In a year that failed to produce a bonafide breakout star that infiltrated the entirety of the mainstream’s consciousness, a handful of artists got breakthrough moments with songs that resonated with the mainstream, nonetheless.
He might not have had a monstrous moment, like Ayo Maff did with the Fireboy DML-assisted Dealer which turned out to be the most streamed song on Spotify NG in 2024, but Alone remix ft. BNXN—generated enough momentum for Fola to get a sizeable portion of the mainstream invested in a potential project and now that it’s finally here, it doubles down on all the elements that makes Alone a good song in the first place and dials it up to the highest modulation.
EP Opener, who does that? follows the traditional format of kicking off an Afrobeats project with a tale recounting struggles to the top, the perseverance of powering through it all and finally tasting success. Fola likes a pop format, that embraces the BPM of an R&B song but his delivery, prayerful musings and affirmations of his success story, places it in street-pop territory. Fola’s label boss, Bella Shmurda’s presence is also here to build on the indigenous element and with his unique vocal texture and mastery of the soundscape, it just elevates the song to a whole new level.
Alone feels like a page out of Wande Coal’s Again book with very similar production structure and beats arrangement. Of course, both songs are different. Where Wande let his profound vocals carry his delivery, Fola’s heartfelt writing is the focal point carrying the brilliance of this song instead. Presenting his love for his art and music as a love interest, Fola waxes poetic about the fact that it took sheer willpower and hard work to convince the naysayers and detractors to believe in him.
This writer isn’t the biggest fan of BNXN’s verse on the song, as he believes he just deploys the same stereotypical flow that’s typical of him and doesn’t in anyway, elevate the song like BhadBoi OML did on the original version. But of course, BNXN wasn’t exactly brought on to raise the bar of the song. The decision was borne out of the need to extend the song’s shelf life and also bring more eyes to it, as BNXN is a popstar with a devout fanbase.
Tonight departs the R&B influenced pace of the prior two songs, and has a swing bounce to it but still remains in the territory of midtempo pop that Fola thrives in. He sings about wanting his lover to loosen up, so she could “give him head in my space.” It’s honestly such an outlandish, ridiculous line but it works as a clamor for intimacy due to the emotion in which Fola uses to deliver the line. It’s a good song, but when you consider the swing-fusion in the song’s bounce and the raunchy nature of its topic, you can’t help but feel that a Ruger feature would have taken the song to a whole new level.
“Like shots of tequila, gbe mi trabaye” Fola sings on Mandela (Effect) Magixx, still clamoring for his lover to soothe his desires. The writing remains impressive across both verses with more detailed guidelines of the delirium of sensual pleasures. Magixx fails to make an impression and is very forgettable on the song, which is quite poor for his standards.
Before the original version of Alone comes around again to pull the curtains, Bye Bye is next up. It maintains the swing bounce of the preceding track, but here Fola is reflecting on the fact that he’s sacrificed way too much for things to work and he’s far spent emotionally and mentally wrecked to the point that he can’t give anymore, so he’ll be telling her bye. The bounce of the song is so punchy and groovy, that you’ll lose yourself in the rhythm and forget the fact that this is a sad, heartbreak song.
Fola’s what a feeling is very much aptly titled, as it taps into raw emotions, heartfelt writing and soulful melodies to tell relatable stories of love, desire and heartbreak that appeals to the feelings. It’s also a good debut effort as it showcases Fola’s strength and establishes a distinct sonic identity, that sets him apart from his peers vying for their own breakthrough moments. This is a very commendable effort that deserves all it flowers.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.6/2
Expansive Production: 1.4/2
Songwriting: 1.4/2
Delivery: 1.6/2
Optimal Track Sequencing: 1.5/2
Total: 7.5/10
