rolling afro 2020

Surprised that people upthread are cool on Omah Lay, I love love love "Bad Influence". It sort of... hovers... mysteriously. Love how he kinda swells up on "'Cos the doctor said I burst my liver".

Yeah, I found his success mystifying for the longest time, but as I hinted at when I posted DJ Tunez’s “Pami” last week, I’ve really started to come around on him. “Bad Influence”, “Damn” and “Lo Lo” are all great.

(the guy makes it very clear he’s a cigar smoker tho, how do I even begin to deal with that?)

new fireboy album, gonna check later today

feels very much like a mainstream play, still some jams, especially in the second half, thinking “afar,” “shadé,” “go away”

So yeah, Apollo… I went from ‘this is a fun, but extremely bumpy ride’ (‘whoa, did he really go there?’ ‘bagpipes?’ ‘are you Naija Derülo?’) the first time around to ‘boy, he’s really really really indulging his corny/sappy side here, huh?’ the second time. Listening again today, no way is it the near-perfect afropop album LT&G was, but I’m really enjoying it for the most part, even if the sequencing is a mess. I also think I can safely say this is not for everyone here tho.

My favourite tracks are the IamBeatz-produced “Lifestyle” and “Spell”, a super fun trio with Wande Coal and the ghost of MJ.
“Champion” is his “Way Too Big”, “Remember Me” is cheesy as fuck but I like it, but “Dreamer” is definitely way too much of a... thing (if he survived the key change, the rock guitar here will be the death of rob, I’m afraid).

I don’t agree with voodoo chili’s “mainstream play” assessment, at least not in the sense that this is a calculated effort to cross over beyond Africa. Fireboy is a total pop kid at heart, I think he’s just being his musical self here, for better or for worse. This is from an interview from the beginning of this year:

What musicians actively influenced your music, growing up and now?
Fireboy DML: Growing up, I listened to a lot of Celine Dion. Elton John helped me discover myself, there’s this song by him “Sacrifice”, that I consider the greatest song ever made. My dad was always playing Celine Dion and my mum always played Yinka Ayefele and Tope Alabi. Those influences made me realise how beautiful music is. But it transcended into people that really started influencing my sound, and they are just three people: Passenger, Wande Coal, and Jon Bellion.

Just listened to Jon Bellion’s biggest hit, “All Time Low”, and it makes total sense in the context of this album.

‘boy, he’s really really really indulging his corny/sappy side here, huh?’

yeah, this was my issue, but i think the real issue is that most of these songs are stacked up in the first half of the project (champion, favorite song, dreamer). the back half is more my speed, tho i do like that wande coal collab and even champion a bit

I don’t agree with voodoo chili’s “mainstream play” assessment, at least not in the sense that this is a calculated effort to cross over beyond Africa. Fireboy is a total pop kid at heart, I think he’s just being his musical self here, for better or for worse

lol this is very possible. i wasn't really thinking that it was a cynical or calculated crossover attempt, more that he was tapping into a more 'global pop' sound than leaning into the naija of it all.

yeah, he definitely doesn’t feel bound by Naijapop genre restrictions any longer. I think his success has freed him in a sense, he’s in uncharted (no pun intended I think?) waters here, as a lot of these major Afropop artists now are. I think it’s partly as a result of this that these big new albums are throwing me for a loop (looking at the Burna in particular), but it’s fascinating to witness.

one thing I really really love in all this tho is how all these artists continue to work with local producers (even when moving away from Afropop in the narrow sense like Fireboy is doing). everyone seems very much aware that together they’re the best ticket in town (this also goes for the Adekunle album and, by the looks of it, the imminent Tiwa).

fun fact: Tiwa has a track with Sam Smith, who also had one with Burna.

*has* one

The new Adekunle Gold album, Afro Pop, Vol. 1, is a much more straightforward and concise affair (just 29 minutes against Fireboy and Burna’s 50). It’s mostly good (altho the lyrics can be a bit clunky at times), but it doesn’t make good on the promise of those great singles he released from “Kelegbe Megbe” onwards. “Okay” is the clear highlight of the new tracks.

I’ve been converted. I’m on team afropop-beats-dance now.

the fireboy album is a really really good pop/r&b album even if its not as distinctively west african as a lot of pop from there is. if his album last year was even better i'll have to check it out

Fireboy DML has cited Jon Bellion, Passenger and Wande Coal as his key contemporary influences.[3]

this is a really ridiculous combination lmao

there's a weird full circle thing where it often resembles some of the 80s pop/rock that had vague african/'world music' influences

if his album last year was even better i'll have to check it out

I’ve been converted. I’m on team afropop-beats-dance now.

Spotify playlist with all the tracks posted on this and other Afro(-adjacent) threads, we’re at 330 tracks now:

ILM rolling ✳️all-inclusive✳️ afro 2020

Thank you for that! Lots of things to catch up with!

tbh, not hating the sam smith collab on the tiwa album lol, tho i haven't been paying much attention to the lyrics.

yes tonight is Celia listening time!

Let me post this amazing performance of "Dangerous Love" for Jimmy Fallon first (posted it on the Naija Special poll thread earlier): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXprX_vwPvc

I don't watch the tonight show but was not expecting Jimmy Fallon to have Tiwa Savage as a music guest. Now I'm looking at her musical guest list of this year and damn, whoever is in charge of booking acts for the show has some pretty good taste: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Jimmy_Fallon_episodes_(2020)

yeah I get alerts sometimes, he’s had several Afropop artists on, and I remember a recentish Bad Bunny performance that was fire.

The first half of Celia is superb, rest is good to very good as well. Best of the current batch of big shot Naija albums so far, by far. Made in Lagos, you’re damn right!

Opening track “Save My Life” (with an uncredited Terri, I think, or is it Reekado?) is total Naijapolitan bliss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFSzmMz9H8U

“Bombay” with Stefflon Don and Dice Ailes is mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

also “FWMM (F*CK With My Mind)”...!

another Tiwa track with *backing* vocals/voices

the production on “Pakalamisi” with Hamzaa is stunning

where did I even get the idea the second half was somehow not as good

produced by Ozedikus (who did Rema’s “Woman” with Altims)

had smoked a little something last night but now that I’m sober my opinion hasn’t changed one iota:

This album is astonishingly good. I was touting Fireboy’s debut as one of the best Afropop albums ever just the other day, well, we’ve got another one here. This is album of the year material.

I mean, I hadn’t even mentioned “Glory”.

tbh, not hating the sam smith collab on the tiwa album lol, tho i haven't been paying much attention to the lyrics.

I listened to about half of Celia yesterday and really liked it, looking forward to returning!

Superb album! I could do without the interlude and "Celia's Song," but they're not ruinous by any means, and the rest is excellent: deep, slick, sultry.

yes, im a big fan too. don’t mind the interlude or celia’s song, they add a nice personal touch

This Tiwa Savage album is becoming one of my favorite listens of the year. I even like the Sam Smith collab and I usually can't stand him.

Oddly enough I like the second half better.

of course I made a thread:

next level at 40: 🌸TIWA SAVAGE’s CELIA🌸 album

someone should make a thread for fireboy too, i would but i'm not sure i can properly articulate what i love about his album

I don't why it took me months to listen to the Omah Lay ep but it is fantastic, title aside

A lot of afrobeats gets compared to dancehall but on “Ye ye ye” he really sounds like current dancehall in a way that I haven’t quite heard from Nigeria before

What? No link for the Fireboy thread?

Thraed of 🔥 Fireboy DML 🔥 and his new album Apollo

The tracks Nigerians are listening to the most when they’re not listening to Burna:

This one is nice, if a bit generic. I hear talk of TikTok, might explain its popularity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65O_4LXRyoc
Olakira • In My Maserati

The next song makes liberal use of Brymo’s classic hook for Ice Prince’s “Oleku”, which was huge when I started discovering Afropop. It’s nice to be able to feel your own sense of history with this music. It also continues Mayorkun’s hot streak in 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yH5zhQgXPY
Jamopyper ft. Mayorkun • If No Be You

Also DJ Tunez’s “Pami” with Wizzy, Adekunle & Omah Lay (see upthread), and all things Omah in general, of course.

Not quite as popular, but extremely good, with great ominous-sounding production by Cracker Mallo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIjkFCCLdcA
Jaido P ft. Olamide • Tesina Pot

heat from Tanzania, featuring Rayvanny, as is often the case:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAaGTFG0cI
Baba Levo ft. Rayvanny • Ngongingo

(also seconding Lucy Anita in the comments:

Lucy Anita 1 day ago
Am really waiting for a day where I will see men dancing infront of ladies almost naked while ladies in the same song are fully covered🤣🤣🤣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJddptqCSz4
Bella Shmurda • Dangbana Orisa

I’m very much on board with producer Rexxie’s transition from zanku master to semi-spiritual vibes dealer, as witnessed by tracks like this one, Johny Kore’s “Aje”, Korede Bello’s “Morire”, and even Burna’s “Bebo”.

love the new Olamide, produced by P.Priime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6KWkycPh4g
Olamide • Eru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3_nqVUPBM
Vinka - Red Card
Hailing from Uganda, clearly reminds me of A Pass

new Davido sounds good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lta5go9P-go
Davido • FEM

that is great

his album is def in my top 10 most played of 2020

...and he is promising A Better Time with his next album!