APOLLO Review: Fire hasn't dimmed just yet

     Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps is a tough act to follow. I didn't actually review it, but I don't think I needed to: we were all kind of in awe of Fireboy DML's genius. 
     APOLLO is miles away from Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps and I have mixed feelings about that. In some ways, that's a great thing because #growth, yet I can't help feeling nostalgic for the magic and, dare I say innocence, embodied in his debut album.  Let's review the album track by track, shall we?

1. "Champion": I don't want to take away from the beauty of this track, because it is, in fact, beautiful. At least the beginning melodies. When D Smoke comes in, the vibe changes and it almost feels like a different song. But that is not my main beef with this track. It is the lyrics. Perhaps if another artist was singing verse one, it would sound like self-empowerment, but in Fireboy's voice, it just reads like self-importance and it doesn't land. Sorry.   
2. "Spell": I had high expectations for this track as soon as I saw Wande Coal was featured on it. But I have to be honest: nah. The lack of depth in this song is its main problem. Perhaps the idea was to do something fun and lighthearted, but ko werk, especially when they both go into (strained) falsetto as if they are singing about a deep something. 
3. "ELI": The level of artistry in this song is very, very cool. The flute sounds, the electric guitar, and the drizzled topping of afro-beats makes this track a very, very smart choice for a single. 
4. "Tattoo": I hate how cool the arrangement of this song is because I can't sing it. It's so vibey but the lyrics are very explicitly sexual. So, not for me. 
5. "Favourite Song": This track has my favourite production of the entire album. Ironically, it is unlikely to be a favorite with die-hard afro-something fans. But this song is the first on the album to show me the Fireboy DML I've been waiting for. There is a little bit of Michael Jackson, a little something of Marvin Gaye and even more surprisingly fun, a Macarena chant subtly playing in the background. "Spell," please take note: this is how you do something fun and lighthearted. 
6. "New York City Girl": I didn't think any song could top the feels that Fireboy served us in "Need You," but "New York City Girl" is everything and more. I'm not from New York City, but if I was, I swia, no one will hear word.  
7. "Lifestyle": I hate to say it. I hope I don't sound ridiculous but I think Fireboy could do much, much better than this track. Sorry to this track.
8. "Airplane Mode": This song is so Fireboy DML, it takes my breath away. His voice soars on this track. When Fireboy is singing from his heart, when he is not putting on the "I'm-the-best" airs that artists feel like they need to put on, that's when he shines. That's when his light is so bright, it almost hurts your eyes. Fireboy's light shines so bright in "Airplane Mode." It's deep, it's Fireboy-lyrical, and it's dope. Everytime he says "on my own" in the chorus, his voice breaks a little and it's one of the best things I have ever heard. 
9. "24 (Interlude)": There's a message here but I can't seem to figure it out. Is he talking to himself? Is he talking to young twenty-somethings who are still trying to figure life out? I don't know, but maybe that's the point. Either way, it's a perfect interlude.
10. "Dreamer": How beautifully produced, how lyrically moving, how heartbreakingly perfect is this song. That's not a question. It's a statement. Fireboy DML makes a statement all over this track and leaves us begging for more. 
11. "Afar": Early 2000's feel, anyone? I will only say three things about this track because we'll spend the entire day here if I don't limit myself: Uno, I'm pretty sure I have never heard Olamide rap in English and I'm kinda in love. Dos, the depth in this song is unreal. Tres, Fireboy's voice sounds so good in this track, it's like spicy noodles. Sorry, one more thing, Fireboy, ma pa mi nau.
12. "Go Away":  How can one song make me want to dance and ugly-cry at the same time? What can I do to make it go away? I guess I could skip to the next track, but...I think I'm addicted. Everything about this song is so well thought out. Even "ye," the ad-lib chosen for the chorus is the same sound one makes when in pain or when you love someone who doesn't love you back.
13. "Shadé": What is it about Shadés/Sadés that makes Nigerian artists sing for them? There are other names in the world (like Ronke, for example). Just saying. 🙄
14.  "Friday Feeling": Perhaps the coolest sequence on this album is the transition from "Shadé" to "Friday Feeling." This is obviously a dance track, but it lands in that magical way that only Pheelz and Fireboy DML know how to create. "Pheelz, ma pa mi nau" is the best line of this entire album, period. 
15. "God Only Knows":  I just want to listen to this song over and over without having to come up with words to match how it makes me feel. But... must be nice to be a muse.
16. "Sound":  The verses in this track sound like the first verse of "Feel," yet it still sounds fresh. Guys, guys, guys, I think that Fireboy is telling us that he can regurgitate the same sound and we will still vibe to it because he is the APOLLO of sound. And um, he is not wrong...yet. 
17. "Remember Me":  Deep lyrics, check ✔️. Crazy beats, check ✔️. You guys, there is an actual beat drop in this song. Talk about ending the album on a bang!