On his third EP, Pheelz is the life of the party and his music – is its throbbing pulse.
In the wake of the smash-hit success of Finesse and the ensuing music that followed, Pheelz had successfully orchestrated the most explosive transition from veteran producer to budding popstar the industry had seen in a while. Fast forward four years and two projects later, he’s still evolving and unearthing new layers to his artistry.
2023’s Pheelz Good was Pheelz’s take on the Afro-R&B fusion template that dominated the mainstream in the turn of the decade. The soulful nature of the soundscape played into his hands and he used his songwriting prowess and mastery of production synergy to deliver one of the year’s best EPs. After taking a detour last year, with a Fireboy DML collab that flirted with Afro-House, Pheelz is back for another meaningful evolution on his new EP.
DIRTY DIANA RIDDIM is a lively intro that opens with a skit and a Pheelz promise that you’re going to bust out the dancing steps, when the drums kick in and my word, he doesn’t renege on the promise. This is an intro in itself entirely, as the song barely has anything going on for it thematically but the roaring electric guitar synths and thundering talking drums will get anyone turnt.
ALL NIGHT LONG feels nostalgic for the very specific reason that the underlying melodies rips off the chord progression of Flavor and Wande Coal’s “Wake Up.” The drums remain heavily percussive and grounded unapologetically, and Pheelz makes it pixel clear he’s not one to shy away from his heritage as an African artist. Both him and Didi B deliver the goods vocally, although with that propulsive beat they had very little to do.
As if to pay homage to the legend who inspired him on the previous track, STEPPIN features Flavour and they both have a blast in a disco-tinged afro-pop infused party. Once again, the production on this joint is phenomenal and both artists do very little, so the beats can breathe and soar as the star of the show they absolutely are. While Pheelz sings his heart out on every song, he also reminds you he’s one of Afrobeats greatest producers ever.
I’M OK deviates from the romantic, celebratory record of the EP and looks inward. The production here is more modern and the sombre piano notes going off intermittently makes for such a solemn mood trigger. Despite the high he treads for the bulk of the EP, Pheelz finally admits sometimes he’s not so sure if he’s great all the time but he’s going to be alright anyway because he’s blessed and has a million reasons to be grateful. Tiwa’s appearance is a nice choice and drives the sentiment home, and their verses do not dismiss sadness as something to be ashamed off.
OBLEE course corrects the album back to its high octane footsteps and heads into Afro-House territory, where he dabbled in on his last collaborative EP. In fact, this song sounds like an extended play of that project but his dynamism and songwriting ensures it’s a great track itself and not just a throwaway song.
OGA is tailor made for the relentless, gyrating waists of female well wishers at an Owambe party that burst out their moves in colorful native attires and glimmering golden jewelry. Shoday and oSHAMO both fit like a glove into this song, as their vocal textures and topical musings are the perfect ceiling raisers, with oSHAMO especially delivering the best guest performance of the EP. GONGO ASO is self-explanatory in its title and is this writer’s least favourite track on the EP.
Unlike ALL NIGHT LONG that does something innovative with it’s inspiration, this song simply integrates the melody into an underwhelming beat and calls it a day. Pheelz and Young Jonn don’t phone it in but the beat here is quite formulaic in contrast to prior tracks. RIDE OR DIE closes the EP out on an earnest note and Pheelz manages to pull off a production that sounds equally as solemn, as it is energetic. Ami Faku’s vocals soars above the ambience and soaks it all in—making for a truly therapeutic experience.
It’s not a premature thing to say Pheelz has once again outdone himself and has released his best project so far. A Rii Set isn’t just great music, but it’s a truly exhilarating experience that feels wholesome and cohesive, like a solid body of work. Honestly, this writer is a bit bummed out that he didn’t latch on to this jazz/funk, Afro-percussion driven fusion soundscape to deliver a full blown album because we the audience deserves more creative music like this.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.7/2
Expansive Production: 1.7/2
Songwriting: 1.6/2
Delivery: 1.6/2
Track Sequencing: 1.4/2
Total: 8.0/10
