On his new EP, Taves’ evolution into a full-fledged popstar continues to take shape as he goes interesting places.
For the better part of two years, Taves has shown promising talent and range that rightly put him on the public radar but for some reason—he hasn’t exactly risen to the occasion to own the spotlight in the inescapable, dominant way popstars do.
This writer has criticized him for basking in the shadow of his mentor so much, that he copied his sonic habits and they sounded too alike in their deliveries on songs especially as they are both artists that navigate similar R&B/Pop fusion templates. Others have opined he hasn’t made the sort of propulsive pop music to get casuals excited, but whatever may be the case—he seems dead set on clearing all doubts and becoming a fully manifested version of himself on this EP.
On EP opener, Chaos Taves sings that his life is a rollercoaster ride he isn’t driving and begs that his loved ones understand his inconsistencies and limitations as a person, because he’s still trying to figure things out. It’s not the strongest narrative hook to open the EP but it works in setting the tone and highlighting a core aspect of popstars. How elusive they are.
Isn’t It Beautiful has soulful choral vocals and a funk inspired beat powering Taves musings of his ideal perception of love being a warm solace. On the second verse, he admits to telling lies to protect the perfect facade and justifies his dishonesty with a lazy excuse of others doing the same. It is not profound writing that reveals depth but it’s quite apt for a popstar to display selfish, self absorbed behaviour.
Simone has a bounce so western-esque it sounds derivative of a Max Martin production, which does make sense as he’s the definitive pop producer of the century. Taves performance on the song isn’t all too great and it’s clear he’s on stranger tides. Deliver Me heads back into midtempo AfroPop atmosphere replete with shakers and an acoustic guitar where Taves absolutely delivers. His second verse is a masterclass in cadence and lamba, where he seamlessly weaves multiple train of thoughts from loving on his woman, to picking a house they could settle in and stunting on their haters. This song deserves push.
Uche Jombo is the single though and for good reason. It samples a Wizkid classic and manages to inject fresh life into it and adds a touch of personality in the production, while Taves puts his own spin on the beat—taking little to zero inspiration from Wizkid’s more laidback approach. Like the preceding song, there isn’t much going on topically and Taves is simply laser focused on extolling the magic of his love interest.
Preaching is cut from the sonic fabric of the Afro-Swing/Garage template he used to famously tread and he gets introspective on the track about losing his mind on rough days and looking up to God for sustenance. It’s the closest to a filler because there’s very little going on sonically, but it isn’t a bad song. Space is old school earnest RnB and Taves adds the emotive touch of laying his emotions bare and confessing he’ll do anything to make his lover stay. This is a deep cut for his day ones.
Take Me Away ends the album on the same reflective note it started out, although the beat isn’t stripped and is light on the ears here. The soft piano notes and drum rolls gives the song a gospel feel which works because he sings about his woman in a heavenly, purifying light especially with lines like “needed you to cast my demons.”
Taves’ Popstar – Side A is an interesting foray into the young artiste’s mind and perception of the concept, for which he aptly nails down. The music is more accessible but Taves remains grounded in his roots and doesn’t lose sense of his identity. This is a step further in the right direction for Taves in solidifying his stake as a legitimate popstar.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.5/2
Expansive Production: 1.3/2
Songwriting: 1.4/2
Delivery: 1.3/2
Optimal Track Sequencing: 1.3/2
Total: 6.8/10
