Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: JOEBOY’S ‘BODY and SOUL Joeboy strives to establish himself as the ultimate lover boy on his sophomore album. BY JAMTHEGRINCH A Yoruba boy that doesn’t cheat? Now that’s a rare find. Joseph Akinwale famously known as Joeboy strives to reestablish himself as the ultimate Lover Boy in his sophomore project; Body and Soul. He embodies the ‘Lover Boy’ persona so diligently in this album that it sounds like Cupid shot arrows straight into his veins, causing him to overdose on love steroids from the first track to the last. From his debut, EP; ‘Love and Light’ to his debut album; ‘Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic’ then finally arriving at ‘Body and Soul‘, it has been a three-peat of skillfully penned emotions, that evolved into heart-erupting melodies that get each listener trapped in this cocoon of symphonic utopia. A place where love rules and light leads. THE KING OF LOVE SONGS The self-acclaimed ‘King of Love Songs’ had to conjure his magic from his previous projects to complete his three-peat run. For Joeboy, 2022 was a mixed year, especially by his high standards. Since 2021’s Sip (Alcohol), He had not released a hit record, and his experiments on tracks like Cubana and Likkle Riddim did little to alter that perception. But in the midst of his experimenting and hunt for a more potent offering, Contour—one of 2022’s best songs—arrived. The Tempoe-produced track allowed Joeboy to craft a catchy tune embellished with songwriting that explores betrayal and deception. The single was well-received and undoubtedly set the tone for his sophomore album. BODY & SOUL – A PLACE WHERE LOVE RULES AND LIGHT LEADS Joeboy has a knack for evoking those hidden dance moves deep inside you while resurrecting the hopeless romantic within you. What better way to express your love for someone than by doing embarrassing moves that let them know you’re willing to embarrass yourself in front of others as long as it makes them happy? The project kicks off with Normally which features BNXN fka Buju, seamlessly dropping a verse to remember which is swiftly followed by ODUMODUBLVCK with his distinct flows and charismatic energy to solidify the track. The second track; Body and Soul, appears to have the desired effect across the board as one of the lead singles on the singer’s sophomore album. “Check my phone, nothing I Dey hide oh” – Joeboy on Check My Phone Down the line comes Check My Phone, the evidence to the grand jury which further proves that Yoruba boys don’t cheat. The track is definitively for all the guys being falsely accused of cheating because of one or two flirtings here and there. Clearly, Joeboy has given them a fighting chance and the blueprint for their defense.   The interlude by Oli Ekun also deserves a proper shout-out cause every lover boy out there can relate word for word. And to be fair, there’s nothing wrong with helping a few ladies adjust their backs—baby oil or not. The transition from Oli Ekun‘s interlude to Wetin Be Love is seamless as the song picks up from the interlude. Joeboy and Ckay deliver smooth verses, questioning the authenticity of love without financial and material backing over mellow highlife-influenced production by Dëra.  The Best for You was another track that caught my ear. I didn’t see a Joeboy and Kemena link-up on a track but damn, it was the track I needed. As a fellow lover boy, my head was bumping from the first listen with the occasional eargasms. This track has the right melody, rhythm, plot, and bounce needed to fuel romantic delusions. VERDICT As a sophomore album of the talented singer, it’s quite an outstanding work of art. Overall it highlights and speaks to the growth the artist has made since his debut on the mainstream music scene in 2019. It’s still too early to know the exact outcome of this project but it has good prospects. With tracks like Lose Ya, Body and Soul, Woman, Contour, and Wetin Be Love, I think his listeners and the music scene have been blessed with a solid body of work to get them grooving.  EDITOR’S NOTE Overall, Body and Soul is an adequate body of work elevated by its lead singles; Contour, Duffle Bag, and Body & Soul. The album has its share of memorable songs as Joeboy plays it safe by operating within his comfort zone ensuring that there are still many standout tracks that exhibit his distinct aesthetic and strong vocal prowess.

Revisiting Gabzy’s EP – ”At The End of The Night” “Gabzy’s most vulnerable & honest body of work yet”. When Gabzy released his sophomore EP, At The End Of The Night last year in May, his core fans may have raised their eyebrows like Carlo Ancelotti in extra time. And in truth, I could understand why. It marked a deviation from the “Malone” alter-ego he had identified himself as. Which was the polar opposite of what At the End of the Night presented. But before we deep dive, I need to answer these questions: Who is Malone? Why do they call him Malone? In fact, what the hell is Malone? Thankfully, the answers are there in Gabzy’s 2020 solo debut EP which is called “Malone”. (I’m sure you had that figured out already). Gabzy Malone In his solo debut, Gabzy embraces his dark side and is very deliberate about the composition, as he conveys the rarely discussed personal battles that most guys go through when it comes to commitment. Through skillfully written verses on a polished production, he takes a different approach to dealing with this subject matter, which comes out as extremely toxic. But he pulled it off, and the audience adored it. The EP churned out hits like “As Friends”, “Toxic” and the “Malone Interlude” where he thoroughly explains who this alter-ego really is. “Malone is a flyboy, many girls want Malone he’s a fine boy. // Malone like the finer things, He won’t buy you no wedding ring. // He’s only gonna break your heart, Are you sure you wanna break your heart?” GABZY – MALONE INTERLUDE He paints a vivid picture of who Malone is. A stern persona who struggles with internal conflict about the idea of making a commitment and settling down. But in I’m Sprung we see a glimpse of him letting his guard down. He is willing to give his girlfriend the world and all the finer things as he contemplates settling down. And it is this vulnerability he explores in his sophomore EP. At the End of the Night – Recap Every time Melvitto and Gabzy collaborate, the result is a classic concoction of love ballads and era-appropriate melodies. Melvitto plays the Executive Producer role in “At the End of the Night,”. At the same time, Gabzy retains his form from his previous projects. Gabzy is one of the rare writers in this generation with a deadly pen. And he didn’t hold back on this EP either; he skilfully crafts realistic tales of heartbreak, betrayal, love, forgiveness, and gratitude. With a tracklist like “Rice and Peas,” “Shoulda Coulda Woulda,” and “God Bless My Enemies,” he creates a mood that gets you curious enough to keep listening for more. This EP’s opening track, “Way Too Much” featuring newcomer“Dayor,” where they both grieve the end of a romance, still conjures up a gloomy vibe to date. Gabzy sing-raps his stanza over sultry guitar loops, as he muses about his breakup. Dayor on the hand, delivers one of the best verses of 2021. He sings about the ups and downs of his relationship with such sincerity over a strained chorale harmonization. Gabzy uses relatable metaphors and imagery to describe his vulnerability. The storytelling in his records is strengthened by the richness of his descriptions and delivery. This is evident in “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda,” our top pick from the project, and in addition, the familiar ‘summer-ready’ vibe of “Rice & Peas” makes it tough to resist including it on your summer mix to date. Even if you’re not a diehard fan, you just want to scream “Gabzy shey o ma je rice and peas”. At the End of the Night – A Year Later I keep returning to this EP even now, a year later. It is simply a soulful musical composition that combines clever songwriting with an amazing sound design and a splash of Gabzy’s lyricism. At the End of the Night has up to this point been Gabzy’s most vulnerable & honest body of work yet. The Melvitto-produced ‘Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda’ is one of my favorite songs ever, it is so empathetic that it just leaves you feeling pensive.  It is also important to emphasize that ‘True Colours’ is gravely underrated. The production is sublime, the talkbox effects are exquisite and reminiscent of Daft Punk’s early 2000s smash hit; One More Time. In addition, the songwriting is well-executed. The track links perfectly as the bridge in the project. Closing out the EP is the spiritual ‘God Bless My Enemies’, woven through with lively organ tones, as Gabzy reflects on how his faith brings him strength. The intro of this song sparks memories of Meek Mill’s legendary Dreams and Nightmares Intro. The cheeky prayer for his opposition (opps) was always going to be a creative touch. Overall, the project feels like it was made essentially for a night drive back to your home after all the club and party noise is over. This EP is not only a solid body of work but it is also a slow-burner that is future-proof due to its production, themes, and overall cohesion.

Anniversary RevisitReview: Davido’s Album – Timeless. “Davido’s fourth studio Album, Timeless presents a strong case for his GOAT status. It is undoubtedly his most cohesive and musically accomplished album yet” A lot had changed since Davido’s third studio album; A Better Time which was released in 2020, the same year his peers; Wizkid and Burna Boy also dropped their fourth and fifth albums respectively, that went on to achieve Grammy Status. With Twice As Tall taking home the Best Global Music Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards Ceremony and Made in Lagos receiving two nominations for the Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance for his record-breaking song; Essence featuring Tems at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony. On the other hand, A Better Time was met with mixed reviews for being too hits-focused and bloated. As a result, sacrificing cohesion for dynamism. The album could not compete with that of his peers sonically and commercially. The last three years saw Davido moving down the rankings. Following the successes of Twice As Tall and Made In Lagos (Deluxe Edition) which contributed heavily to the Afrobeats surge overseas. In addition, there has also been an emergence of a crop of the next generation superstars ready to take up the mantle as the leaders and custodians of Afrobeats. In this new era of Afrobeats, the competition is stiff and gender-neutral with the likes of Tems, Tiwa Savage, Ayra Starr, Rema, Asake, Fireboy, Omah Lay, Oxlade, Joeboy and Ckay (Whew… the list is too long) all having record-breaking and chart-topping songs, projects, and even plaques to their names. Further pushing Davido down the new pecking order. The Magnum Opus That Came at the Perfect Time After a much-needed social media hiatus due to personal reasons, the self-acclaimed “Baddest” returned to the music scene with his fourth studio album, Timeless knowing fully well he had a solid point to prove, not to himself but to the fans and the music industry. The Motive I get the sense that Davido knew he needed that one project to put himself back in the conversations in this new era of Afrobeats. And boy does he deliver! This album not only cements his status as one of Afrobeats’ greats, but It also carves his face on Mount Rushmore or Olumo Rock of Afrobeats for the last generation. Davido presented a strong case for his GOAT status with his fourth studio album. Which is undoubtedly his most cohesive and musically accomplished album yet. Timeless marked Davido’s first album in three years so the anticipation was off the roof. The album features exciting Nigerian and international artists such as Fave, Asake, and Cavemen. British-Nigerian rapper Skepta, multi-Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo, South African singer Musa Keys, and Jamaican Dancehall star Dexta Daps. Timeless – Unwrapping the Goods Davido’s album opens with Over Dem, the intro which sees Davido citing the David and Goliath Bible story as he figuratively proclaims his superiority over his “Goliath”. Which is a metaphor for the obstacles life has thrown at him. He also goes on to pay tribute to his uncle, Ademola Adeleke, the then-recently elected Governor of Osun State. He constantly reiterates to us that everything that has happened so far has been the work of God. Over Dem paints a vivid picture of Davido’s assured mentality and status which was never in doubt. The second track; Feel sets the tone for the album. Davido stays in his comfort zone as he sings about evasive love. One consistent thing about Davido’s albums is how his second tracks always define the core themes of his albums, from Back When featuring Naeto C from his debut album to 1 Milli from his sophomore album to Jowo on A Better Time. Feel does the same establishing Timeless as a feel-good body of work coupled with love themes. Davido’s Protégés On tracks 3 and 14, Davido’s album introduced us to his new protégés, a female artist, Morravey, a 21-year-old singer/songwriter, a new addition to the women in the Nigerian music industry, and Logos Olori 24-year-old singer, producer, and songwriter who found his luck by being at the right place at the right time. Morravey delivers a catchy chorus on ‘In the Garden’ as she trades promises and vows with Davido over guitar loops. Meanwhile, on ‘Picasso,’ Logos Olori sings over exotic instrumentals elevated by horns. The slow-tempo track sees both him and Davido asking to be drawn closer to their lover, employing a double entendre on the word ‘drawn. The sonic space of this particular song proves that a collaboration between Davido and Wizkid can indeed work. “The album features exciting Nigerian and international artists such as Fave, Asake, and The Cavemen. British-Nigerian rapper Skepta, multi-Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo. South African singer Musa Keys, and Jamaican Dancehall star Dexta Daps” The Features & Guest Verses The album’s strongest points are the features, and this is evident in the second half of the album and the lead single ‘Unavailable’, an anthemic hook with a remarkable verse from Musa Keys laced with Southern African Amapiano cadence and vocals. On ‘No Competition’ 2022’s Man of the Year, Asake delivers one of the smoothest verses on a tamer beat where Davido takes his time to laud his partner. This track can easily serve as a sequel to his 2019, single ‘Assurance’, in terms of the overall theme. Fave’s performance on ‘Kante’ is one for the books. Her voice is so distinct in such a beautiful way. Mainly when she’s mirroring Davido’s melodies over the Caribbean pop vibes established by Daime’s production. Fave’s performance on ‘Kante’ is one for the books. Her voice is so distinct in such a beautiful way, especially when she’s mirroring Davido’s melodies over the Caribbean pop vibes established by Daime’s production. ‘Na Money’ is still such a pleasant surprise and, for the most part, the biggest experiment on the album. Here, Davido enlists The Cavemen and the Grammy Award-winning Angelique Kidjo for this 1da Banton-produced Highlife track. ‘Na Money’ nods to old-school West African highlife sounds while focusing on love, money, Fendi, Gucci,