Resilience and Originality.

I was listening to songs with a friend of mine and all I could think of was “what are people singing these days?” I know that musicians usually produce songs to suit a particular audience but it seems like originality isn't a priority anymore. Every artist seems to be copying, editing and pasting other musician's songs.

In a world where originality and sanity ceases to exist, some artists have stood out for their uniqueness. Again, my judgement is entirely from my perspective because I've seen people actively jamming to songs that I thought were the absolute worst.

It has been such a long while since I made a post for Three Tune Tuesday (TTT) and for today, I would love to share a few afrobeat tunes that I think stand out for their originality.

Bank On It by Burna Boy.

This is one song that is known for its inspirational lyrics. With this song, the artist took out time to reassure his listeners.

I particularly like how the song begins on a low and steady tempo and then naturally progresses. With his soulful vocals, Burna boy creates a very memorable song.

One thing I like about this artist is the fact his song lyrics are always very relatable. It's either he sings about the state of affairs in the country or about things people go through on a daily basis but one thing is for sure and that is, he knows his audience.

Take this particular track for instance, it was released in the year 2020 and the song's main motif is to reassure people of their abilities and inner strengths. We all know that that year wasn't exactly the best of years for many people and reassurance was a simple way to keep people going. As per popular demand, he created a piece just for this purpose.

Bank on it is one of those songs I can put on repeat and not feel the need to skip to the next track. This is because every single word of every single sentence in every single verse has an important meaning.

Hmmm by Chris Brown ft. Davido

This is yet another song that is interesting to listen to. The instrumentals at the beginning of the track is one that automatically makes one anticipate an even better lyrical follow up.

If I'm being honest, what drew my attention to this song was Chris Brown's attempt at pidgin English. It was definitely something! One thing I like other than fried chicken is whenever a person tries saying something in a different language and actually getting it. This act alone depicts a whole lot about the person and I say things from the point of view of a person who loves learning new languages.

Ijo(Laba Laba) by Crayon.

This is yet another piece with a captivating introduction. I'm of the opinion that a song shouldn't always give one a headache and this piece fulfils that purpose with its neutral tempo.

Ijo has resilience as one of its main themes. The music video goes ahead to demonstrate this theme even better.

I did a little research on the meaning of the words Ijo laba laba and my sources say “ijo” means “dance” and “laba laba” means “butterfly”. I believe the words “ijo laba laba” are of the Youruba tribe.

Ijo laba laba is one hearty and soulful song that can make one groove to its beats. I must commend the artist for this listen-worthy piece.

This brings me to the end of the music compilation for the week and like a ‘’laba laba” I shall “ijo” away. Do not forget to tell me which of the songs was your favourite.

Love🤍