Another month, another monthly round up article to highlight some of the best moments musically. Q1 has finally come and gone. Whilst there’s been a lot of talk amongst connoisseurs and music heads, about the state of the quality of Afrobeats at the moment, and the fact that our music has finally hit a stalemate, there’s no denying that we’ve gotten some gems, this year. The following are our best albums of March. In no particular order.
1. Loveless – JAE5 & Lojay
When JAE5 and Lojay initially linked up to create I Wish, with Libianca—the result was an emotionally charged R&B record, with resonant and compelling writing and emotive vocal performances across board that unfailingly tugged at heart strings. It’s no wonder why they decided to re-ignite the magic once again but for an EP this time.
And to their credit, they don’t attempt to create just another record cut out of the same sonic fabric. They opt for dynamism instead and it results in new songs brilliant in their own right. Watermami might have the most conventional Afropop bounce, but it’s permeated by some eerie piano notes that give it a dark, appealing aesthetic. Dishonest on the other hand is on the spectrum of the Amapiano madness that’s had the country in a chokehold, whilst Sweet Love is a more mellow midtempo pop record that would is tailor made for a good time.
2. Love Lust – Funbi
Ever since lockdown, we’ve seen the splintering of the industry into silos that make it possible for niche artists and non-mainstream ones alike to thrive. The R&B scene in the country, seems to have benefited the most out of it and with his latest EP, Funbi has joined the top echelon of Afro-R&B artists (the likes of Nonso Amadi, Mannywellz) that curate emotive, powerful R&B records that will have you swooning for days.
Love Lust is an unapologetic cohesive EP, that is all up in your ears with its contagious melodies from the onset. It’s the right blend of contemporary and classic R&B with Afro percussion that reminds you of its roots, amidst the pure English delivery from the artist. Songs like Distance and All Good also double as groovy songs, that pack enough bounce and swing to send hips gyrating. Whilst One Call and Love Lust are your quintessential blues records.
3. Tyla – Tyla
Winning a Grammy award on your first nomination is no small feat, especially when you’re a young African artist going up against industry heavyweights. The story of Tyla’s rise to global superstardom has been somewhat of a fairytale, when one contextualizes the gravitas of her success in so short a time frame. It’s also more impressive when you realize she’s only getting started.
The album might sound monotonous to some, and they’ll rightly have a point but it is music that if given a chance, would definitely grow on you. It’s a great listening experience that fuses sonic influences from Pop, R&B, Amapiano and Afrobeats. It’s very much cohesive and prioritizes an overall seamless, immersive experience to the point that it’s almost detrimental to it having another standout track.
4. TZA – Kizz Daniel
Vado is on demon time and he knows it. He’s moving with the creative confidence of someone, that knows almost anything he touches these days would instantly turn into gold. He might not have been the one to pioneer the mainstream shift to stronger fundamental African genres in Juju, Highlife and Tungba—Asake’s LATT should get flowers for that—but Kizz has always been operating in a headspace that propagates a brand of mainstream music that appeals stronger to even older demographics.
With his recent smash hit, Twe Twe and Showa, another stellar record off his new 2-track pack in disguise, he does seem to have found the right balance of mainstream, African music that wouldn’t alienate the younger generation (like a Shuperu for instance.) And knowing Kizz Daniel, he isn’t letting go of a tried and trusted formular anytime soon.
5. Road To Nirvana – Godwin
Godwin makes the sort of introspective, unpretentious music that resonates instantly and speaks to the soul, despite not having the most effective of musical pathos or grand atmospheres. Self-discovery, reflections and a warrior’s spirit are the most dominant themes that shine through and they manage to hit all the right chords they set out to. The only barrier in the way of this EP becoming sheer escapism magic is its very simplistic, minimal production choices.
–written by T.J. Martins, a music nerd.
