Nigerian music sensation Joeboy has once again graced the music scene with his highly anticipated sophomore album, “Body and Soul.”
Following the success of his debut album, “Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic,” on Friday, Joeboy released his second album, and it’s best described as a captivating blend of infectious melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and mesmerising vocals.
The Nigerian star, who hugged the limelight with the release of ‘Baby’ in 2019, is known for his undeniably improved sound, as seen in his more recent hits like Alcohol and Contour.
In his new work, Joeboy, who surprisingly is not a controversial artiste like others in his genre of music, effortlessly transcended boundaries (possibly set by himself), solidifying his position as one of Africa’s most promising musical ambassadors.
In this review, PREMIUM TIMES explores the intricacies of the album to uncover the brilliance that lies within this remarkable body of work which Joeboy hopes to permeate “Body and Soul.”
Reaching deep for your “Body and Soul.”
From the first track, it becomes evident that Joeboy has taken significant strides in refining his sound and exploring new sonic territories.
The album opens with an impressive collabo on ‘Normally’, where he taps two distinct acts in the music industry, BNXN (fka Buju) and OdumoduBlvck, to hop on the beat produced by Ekellyand tell a story on their unique ability and use it usually every day.
Flowing to the slow tempo beat, the trio credits God for their unique abilities and talks about the blessings in their lives, highlighting that they are special, yet they do things usually.
Transitioning into his feelings, in the second track, “Body and soul”, the title track, Joeboy shows us he is a lover boy.
He confesses his love interest and shows he is willing to be a big spender; he also goes far to express that he would choose her in his next life.
In “Duffle Bag”, Joeboy faces a potential lover who has him in her grasp; within the upbeat tempo, Joeboy expresses the essence of love, luxury, and lust.
He sings about a woman who desires a man who will treat her with respect and provide for her.
He solidifies it with the memorable chorus, “Plenty of money for my duffel bag / Let me know when you don’t want to see me, darling.”
In the Interlude featuring Oli Ekun, Joeboy gives the stage for a tale on luxury pampering as a solution for appeasing your lover after being a bad boy.
The interlude led to one of the album’s standout moments- the enchanting collaboration with renowned afro beats hitmaker Ckay on the track “Wetin be Love”
The synergy between the two musicians is undeniable, as they harmonise flawlessly over a life of love without financial stability aided by mid-tempo- intoxicating beats, creating an emotionally charged song.
In his other collaborations, Joeboy involves Oxlade for ‘Woman’ to tell the tale of a lady who has taken over his heart and is causing many problems yet not accepting his advances.
“Arabirin she wan finish me for mummy,
Obirin she wan finish me for my parents,
She turn finid she don play me like ball oh”
He, however, does not take no for an answer and pushes forward as a big spender.
“But I still want you
To be my lover, I don ship your rover
Tell me yes or no ma
Ngwanu me go be your soldier”
As the album progresses, Joeboy explores different musical influences, seamlessly blending elements of Afro-pop, R&B, and even hints of dancehall.
Tracks like “Better” “Slowly “Lose Ya”, “Check my Phone” and ‘Halle’ showcase his versatility as an artiste, with infectious hooks and infectious beats.
The tracks will undoubtedly have listeners moving to the vibes which tell his story of uniqueness, love and big spending.
Joeboy also pushes past the Afrobeats boundary as he taps into house music with features from Ludacris and Kemena.
On ‘Better’ with Kemena, the duo creates an Afro-country genre to express reassurance to a lover despite challenging circumstances.
‘Chicken, Spice and Curry’ featuring Ludacris shows he is ready to flow seamlessly into the international community.
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He also brilliantly included ‘Contour’ and ‘Sip (alcohol)’ to complete the 15-track album.
Final verdict
Known for his humility, Joeboy simply strutted past his boundaries with impressive collaborations and top-notch productions from Type-A, EKelly, Dera, Tytanium, Kemena, Beatsbytimmy and Tempoe, amongst others.
He also showcased that he is ready to go further and maintain his existing standard.
Overall, the album has a solid sequencing and creative flow. The album receives a rating of 8.5/10
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