Fun fact: Khalid’s “Location” was released so he could get ahead in the race for prom king during his final year in high school, which he won, in case you are wondering. In a case of redirecting strategic marketing for a cause many would deem vain, youthful naivety won.
The song itself, a charming rendition which rues the problematic schism between virtual and real life connection in the age of hyper-connectedness, bottles up an aspect of the modern day experience that is relatable to millennials and post-millennials alike.
Excellence records artist and upcoming Nigerian singer Timmy Knight slinks into the same untainted charm, slyly tapping into the untainted ethos of Khalid’s original version on his own “Location (refix).” Essential to this is Timmy’s featherlight vocals wafting across like cotton candy melting on the surface of the tongue.
Although reliant on the original melody and hook, Timmy swaps in his own words during verses as a measure of innovation. Timmy still parodies “Location” in similarly appealing to an unnamed love interest for a never-ending rendezvous, but where he falls short is the gnawing lack of intrigue in his writing. It’s not like there’s nothing to parse through in his songwriting, there’s just little to nothing that unconsciously sticks to memory, even after a few listens (e.g. “I don’t wanna fall in love off a subtweet” from the original song,) an ability he has time to hone.
A well-executed departure of “Location (Refix)” is its upbeat and morphing production, adding an LSD-eque improvisation to the already dreamy pop sound of the original. The brisk piano synth riff remains the foundational element, but there are additions and subtractions of xylophone snares, rapid electric handclaps and bass kicks, reggae guitar chord progressions, until it all closes acoustically in its final seconds.
Altims – an in-house producer for Don Jazzy’s Mavin imprint – is responsible for additional musical pizzazz of “Location (Refix),” and he’s spotted in a few frames with a drum machine in the corresponding video. With Timmy Knight himself, styled like a character out of (a modern day) BoardwalkEmpire, there’s an intrinsic quaintness that uses nostalgia tinged props (ancient wall clock, pencil and paper, wooden floorboards, nightstand and a candle) as its endearing element of novelty.
The Josh Egesi-directed video is vibrant, with moderate additions of psychedelic effects to add variation to the single location video. It’s an impressive foil to the detached cool in Timmy’s demeanor.
Watch Timmy Knight’s “Location (Refix)” below: