Press Play: New Music from Rema, Lady Donli, Victony and more.
Your weekly dose of the best new sounds around the continent!
“FYN” - Rema & AJ Tracey
Maintaining the buildup for his debut album, Raves and Roses, Rema drops the third single from the project titled “FYN”. Featuring West London’s AJ Tracey, “FYN” could be confirming suspicions fans have had regarding the project. Speculation that we could be witnessing the coalescence of Rema’s entire range grows stronger with the Kel P-produced single. Primarily a flex record imbued with Rema’s trademark sexual innuendo and high-pitched harmonies, it takes on a different layer. AJ Tracey’s verse is completely in tune with the themes and the Meji Alabi visuals reflect as much — he’s draped out in a tailored suit as he serenades a beautiful model.
“Culture” - Boj & ENNY
Considered a veteran singer and songwriter, Boj’s ascent has been as calculated as it has been muted. Not one to hog the spotlight, his appearances on no less than 30 hooks over the last nine years have made his decisive touch clear. If Boj gives you a hook, it’s sure to be heat. However, on his albums, Boj likes to show more and allow his audience glean more than a peek at his craft. On “Culture”, his chemistry with Nigerian-U.K rapper/singer, ENNY is similar to certain relationships he has also created on the lead-up singles to his third studio album, Gbagada Express. Unselfish as ever, the duet reflects the best things about BOJ but also something some might consider a crutch — does BOJ need the features or does BOJ need to just be featured?
“Apollo” - Victony
We are three months into the year and every Nigerian producer seems to be working with Amapiano type beat Google searches pretty hard. Victony’s return to the scene finds him exploring another variation (again) of the South African born production style, this time on a P Prime produced record. On Apollo, the singer’s attention is firmly on the feeling and less on the lyricism — thankfully he is one of a few that can create a record with either. The cheeky hook is a glimmer of his pen’s prowess, enough to keep things tongue-in-cheek but comprehensive.
“Melody” - Diamond Platnumz ft Jay Willz
Top Tanzanian Bongo Flava recording artist, Diamond Platnumz connects with Nigeria's Jaywillz to release a new tune called Melody. The record is off his latest EP, First of All. The mindfully organized assortment houses ten strong tracks with guest appearances from artists across the continent. Pabi Cooper, Focalistic, Mbosso, Jaywillz, and Adekunle Gold all appear across the extremely versatile tracklist and Melody is Diamond Platnumz at his flirtatious best. Backed by live instrumentation and Jaywillz’s hook, he switches from Swahili to Pidgin and English across this serenade.
“Thunderstorm In Surulere” - Lady Donli
Backed by the Lagos Panic, Lady Donli’s rollout continues in simplistic fashion. Thunderstorm in Surulere is mired in the work of Donli’s influences, some more current than others. Certain parts of the production, cadences and arrangements are derivative, yet this takes nothing away from Lady Donli’s ability to make these elements her own. Best defined as a Nigerian soft rock experience, "Thunderstorm in Surulere" reveals a clearer sense of what Lady Donli could be hoping to achieve on the follow up to 2019’s Enjoy Your Life.
“Where You Dey Go” - Busiswa ft Naira Marley
The enviable chemistry between Nigeria’s Naira Marley and South Africa’s Busiswa has spawned one hit in “Coming”. With “Where You Dey Go”, the pair clearly have another one. The high octane record contains all the elements of their last effort; lewd lyricism, tongue-in-cheek bars and thumping production — courtesy of Nigeria’s Rexxie. While it is unfair to place the expectations of “Coming” on “Where You Dey Go”, wherever the record ends up commercially will be inconsequential to the world the pair are building musically.
