On his comeback EP, Alpha P returns to the fundamentals of Afropop to cement his stake in the new generation of popstars, that have changed the soundscape of the mainstream.
Like some of his peers in 2019/20, Alpha P might not have gotten a major breakthrough to establish himself as an emerging star at the turn of the new decade, but his profound artistry has always been familiar with enthusiasts. Wolves & Mustangs, Vol. 1, his 2020 sophomore EP was an amazing fusion of Hip-Hop, emo-trap and Afropop in an ingenious, personified way that hasn’t been replicated since then.
His friend and colleague, Rema who he shared a lot of sonic and stylistic similarities with—might have gone on to become one of Afrobeats biggest stars along the line, but at the time whilst they were both treading the same path of Afrobeats and Hip-Hop fusion—Alpha was making the better, refined music of the duo. It’s also due to this fact that he struggled to have his major moment. Whilst Rema hadn’t mastered the mystic arts of Hip-Hop fusion like he had, it allowed him the leeway to venture into more mainstream waters and make his music more accessible. Alpha P either struggled with that or didn’t seem to care as much. With this new EP though, he does.
After taking a hiatus year from releasing music, Alpha P returns in 2024 with an Olamide-assisted W after signing to Phyno’s Penthauze. On this EP, you can see the instant shift to a soundscape that’s more mainstream and accessible. This is undoubtedly coming from a place of maturity, as Alpha understands he needs to compromise on his artistry to find that resonance he’s been lacking and this EP is his foray into these waters.
The sentiment this EP is crafted from is more glaring than ever right from the onset, with the opener Light. It falls into the category of solemn, introspective album openers with a wholesome ambience of giving gratitude and feeling a sense of accomplishment after overcoming odds. Alpha takes an interesting spin though and anchors his own emotions in the feeling of finding a safe space in a loved one. The minimalistic production works to a tee, letting his vocals rise to the occasion and steal the show.
In this writer’s opinion, Kemuel is a wasted opportunity on Omw. It’s not in anyway a bad song and it’s actually a decent mid-tempo bop, with great deliveries from both artists—but Kemuel is at full powers on emotive records, where he gets to channel his heartfelt writing and utilize his sultry vocals to their best. His Clouds EP is the clearest indication of this and one of the best R&B projects to come out of the country in recent years.
W remains in the Afropop soundscape and dials the grooves up to a more upbeat frequency. Olamide goes the singing route, a path he hasn’t gone in a while, as we’ve mostly seen rapping or melodic rapping Olamide in the past few years and it does pay off. Like Omw, the narrative here is simple and centered around love. Both artists take turns in waxing poetic about how much their lovers mean to them over the log-drums suffused production and there’s this sense of nostalgia that the adlibs help create. It’s a really good song that deserves a moment.
Hold Ya and 4am close out the EP and they both exist on the same spectrum of pop the EP traverses with W. Hold Ya is the more light hearted, celebratory record of love where Alpha emphasizes how much his lover’s touch sets him on fire. The writing leaves a little bit to be desired, especially when you know Alpha is capable of more. 4am has more polished, intentional writing and on it, Alpha sings about his sexual escapades and late night booty calls from friends who want a little bit more than friendship.
Alpha P does indeed return to good form on this new EP and makes good pop music here that does appeal to larger audiences, but it’s quite clear Alpha is nowhere near his creative best like we’ve seen on past projects. Moving forward, this incredibly talented artist would need to find a more balanced middle ground to compromise, so his strength as an artist can shine even further because whilst this is good music, this isn’t the best Alpha P music.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion & Unharried Transitions: 1.5/2
Expansive Production: 1.4/2
Songwriting: 1.3/2
Delivery: 1.5/2
Optimal Track Sequencing: 1.5/2
Total: 7.2/10
