A friend once told me that African women do not appreciate getting flowers as a gift – “what are we supposed to do with a flower, plant it?”
Lady Donli is a different kind of African lady, not only is she the one doing the gifting with this EP, she’s also giving us flowers to plant in our SoundCloud playlists.
In times past, flowers had specific meanings behind them, for instance, daisies represented innocence, sunflowers expressed adoration, while roses spoke more to love and intimacy. You had to know this so you wouldn’t present a bunch of red roses to your mother in-law. But these days, the sentiment behind the flower is more important.
The wallflower is a European plant with yellow, orange-red or brown flowers that bloom in early spring. Even though it came out in the winter months, Lady Donli’s latest project was named after the fragrant flower. But who the hell cares? Have you ever rejected a present just because it wasn’t given to you on your birthday? Didn’t think so.
The singer’s latest project is a 6-track EP with features from D-Boi and Filter Free favorite Odunsi. It contains production from Tay Iwar, MvgicSoul, BillieOnia Beats and DOZ. The project is a journey, she talks about love, depression, anxiety and insecurities. An interesting song on the project is “Bobby Bobby” where she clarifies whether she’s doing music for fun or for funds. Yes, she was born into a comfortable family and that has allowed her pursue her studies in schools abroad, but the singer insists that she isn’t doing music just as a hobby, which is one misconception about SoundCloud artists.
It’s at times like these that you feel like Lady Donli’s projects are like her journals that she’s sharing with the world. Thankfully she leaves the rapping to others on this journal entry. Donli’s music can broadly be classified as neo soul, so as expected, the new project is melancholic and deeply honest. It contains a powerful interlude from SET that explains the interesting title. A wallflower is a shy, socially awkward person that keeps to themselves at a party or a social gathering, this project signifies the blossoming of the wallflower.
Wallflower, wallflower – it’s your time to shine
With this level of talent, Lady Donli will surely get her time in the sun, some day. This EP comes a year after the singer’s impressive second EP What is Perfect? and ensures that her growing fan base isn’t left without a project in 2016.
Give it a listen.
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