Every new wave of music has its leaders, a super-set of creators that lead the pack, define the direction and draw the attention of the rest of the country to the movement.
In the mid-2,000’s, for instance, 2 Face, D’Banj and P Square defined the template of new pop music in Nigeria and set the blueprint for the rest of their colleagues to emulate. Innovators such as MI, Banky W and Naeto C came after them to add a fresh hip-hop and R&B flavor to the mix. These days though, we live in the dance crazy, happy-go-lucky world of the Messi and Ronaldo of Nigerian music: Wizkid and Davido. The instrument-heavy, lyric-light sounds they helped popularize contrast sharply with the chilled out Afro-fusion vibes bubbling up from SoundCloud.
Afro-fusion (for lack of a better term), as a sub-genre, is still very much in its proof of concept phase – it could blow up and become part of the mainstream sound or it could remain this cool little niche thing on the internet. Thankfully, two of the most-acclaimed singers of the SoundCloud generation Nonso Amadi and Odunsi aren’t sitting around waiting for the world to give them positions or accolades, they are leading from the front.
After teeing up a collaborative effort and titling it War, the world didn’t have to wait very long for Nonso and Odunsi to release the project. Right in the middle of a 3-day weekend, the duo let go of a 4-track EP that’s only going to add to their rising profile in Nigerian music.
Odunsi x Nonso Amadi ?? pic.twitter.com/dajHG7td8U
— Nonso Amadi (@Nonso_A) April 28, 2017
Neither artist is currently signed, so the War project was released independently. The short EP is a smooth listen from start to finish, front to back, here are my thoughts on each track after giving it several spins.
Ocean
The project starts with an intro from a certain Fred riding through Hamilton, CA – with the sounds of the waves moving in the background – where he labels the EP a ‘smooth collection of nostalgic sounds’. Nonso currently calls Canada home, so while we aren’t sure who Fred is, we certainly have an idea which of the two artists has a stronger relationship to him.
"I drop you a message and I..". Thank you Fred pic.twitter.com/XxSal8LHwQ
— Nonso Amadi (@Nonso_A) April 21, 2017
Nonso has an interesting take on love that everyone can relate to. On his debut EP, Alone, he sang about his girlfriend in the UK who wasn’t upholding her end of the love bargain at the time. Initially, the relationship was one-sided but things eventually balanced out. Nonso’s follow-up project Long Way Home was actually about her beginning to pull her own weight in the relationship. He brings those same relatable story lines to this collaborative project.
On “Ocean”, Nonso talks about being immersed in love but simultaneously sounding like he’s settling for a suitable partner rather than perpetually searching for the best one – there’s a lot of pragmatism in his desires. Odunsi, on his own part, is a lot less cautious, but before letting go of himself he begs to find out: how deep is your love?
“Ocean” sets the tone for the kinds of emotions that the War EP walks you through. It is the only song on the project that the duo didn’t produce themselves, the wavy beat was provided by producers Higo and Harry.
Don’t
The rest of the War EP feels like one long love story told by two storytellers, and punctuated when one track ends and another starts. The pace of the project is quickened on “Don’t”, with an Afro-Caribbean energy that makes it the most dancable song on the EP. There’s a story line here as well – a wise man once said that love could be a waste of a perfectly good friendship and Nonso and Odunsi seem to agree. The duo urge their love interests not to lead them on if their intentions aren’t golden, they have a lot of love to give.
Don’t make me love you
Don’t make me love you
I don’t want to love you
I don’t have to love you
Based in Lagos, the one thing that stands Odunsi apart from a lot of his peers is the way he infuses local culture and classic tunes into his music to give it a nostalgic feel. His debut EP Time of Our Lives contained a reference to the Fatai Rolling Dollar classic “Won Kere Si Number”, while his latest solo single “Desire” puts a new spin on a popular Baba Dee record from way back. The singer brings his magic and memory to the chorus of “Don’t”, where he subtly rejigs a line or two from Paul Play Dairo’s “Angel Of My Life” to devastatingly good effect.
Nonso Amadi, on the other hand, is a sophisticated R&B artist with an angelic voice and a mature writing pen. Every once in a while however, Nonso leans towards island music – like now. He provides the production for this track and ends it with a brilliant sax and horn tandem that elevates the record and creates a nice ridge between “Don’t” and “Stay”, the next track.
Stay
“Stay” is the shortest song on the project and feels like a 2-verse interlude with a chorus sandwiched in between. The song starts with slight chatter between, what sounds like Jamaican men, in the background and an argument between Nonso and his girl in the fore. The latest issue seems to be that they don’t go out enough but frustratingly, when they do, she thinks they go out too much. I know, fellas you can relate, right?
Odunsi, on his part, steers clear of couple-beef on his own verse. All the versatile singer pleads for is time and patience and a promise from his girl that she’ll stay with him. The song is a pledge by lovers to remain together even in the thick of battle. Deft DJ scratches close “Stay” and lead into the EP’s fourth and final track, which is also it’s title track.
War
The most sensual song on this EP, by far. This is red wine by the fireplace music or better still the soundtrack to a rainy night in Lagos city. After the highs and lows of love that the duo sing about so convincingly throughout the EP, War does have a happy ending. They say the best place for couples to settle quarrels is not on social media, not in front of counsellors, not on the phone with their friends, but on a bed – where the only person who might know what’s going on is the neighbors. If only all the differences we have in love could be resolved this way, the world will be a happier (and more populated) place.
“War” ends with some more DJ scratches to add a bit of edge to the otherwise smooth record and close out a fantastic EP. The War EP, as a whole, reads like a manual of how to fight hard and fight fair when in love from two leaders of the new wave of Nigerian music.
Listen to the War EP below:
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