Asake is a needle-pusher and musical disruptor in no matter capability he’s in. Proudly impressed by Fuji music – the Nigerian style that blends conventional Yoruba percussion with Islamic spiritual chants – his 2022 debut, ‘Mr. Cash with the Vibes’, and its 2023 follow-up ‘Work Of Artwork’ modernised that sound. Each data helped create a woozy new tone that efficiently solid feel-good timeless gems, like his breakout observe ‘Manage’, and located the Naija boy reshaping Afro-pop with magnetism and swagger.
Regardless of making historical past time and time once more (see his Grammy nomination for the inaugural Finest African Music Efficiency Award this 12 months, or him being solely the fifth African artist to promote out London’s The O2), there are all the time massive expectations for the Lagos star – and he sometimes fulfils them. Reupping the appeal seen all through Asake’s discography isn’t sufficient to get ‘Lungu Boy’ over the road, although.
His third studio album is certainly one of two halves. The jazzier sound on ‘MMS’ – his long-awaited collaboration with Nigerian juggernaut WizKid – soundtracks an pleasurable and poignant story about how blessed they’re to beat adversity. It’s summed up completely by the self-proclaimed Starbwoy: “Not a person no section, vibe right this moment / These kain factor say na life we dey.”
Afterwards, the report begins to lose route and is a slog to trudge by means of. The soppy ‘My Coronary heart’ is a half-baked ballad that tries to up the ante with the Afro-house bassline, and ‘Worldwide’ – though commendable for its avant-garde type – is an erratic free-for-all that accommodates every part however the kitchen sink.
That’s till the Stormzy-assisted ‘Suru’, by which the wailing guitars add an angelic twinge to the South London legend’s recapping of his success story. It kickstarts a rewarding new run on the album, joined by a momentum-boosting ‘Wave’. Central Cee suits proper in on the observe over the hypnotising amapiano beat, however the identical can’t be stated for Travis Scott, whose abrasive auto-tuned sound on ‘Lively’ – the high-octane observe that places the “home” in Afro-house – isn’t as profitable.
‘I Swear’ is actually the hallmark of the album: an ideal mix of the ethereal pleasure of Fuji percussion with the zippy amapiano bassline. The track additionally continues the theme of confidence and resilience all through ‘Lungu Boy’ as Asake affirms with vim: “Ship all my competitors / Coming by means of with my ammunition / My way of life goes, every part goes / Regardless of the rattling situations.”
Extra gems include the hip-enthralling ‘Ligali’ and the opposite knockout observe ‘Whine’, which options Brazilian star LUDMILLA and expertly flips Mary J. Blige’s ‘Actual Love’ into a pleasant occasion anthem. ‘Fiji Vibes’, in the meantime, serves up an infectious celebration of life. All of it begs the query, although: why couldn’t we get to this elevated sound sooner? Though ‘Lungu Boy’ sees Asake nonetheless rewriting the rulebook on Afro-pop, it’s a must to push by means of a whole lot of samey repeats of his previous work earlier than you get to the good things.
Particulars
File label: YBNL Nation/Empire
Launch date: August 9, 2024
