“Bitter Sweet,” the debut EP of genre-bending singer-songwriter Majeeed opens in a dreamlike atmosphere thatimmediately leaves the listener breathless with curiosity.
In the opening moments of ‘How I Care,’ the first trackon the EP, we hear supple keys that evoke the feeling of watching waves ripple across a calm lake and whatsounds like the chirping of birds as they zip through the orangey morning sky. In comes Majeeed’s vocals—anairy falsetto—singing: “I want you to love/ I want you to stay.” As the track unfolds, his lover douses him b.
The verses unspool with an almost painterly vividness; you can almost see his lover sprint nakedaround the house, Majeeed trailing, his face gleaming with pure joy. Swept into this magical scene, you begin towonder if the EP’s title—‘Bitter Sweet’—is some kind of faux pas.
Then the second track rolls around, yankingus out of our reverie and thrusting us into the riotous set of paradoxes that accompany love in the real world.From the opening seconds of ‘No Room For Love’, we already know we’re in for a different treat. The title is adead giveaway but so is the production, which features a groovy bounce that evokes 2016 Wizkid.
Nothinggrounds one in the brashness of reality quite like the restless drums of Afrobeats. We’re now in the eye of thestorm; over the mesmerizing beat, Majeeed offers poignant lyrics about a tempestuous relationship: “In themorning we go cuddle/ Night na kung fu.” It’s refreshing hearing him surf the production, delivering perfectlytimed syncopations and satisfying staccato flows in this ode to toxic love. What, however, elevates the song abovetypical songs of this nature is how sincere the lyrics are.
He goes beyond moaning about the difficult times in therelationship, instead excavating the psychological causes of his lover’s volatility—“Shawdy, dem don break herheart in a million ways,” he sings.The song closes out with a heated exchange between Majeeed and his muse. You have to lean in a bit moreclosely to follow the exchange but it elicits the same salacious excitement we get from heated scenes in romance dramas.
The squabble is about his inability to provide for her needs. We hear his muse sneer, “Love that cannotafford one single bag for a baby girl like me,” as the song fades out. It’s one of the more hilarious moments of theproject. And yet—if you empathize with his plight—hearing those words will leave you wincing.
These dramatic sketches become a leitmotif of the project, consolidating the album’s theme and supplyingcomic relief. In ‘Yawa No Dey,’ which brilliantly captures the financial strain—from family and romanticrelationships—of adulthood, we’re treated to another delicious sketch. “Go and meet the people you give moneyto,” says his muse, as she rejects his advances.
If this were a movie, this is the part where the audience breaks outin astounded laughter.Interestingly, after the emotional tsunami of ‘No Room For Love’ and ‘Yawa No Dey,’ we begin a gentle drifttowards more serene waters. In ‘Tough Love,’ he pleads “Don’t show me tough love.” No longer combative, he
takes on a playful demeanor, serenading his lover.
In ‘Smile For Me,’ which evokes the dreamlike atmosphere ofthe opening track, he returns to wooing and serenading a love interest.If the project ended with this song we’d still feel the satisfaction that comes with catharsis. But Majeeed has onefinal treat for us: ‘Time.’ Here he breaks with the project’s exploration of love, instead offering wise musingsregarding time.
Just before the track starts, as he delivers the vote of thanks to fans, a female voice interrupts.“…babe, you forgot to play ‘Time.’” As such, the song feels less like a misplaced epilogue than a welcome treat.‘Bitter Sweet’ ultimately is Majeeed’s perspective on a time-worn subject: love and its complexities.
Through deftsinging, cinematic storytelling, and aptly deployed sketches, he foregrounds his thesis: love, in all its forms, is atwo-edged sword. It can swallow you whole, when it’s dysfunctional. But in the right hands, it can be one oflife’s greatest joys.
Review by Chibuzo Emmanuel
