To know me is to know that I am literally obsessed with music… good music. Music is everything to me. When I am sad, frustrated, lonely, or angry, music is my go-to and that’s why whenever I find a song that appeals to my soul, I hold on to it like a treasure.
I remember one time I was at my lowest. I was constantly sad and felt like a failure because I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do with my life.
I was attending conference after conference and every speaker seemed to gravitate towards “what is your purpose in life?” and “until you find a purpose in life, you cannot achieve what you’re set to achieve”.
That was a lot of pressure for me. I was a girl who could barely decide what she wanted to have for breakfast or what to wear to school or even church and yet it was somehow expected of me to know what I wanted to do with my life?
That was too much and for a while, I kept slipping into this deep black hole at the back of my mind trying to get away from it all. Music was my saving grace.
This WRITE UP doesn’t even include my messy breakup saga complete with teary-eyed pictures of me, earphones in 24/7, and a snot plastered face, lol, pathetic!
That’s a memory I’d rather keep buried, please.
Lately, I have been listening to a handful of BOMB artistes but I’m only going to talk (more like a rave but coherently) about three of them to you guys today.
1. TEMS aka Tems baby - Nigerian artiste
Now, there’s just something about her music that appeals to my soul. It makes me feel like I’m afloat.
You know that point when you start listening to a song; headset on, you unconsciously shut your eyes and begin to sing along, albeit off-key not caring if you’re singing the wrong lyrics, and all the while gesticulating with your hands all over the place imagining that you’re onstage performing with your favorite artiste?
That’s how I am every time a Tems' song comes on. She's one of my favorite artists for several reasons. She has an amazingly unique voice. It’s hard yet smooth, sometimes raspy yet sweet all at once, it raises my serotonin levels and everyone around me can almost always tell whenever I’m listening to her.
After a particularly long day of work made even longer by the unnecessary traffic, regardless of how late it is when I get home, the first thing I do is turn on my speakers to play ANY of TEM’S songs, singing along at the top of my voice.
I repeat the same practice the very next morning while preparing to go to work bearing in mind that I wake up the earliest. I’m pretty sure my neighbours are all tired of me.
The more I listen to her songs, the more attached I am. You can always tell that her lyrics come from deep places. You can almost taste the sound of her voice. Some of my friends now call me Tems and I can’t say I do not appreciate it...I loveeeeettt!
Currently, I’m addicted to ‘Higher’, ‘Interference’, ‘Looku Looku’, ‘Crazy things’, ‘Mr. Rebel’, ‘Replay’, ‘Try me’ to mention a few. Listen to Tems and thank me later.
2 - Amaraae- American-Ghanian
Anyone who listens to good music should definitely have at LEAST one of Amaraae’s songs in their playlist otherwise what are you even doing?
When I think of chilled music and calm vibes, hers is the first that comes to mind.
A friend once described her music to me as he said and I quote “Amaraae’s songs are like a cold shower at the end of a hot and long day” lol.
Her trademark whisper-singing (that’s what I call it) is what attracted me to her and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I like to say that she whispers bangers. Her voice is calming, to say the least, her lyrics are raw and seem to actually come from personal experiences which I appreciate.
There have been many a night where I’ve stayed up listening to her most recent album THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW on repeat.
My current favorite song is ‘Jumping Ship'; There’s just something to be said about her vocals on this particular track, her stellar choice of featured artistes, and even the beat itself.....everything about that song just bangs to me.
‘Fancy’ and ‘Dazed and abused in Beverly Hills' are also really good songs to check out. The general vibe I get when I listen to her is me, out with friends on a Friday night indulging and trying to live out our absolute best lives.
Amaarae is definitely an artiste that’ll peak globally and when that happens you’ll appreciate her even more. You’ll say “ I’ve been enjoying her for a way longer time”
3 - CHIKE- Nigerian artiste
I like to call him the ‘LOVER BOY’. His songs mainly revolve around love. Every time I listen to his songs I get all mushy and my brain begins to play pranks on me, making me feel like I’m ready to get married ASAP.
‘Roju’ is the song most guilty of evoking such feelings in me. I remember watching the music video shortly after it was released and thinking it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to just run away and get hitched with the next available guy I saw. Jokes on me because I am still single (by choice).
I love Chike because his voice is something out of a vision and his looks don’t hurt either lol. Extra points to him or whatever amazing lyricist he employs because those lyrics are beautiful, powerful, and timeless.
I can definitely see his songs becoming wedding classics and being played for many more years to come. I sometimes delude myself to points where I start to assume he’s singing for me in fact.
His song ‘FOREVER' featuring MI is a classic that I strongly recommend. My current favorite song is ‘Nakupenda’ by Chike Featuring Ric Hassani.
Chike doesn’t know this yet but we’re made for each other and if by chance I happen to fall hopelessly in love with someone else, he’s definitely gonna be performing at our wedding.
PS: My preferences change every now and then.