7.9/10
Odunsi (The Engine) rose to critical popularity with his 2018 debut album ‘rare.’ which redefined the alternative music scene and accelerated an emerging soundscape.
Alté, the raging movement at the time, was a nascent child and Odunsi was one of its pioneers alongside other West African avant-gardes like Cruel Santino, ZAMIR, Lady Donli, Tems, and Amaarae.
Their collective goal was to push the boundaries of music beyond what already existed with Odunsi forging his path by leaning into his cultural heritage and seeking out witty samples and racy expressions for his eclectic fusions of electronic, RnB and soul productions.
His latest offering, ‘Nigerian Boyfriend’ is a surrealistic mini-pack that unveils a hedonist’s emotional struggles as he finally becomes successful. He makes his entrance blaring horns and fiery bass kicks on the exhilarating ‘BACK IN OFFICE’ prompting an excited sensation upon his arrival. For nostalgia, he takes stock from D’banj’s magnificent aura, cleverly interpolating the legendary singer’s mid-2000 ‘Loke’.
This infectious rave starter gets a heavy groove going while Odunsi fills the track with soft narcissist registers. ‘‘Ima superstar, i know what i need / Imma need some lovin’, some lovin’ ayyy”, he admits. It’s a track starting a playlist that vividly captures the glamour of a superstar’s lifestyle, but somehow the dark underside of his jarring emotions, thoughts and drive steal their way into the picture.
Odunsi further reflects this self-absorption in the slow guitary ‘BLU INTENTIONS’ where he projects past insecurities and struggles to process the love that is being offered. He introduces a dark soulful sensation onto this track blasting synths against roaring guitars.
By the final track ‘LANGUAGE’, Odunsi has embraced his success and its malignant curse of navigating life without trusting his emotions. 111SYRI interpretes this on the airy hook: “Talk to me so I don’t get to understand / the way you feel / Don’t wanna care,”
On ‘Nigerian Boyfriend’, Odunsi may never appreciate love as he is used to and it is possible that an overexposure to wealth, power and fame blurs his perception of it. Regardless, he embraces this reality and now finds comfort in the pleasures that such detachment assures him.
In a quick listen, this short playlist is reminiscent of Odunsi’s annual tosses like ‘SPORT’ or ‘Denim’, with some tracks that could make great party transitions at raves. However, ‘Nigerian Boyfriend’ is set apart by exploring important perspectives littered with under-discussed themes while tearing speakers off their plastic seams and drowning listeners in rich storytelling embedded in wavy currents of euphoria.
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