimming with exigency and rebellious energy.
Leaving braggadocio and rebellion, the album turns to merrymaking and romance, arguably its standout moments. “No Less” incorporates the intro of Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s classic Fuji Garbage series and is a reasonable blend of past and present, inviting us to dance while remembering the legends who paved the way. The song creates a nostalgic feeling and sets a contemporary Afrobeats mood.
Falz enlists Qing Madi on “Slow Down” on which they flirt playfully, expressing mutual attraction, teasing each other about romantic intentions while urging one another to slow down and savour the connection. On “Famomi,” featuring soul singer DoTTi the Deity, Falz pens a tender love letter. The track’s warmth feels like a sunset conversation on a breezy Lagos evening, with DoTTi’s smooth vocals adding intimacy to Falz’s affectionate verses. The beats are lush with horns, percussion, and melodic riffs, making it almost impossible to ignore.
With twin sisters Oiza and Meyi, Falz appreciates self-love, body positivity, and confidence in “Wonderfully Made”. Embracing every shape, size, and skin tone while rejecting conventional standards of beauty, Falz raps about his preferences. It’s a bold, joyful anthem affirming that everyone is wonderfully made. “Dark skin, light skin, that skin fine… Dark skin, light skin, miss me with that cream,” Falz raps in the first verse. Whether big or small… Short hair, long hair, with or without a wig, he prefers them all, he adds in the second verse. However, while well-intentioned, the track falters slightly in execution, leaning on outdated “lepa” versus “orobo” tropes. With his humorous rapping style, Falz sounds tongue-in-cheek and almost misses the nuance and modern inclusivity it aims for.
Throughout the album, Falz’s vocal performance feels more jovial and varied than ever. His delivery retains its characteristic wit and bounce, alternating between crisp rap verses, conversational storytelling, and light crooning, adding dimension to his narratives.
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.
Despite its brilliance, the album is not without its flaws. Its ambitious scope occasionally weighs it down. The shift from the light-hearted, comic persona of his Ello Bae days to a more serious, reflective Falz is bold but might alienate fans who preferred his playful side. And while Falz’s social commentary remains sharp, moments like “Wonderfully Made” and his indecisive political figure on “Wayo” show he’s still grappling with how to tackle big cultural and political conversations without slipping into clichés.
The album’s sequencing also disrupts the listening experience in parts. “Round of Applause”, with its celebratory tone, would have made a more impactful closer. “Story Time”, with Falz recounting his aversion for school, passion for football and music from a tender age, and his journey to becoming a household name, would be better suited as an opener.
Despite these quibbles, The Feast is a triumph, a confident, layered album that reminds us why Falz remains one of Nigeria’s most essential artists. It’s a project that serves as both cultural statement and musical pleasure. Falz’s ability to make you laugh, dance, and reflect (often within the same track) is on full display.
With The Feast, Falz proves that growth doesn’t mean abandoning your roots and style. It means seasoning your table with a variety of sounds, deeper and jovial flavours, and inviting everyone to eat.
Rating: 3/5
***Michael Kolawole is a screenwriter, playwright, poet and cultural journalist/critic. Catch him on X @mykflow
