Timi Dakoloโs artistry is a pocket laden with rich treats for romantics and the pious. While the latter treats were non-existent in the wake of his Idols West Africa triumph in 2007, they have become more definitive in recent years.
His love songs are markedly distinct from many others in the industry, seemingly geared towards married folk. The gospel shelf of his discography is not as expansive, but has sufficed to land Dakolo performances at multiple editions of The Experience gospel concert. To consolidate on his collection of resonant singles and reinforce his evolving artistic identity, Timi Dakolo curates The Chorus Leader.
On The Chorus Leader, Timi Dakolo draws on Afrobeats, Afrobeat, highlife and gospel to predominantly explore the themes of love, faith and culture. The seventeen-track project interestingly features โIyawo Miโ and โThe Vowโ, released in 2014 and 2016 respectively, as well as โEverything (Amen)โ and โObimโ, both released in 2021. The fourth track, โMen of the Southโ, is a more recent predecessor, given its early 2024 release. Patoranking, Phyno, Falz, Cobhams Asuquo and Black Geez serve as the guest acts, with media personalities Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Noble Igwe also gracing the project. Magical Andy and Cobhams Asuquo handled the bulk of the albumโs production, with additional contributions from Yaso, Mr. Soul and Kayode Ojo.
A choral surge offers the promise of an immersive experience on โOmo Ayoโ (a Yoruba expression meaning โchild of joyโ). On the track, Dakolo affirms his status as a child of joy regardless of lifeโs endless troubles. He sings, โThough the nights are getting longerโ/โEvery time I try to spend, another one will drag me downโ/โBut I no go change or wipe this smile from my faceโ/โI go still remain omo ayo.โ His calm delivery becomes impassioned in the second verse, where he dwells on the hurt listeners can relate to. Ultimately, the track serves its purpose and effectively positions Dakolo as a choral leader.
Without delay, the album receives an upbeat infusion with the gospel track, โNothing Dey Spoil For God Handโ. Timi Dakolo retains the joy-amidst-hardship consciousness on this track, which he performed at The Experience 18 in December 2023. It is praise session gold, with Dakolo encouraging listeners to fully confide in God to preserve and amend. He gives the assurance that the divine touch supersedes human efforts. What follows, โHappy Fellowsโ, is an Amapiano record with a less lofty ambition than the previous tracks. The expectation is presumably for the fully immersed listener to simply choose happiness and get their feet busy.
The fourth track, โMen of the Southโ is a highlife record primarily geared towards listeners from Nigeriaโs South-South region. For concerned onlookers, Dakolo repeatedly asserts, โWe no dey craze oโ/โNa love dey do us oโ. The background vocals render, โWherever you goโ/โWherever you goโ/โLet your money flowโ/โLet your money showโ. Dakolo breaks ground, paying unprecedented homage to his cultural heritage. He also doubles down on the financial sentiment on the Afrobeat-fueled track, โHustleโ. He reminds listeners, โIf you must chop, you must workโ/โMoney no go come meet you for domotโ.
Timi Dakolo does not let go of the Afrobeat soundscape in a hurry, retaining it on โNo Forget Homeโ. Qualifying the preceding tracks, Dakolo admonishes listeners to stay grounded amidst the search for wealth. There is more admonishment on the Patoranking-assisted โNa So E Beโ, on the need to be cautious of ill-meaning people. Sadly, Patorankingโs contribution is minimal and leaves much to be desired.
As one would observe in hindsight, The Chorus Leader takes an unrelenting romantic turn, beginning with โThis Womanโ. This track features four guest appearances. However, Falz stands out with his classic humorous take on hip-hop (โWait first, ko le jaboโ/โMe I got your back, Iโm a chiropractorโ). Nonetheless, the track is a weak start to the ensuing romance blitz, and one of the albumโs least memorable offerings. Thankfully, โHard Guyโ offers some improvement in storytelling and delivery. On the track, Dakolo chronicles the gradual softening of a tough guy act. The next track, โPremium Enjoymentโ, however suffers a similar fate as โThis Womanโ, coming off as a filler track.
The slow-paced eleventh track, โKe Na Ke Soโ, is a refreshing change of pace and a love letter to Hausa listeners. More earnest than the preceding tracks, Dakolo coasts on piano keys, promising to be the best lover possible. It is a fitting forerunner of โIyawo Miโ, which needs no introduction among habitual guests of Nigerian weddings. The inclusion of the ten-year-old single in the album is a curious one. However, listeners may not mind much due to the songโs sheer quality. It sets a high bar, which the next track, โAnything For Youโ does not meet.
For the albumโs final stretch, โOne Dayโ saunters in with triumphant dancehall pomp. Here, Dakolo steps into the shoes of a lover holding his head high after the end of an relationship. He takes comfort in the confidence that his lover would return one day, undettered by how long it may take. โOne Dayโ comes off as energetic and optimistic for a song about an ended relationship, standing as one of the albumโs best yields. Dakolo carries his lover boy momentum into the Eastern love letter, โObimโ. On paper, this song is a seamless fit for Eastern traditional weddings and continues the redemptive run of the albumโs latter half.
The seven-year-old penultimate track, โThe Vowโ takes the baton. Without a doubt, it is one of Timi Dakoloโs best records across board – writing, delivery and production. On a micro level, it is easily one of Dakoloโs best vocal performances on the album. He pledges, โI promise to be trueโ/โTo give my all to youโ/โNo matter what they sayโ/โThis heart belongs to youโ. Over seven years later, Cobhams Asuquo deserves much credit for his production on this record. Timi Dakolo brings the album full circle with the gospel record, โEverything (Amen)โ. Brimming with optimism and faith, the track is a worthy closing track.
Overall, Timi Dakolo brings his versatility to the fore on The Chorus Leader and stays true to the title. While his efforts at cohesion are fairly commendable, the albumโs second half pales in comparison to the first. At seventeen tracks, the album would have benefitted from the exclusion of โHappy Fellowsโ, โThis Womanโ, Premium Enjoymentโ and โAnything For Youโ. On a sentimental level, it is beautiful to see Dakolo give a home to some of his finest tracks.
