On “Evergreen”, Jaywon successfully retains the elements of his hit making status from his early years and melding it with a refreshing taste of modern fusions.
Jaywon’s passion for exploring new musical territories and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity is exactly what led him to creating his new project “Evergreen“.
In a career spanning across three decades with nearly 20 years of experience, Jaywon’s dedication to pushing creative boundaries, through his art, and exploring new artistic horizons has seen him flourish over time and transcend into an era with distinct demands than when he started initially.
Jaywon is no doubt a distinguished figure in the Nigerian music industry, and well celebrated for his multifaceted career as a singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. Since bursting onto the scene in the late ’00s, Jaywon has carved out a niche for himself with his distinctive blend of Afro-Pop and R&B, resonating deeply with audiences across Africa and beyond.
With a vast discography that boasts of four albums, and essential hits including “This Year (Odun Yi)”, ”Back To Sender”, “Madantin”, and “Filebe”, to mention a few. Additionally, selling over 7 million physical copies of his records before the streaming era, and millions of global streams for his recent works, Jaywon remains a vital and dynamic force in the Nigerian music scene.
On “Evergreen“, Jaywon taps into a diverse and rich tapestry of sounds and influences that reflect his musical journey as well as capabilities. Inspired by his desire to create a musical legacy that transcends time, “Evergreen” reflects Jaywon’s ambition to produce music that resonates with listeners across cultures and generations.
“Time”, the opener, features TyStringz who gives the song a surprising acoustic guitar led production and makes for a fantastic opener. On the simple bass and melodic guitar production, TyStringz sings of the unpredictability of the future and how time limits man. When you would have expected the song to go without a Jaywon voice, he comes on finally with a much similar performance to TyStringz and even better with his baritone voice that peaks above the production and follows the theme in play.
“Aduke” is not exactly the party starter or the record to get the project moving with its up-tempo production as is usually the fashion on most NG projects. However, Aduke turns the notch up a bit with its bouncy and modern production. It still feels new hearing Jaywon on such modernized production, but he feels at home and in control. On Aduke, he sings of the aftermath of a broken relationship, how he’s found it hard to cope, but now finally to move on.
The classic hit “This Year” makes the cut again, but this time with a modernized remake version that reflects what the record will look like with an EDM direction. He taps Karl Wolf on this fresh record to help reimagine the old record with a much more modern outlook and increase its appeal even to the international audience. With much more intentional push, it could notch audience appeal in the international markets.
“For My Head” is the straight up Nigerian love banger. Being one of the lead singles to the project, and having earned numerous social traction with its challenge, it slots in easily here. Here, Jaywon rides on Spyro’s energy, who is well familiar with creating love anthems, by expressing his genuine feelings to his muse and admitting she is all over his mind.
“Omo Okun” causes a thought provoking and melancholic reflection of not forgetting home wherever we may find ourselves. Here, Jaywon sends his personal message to not just Nigerians, but all Africans, to always remember home. “Africa remember, my brother remember, my sister remember, I will never forget my fatherland“. He taps AK Gunshot and Jackson Lee who had great outputs with their hook and verse respectively and elevates the track. As much as it might have the tendency to sound brash at some points with some parts of it needing to be toned down or completely removed, it’s an outstanding record in its composition and sends home the exact message it intends.
The first 20 seconds on “Best Friends” reminisces the bounce which was a familiar terrain for Jaywon even from his early years. However, while the production retains the best elements of those years, its modern touch sets it apart. Both artists move in sync on praises to their individual inspirations and how it keeps their sanity.
“Ankara” brings it back home with its highlife guitar arrangements and title. He makes subtle liners like “Ankara ni mo, ko kin se Gucci” and “I don dey for this game since, mo kin se rookie“. These are statements to remind listeners of his OG status in Nigeria music, and these statements translate into the music as he makes one for the dancefloor and gets listeners grooving.
“Feelings” is a heart tugging love song that evokes poignant emotions. Jaywon wears his heart on his sleeves baring out all of his emotions to keep the relationship in place because of a previous misunderstanding. It’s a record to show when he comes into realisation of how pivotal she is to his life and now he asks to know if she still feels the same as the first time.
“I Believe” rolls in slowly with its theme of gratitude and gospel tinged production and it’s a subtle move into appreciating life for its beauty. Jaywon acknowledges the goodness of God, recounting experiences and strengthening his convictions in Him. While he features his mother on the track with her voice over, it is even more emotional with the words she spoke to bless the record.
On “Obsession” he lays bare his feeling of not being able to have enough of his muse with serious intentions that shows his desires and feelings. “See Finish” delves into the more struggles of life but with an advisory note of trusting in God in fulfilling destiny and patience in life’s journey. The V-Stix heavy production elevates the track and Jaywon rides easily.
On “Turn Up (remix)“, he calls on Oladips and Magnito for two powerful verses that elevates the song which was initially released in 2023. When we get to “Love Rehab”, he narrates a painful love story with Olakira of the non loyalty of his muse and subsequently gives account on how he is moving on. The project closes with the EDM version of the 2021 released record “Las Last” with Seyi Vibez giving it a fresh and new dimension.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Legends that have transcended the physical era into the streaming era have always needed to reinvent themselves continuously to the demands of this present time and to stay in flow with the constant changes so as not to sound outdated. On “Evergreen”, Jaywon successfully retains the elements of his hit making status from his early years and melding it with a refreshing taste of modern fusions.
Buoyed by dynamic production that helps him find himself in this current age and achieve his desired result, Jaywon has delivered an a great experience for his audience with “Evergreen” that is both masterful and captivating, capturing the very essence of his artistic vision. He was able to find pockets to get in and make his mark with music that resonates and appeals to this generation as much as the older one and makes for a show of his evergreen talent and legendary status in the industry.
RATING: 7/10.
[LISTEN]: Evergreen by Jaywon.
