8/3/2019
In View by Jake James I don't usually do one-song reviews, but some songs just demand it, you know?
It's like when you eat Ramen noodles (or Indomie 😋) and it tastes like you have never eaten noodles before. Yes, In View is just that good. More than the catchy riffs, more than the sick beat, more than the unnameable quality in Jake James' voice, the message in In View is so strong, so real. You make me wanna put in work baby/No matter what I will make it work for you/You make me better than before baby/But I don't see 'em till you put in view Tell me that this is not Henry and Oyin's story in The Perfection in Love? Love should lift you up, not put you down. Love should make you want to do the work. So that you can you be better That's what the Lord's love does, and that's what real romantic love should do, too. Jake James, 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Check out In View and other Jake James songs here: https://song.link/us/i/1453422504
7/31/2019
The Transition by Okey SokayI have been a fan of Okey Sokay since I first heard HSKT, so when I heard The Transition had come out, I had to review it. And can I say, the album was so artistic!
You can see it in the one-word song titles, hear it in the musical choices in each track, and picture it in the album cover. Okey Sokay, gbam! 🙌🏾 🙌🏾🙌🏾 I mean, come on: there are even 10 tracks in the album! No more, no less. Just perfect. In the spirit of the one-word track titles, I am going to try to keep my track reviews to one sentence each. But no promises. 😉 1. Alpha: The title of this track is so apt for the first track in the album. Again, I am floored by the level of artistry that went into making this album. Also, can we pause on the breadth of tone in Okey Sokay's voice? Hmmm! 😍 2. Name: I can't wait till every church is using this song in their worship sessions. 3. Good: This track is so simple, yet so so powerfully effective. 4. Oga: If you are not moving your shoulders by the end of this song, I will not call you what you are; just play this song over and over until you start moving your shoulders. 5. Surely: Just when I think I have heard it all, I hear Surely 6. Imela - You can't help but sway when this track comes on. I am used to Okey Sokay hitting my senses with those fast tracks, but I find that I like this slow-jam feel just as much. (I said no promises!) 7. Miracle - It's so awesome when you hear a song that speaks to you exactly where you are; Miracle did that for me. Thank you Okey Sokay. Thank you. 8. Winner - This song made me cry; don't ask me why. 9. Merem - There is an undeniable essence of joy in this track and it is infectious, oh so infectious. 10. Nmeri - This track is a jam. You can't help but move. This is the perfect song to declare your victory in Christ. It does not matter whether you are feeling victorious or not. This song will help you feel it. This was also the perfect song to end the album. The only thing I don't like about this track is that it means I have finished listening to the album. Okey Sokay, if this is just The Transition, I might not be able to handle The Destination when you get there. Thank You Jesus for Okey Sokay. We are grateful.
4/22/2019
Omo Charlie Champagne Vol 1Album: Omo Charlie Champagne
Released: April 19 2019 (happy belated birthday to Simi) Singer: Simi 1. Charlie: There is something so quietly powerful about this track. The song hits all the right highs. Simi takes us on an emotional journey as she processes her feeling about her late father. She is sad, yet happy; not mad yet furious and we feel every single emotion along with her. 2. Ayo: Ayo is the song you want to put on for that Saturday morning cleaning. You will dance your way through that dusty living room, I promise. 3. Jericho: The rhymes in this song are 🔥🔥🔥. The beat in this song is 💯💯💯. Here's the problem: you can't be cool when dancing to this song. When it comes on, your body does not know whether to dance to the lyrics or the beat, so you end up dancing to both and looking like a fish on the chopping board. Also, "I lay you down like an edge controller," is a bonafide Simile. Please call the writers of Queen Primer and Verbal Reasoning and tell them to include it, thank you. 4. By You: This song is the embodiment of the Simi-and-Adekunle we all know and love. Classic. I'm a fan. 5. Immortal: This song is...um, nice. Okay fine, it is not my favorite song. Sorry Simi, I still love you though. 6. Love On Me: 🤭🤭🤭 7. The Artist. Yes! Yes! Yes! Please say it louder for those of us artists at the back. 8. Move On: This song guts me. Over and over. Until I am curled up in a fetal position on the ground. Simi is so good at expressing what we all feel but may not have the artistry to articulate. And that falsetto? The rawness in it bleeds me dry. 9. Mind Your Business: Auntie Simi, this table you are shaking, some of us sip tea on it every day. 😏 10. Lovin: I have been a Simi fan since day one, so it is hard to pick a favorite among her songs. But Lovin is pretty up there. Also, if you have not seen the video, I only have one thing to say to you: Why? 11. Please: I am such a sucker for Simi's voice accompanied by a piano. She could be singing "A-B-C-D" and it will still be a profound work of art. Please is so emotional and I'm here for it. "Please don't lose what I found," Simi begs on this track. I can relate, Simi. I can relate. 12. I Dun Care: The awesomest part of this song is the spelling of "Don't" as "Dun." Simi really dun care what anyone has to say in this song and she makes that known right from the track's title. Awesomest is not a word, this sentence is a comma splice, you can tell I dun care too. 13. Hide and Seek: I am here for the intro of this song. It is unlike anything I have heard from Simi. I'm a fan. Simi is a such a gifted lyricist. Weh done ma. More power to your elbow, more inspiration to your mind, and more love to your heart! Here are some of my favorite lines from this album: "Will you forgive me for the happy tears?" - Adekunle Gold on By You "Be the Range to your Rover?" - Simi on Jericho "I lay you down like an edge controller" - Simi on Jericho "Please don't lose what I found." - Simi on Please "Carelessly loving you, babe, is the worst thing I could do." - Simi on Move On "Sweet, but hard to chew, like sugarcane" - Simi on Move On "E dey pain" - Simi on Move On "See, I walked down the aisle just the other day/ but you weren't there to walk me. /I 'm not mad o / I take that back, I'm furious." - Simi on Charlie "Can you Simi now?" - Simi on Jericho "Wanna hold you tight like a folder." - Simi on Jericho "The Artist is always under pressure...there's pressure from within as well." - Simi on The Artist
3/4/2019
#AfroGospelToTheWorldAhem...
Is this thing on? Gil Joe and Nkay will always have a special place in my heart. When I first started doing this relationship thing with Jesus, their lyrics were my constant companions. They taught little ol' me that being a Jesus lover was nothing to be ashamed. of. Love you guys! Album Title: #AfroGospelToTheWorld Platform: Spotify Artist: Gil Joe x Nkay 1. Nobody: Love...Love..love...love this song! The fusion between Afro beats and EDM in this track is too much for my un-Zanku-able legs to handle. I can't with this song: the lyrics, the strategic placement of the beat drop. It's like, after you proclaim to the Lord that there is nobody else, you're like, "let me show You what I mean!" Please hep me clap for GilJoe x Nkay and Proud Refuge. Song Credits: Gil Joe, Nkay, Proud Refuge 2. Do: If you have heard this song, be honest: do you not have "That You do" stuck in your head? I'll be honest: I do! 😆 (see what I did there?) Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, when I first heard the song, I slept on it. But now, I can't sit still when it comes on. Gil Joe, well done. Jesus is the new wave! Song Credits: Gil Joe 3. Better: Seriously, Gil Joe's growth as a producer has grown so much from Maturity. Don't get me wrong, all the songs on Maturity are dope, but the songs on here are Better. See what I did there, again? Hehe. Song Credits: Gil Joe, Nkay 4. Shackles. Y'ALL!!! Y'ALL.!! Y'ALL! Y'all... I 😭 freaking love 😭 this 😭 song.😭 Okay. Okay. I will calm down. I promise: I am not overhyping this track. Everything about this track is a hit. The beat, the lyrics, the enthusiastic voices of Gil Joe and Nkay...even the timing fit! (the song came out when the Shaku shaku dance was in its prime). I mean, Shackles & Shaku shaku. This review practically wrote itself. Song Credits: Gil Joe, Nkay, 5. With Me: Whoever came up with the idea for Gil Joe and Nkay to release an EP together is a freaking genius! The drums on this track give me so much life. I really do believe that God still has so much for me when I hear this song. Gil Joe and Nkay have this uncanny ability to sing a song with swagger. As if the lyrics were created for that beat and the beat for that lyric. Nothing else fits. Song Credits: Gil Joe, Nkay 6. Since You Came: I honestly wish this song was longer. I really could listen to Mr. Nkay groove on this beat for hours. This song feels like a R &B -infused love song, and who better to sing a love song to, than the Lord of love Himself? Also, Nkay's voice on this track is probably the best I have ever heard it. Love, love, love it! Song Credits: Nkay 7. Issa No: This song is sassy! But you wouldn't know it if you weren't paying attention. In that classic chill Gil Joe x Nkay way, they saunter through this track with sass and swag. I am a fan of this song. Song Credits: Gil Joe, Nkay Nothing compares to when you sing a song for the Lord. It just fits. I think that is an apt word for this EP. "Fits." #AfroGospelToTheWorld fits and I'm a fan. Ten years late, hehe.
Watching Avatar put me in a headspace that I don't find myself in after a movie: simply happy. Not deeply joyful, or intensely moved. Just a simple kind of happy. Usually, my thoughts go a mile a minute, and I am either horribly indifferent, immensely fired up, or extremely elated. But since the credits began to roll, the slight smile on my face has stayed in place. I don't find myself mad that the bossy "Sky People" ignored all the history lessons that ever existed and tried to colonize the Na'vi people. I don't find myself deeply moved by the deaths or the romance or the psycho-biological connection the Na'vi people have to their land. I am just happy that good trumped bad. The guy got the girl. The bad people were sent out, and... everyone lived happily ever after. Of course, this remains to be seen as the sequels head to theaters soon. But till then, I am very content with this simple-kind-of-happy.
12/17/2018
Stay With Me by Ayobami AdebayoPhew.
Ms. Adebayo has a way with words. The way she has artfully portrayed the story of Yejide and Akin in Stay With Me is masterful. I did not, could not have, anticipated the way the story would pan out. When I initially wrote this review immediately after reading Stay With Me, I felt conflicted. I literally wrote that I had mixed feelings. Here's the thing: Ms. Adebayo didn't mince words whilst protraying the character's inner feelings, and she certainly did not mince words when discussing the um...relations betwixt* a husband and a wife. I want to say that everyone should read the book, because it is such a good book. Because Yejide and Akin and Dotun are human with human failures and maybe we'd see just how horrible life could be when we run to everything but God. Truly, running to God. But I don't want to say that everyone should read the book because of the unabashed bluntness that Ms. Adebayo employs in discussing the aforementioned relations. So.... Final verdict? Stay With Me is a great book that teaches important life lessons. But only for my mature cuties (both physically and spiritually). P.S. Here are two of my favorite sentences from Stay With Me: 1. "Two weeks before the armed robbers wrote us a letter, a new salon was set up right beside mine," 2. "I always thought they let him have his say and his way because they did not want to be responsible for his death" Ms. Adebayo writes some beautiful sentences. They are so expertly written that they manage to convey much more than the words they contain. *an old way of saying between. Blame Jane and the hundreds of P&P variations I have re
10/12/2018
Look Up Child by Lauren DaigleYes, this is a little late.
For those who don't know, I was working on releasing Part 2 of the Perfection in Love book series, so go check it out: https://www.radanny.com/the-perfection-in-love.html Wait! I didn't mean now...I mean, you can go now, but come back! Alright, my lovelies...onto the review: First of all, I would like to officially announce that I have given Lauren Daigle an honorary Nigerian citizenship; listen to her album, you'll understand why. Welcome to the family, OluwaLauren. Tracks 1. Still Rolling Stones: One of the best lines ever: "a song of revival/I put it on vinyl." Thank You Lord, You still bring us back to life. 2. Rescue: "I hear your S.OS., your S.O.S." There is something so quietly powerful about Lauren's voice on this track. It's like you hear God singing this song over you. (Zephaniah 3:17). You hear Him saying: "I will spread apart the heavens, reach down from on high and rescue you," (Psalm 18:9,16,18) 3. This Girl: This is my jam, y'all. "This girl ain't going anywhere/This girl ain't going anywhere," Lauren promises on this track, and so do I, Lord. So do I. 4. Your Wings: This song brings a smile to my face as I type right now. You've got me, Lord. One of my favorite artistic moments in this album is the little echo of "eh, eh, eh" in the background. The richness in that sound is so beautiful - it reminds me of Morgan Harper Nicole's voice. 5. You Say: The devil's lies do not make God's truth untrue. I believe the beauty of a chosen artist is when you can hear beyond the voice to the message. Lauren's voice is unbelievably melodious in this track, but I hear God's truth loud and clear. So, thanks for being a vessel, Lauren. 6. Everything: Oh, I love this song. I love this song. I really, really love this track. This song came to my life at a time when I did not feel like I was getting what I needed from God. I am tearing up a little as I write this, but He used Lauren to remind me that He gives me everything. Not some things. Not what He can afford. Everything. Darn, He is still reminding me even now. 7. Love Like This: If Everything reminded me that He gives me everything, Love Like This reminds me that He is everything I need. I don't think I understood what "when I am weak, He is my strength" meant till right now as I type this. His Love sees me, truly sees me - Hallelujah! - and fixes me. 8. Look Up Child: Every time I have heard this track, I have literally looked up and always, always smiled. Because my Father's eyes shine back at me with that unconditional Love, and I come undone. Okay, that "ooh, ooh, eh" moment is fighting for first place in my favorite artistic moment from this album. 9. Losing My Religion: I don't know why we always do the opposite of what God wants. But today, I gladly lose my religion alongside Lauren to find You, Jesus. 10. Remember: I don't always do a good job of remembering. At least not until I have remembered all the lies. But You were always there, weren't You? Also, the moments in this song...like are you kidding me? "I can't stop thinking about" that bridge. That bridge, though...Chei! 11. Rebel Heart: I know you are probably like, "if she says moment one more time..." But that piano moment in the chorus...like, what am I supposed to do? But give my rebel heart to God with swag as my shoulders move up and down to the beat. 12. Inevitable: This song leaves me speechless. You are inevitable; Your love is inevitable and I know I can never deserve that kind of loyalty. 13. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus: First of all, You, Jesus, are the Worker of Art that my eyes want to see everyday. Second of all, Morgan Harper Nichols and Lauren Daigle need to do a collaboration ASAP. Lauren Daigle is like the first gleam of dawn which shines ever brighter until the full light of day (Psalm 4:18). Keep being a vessel, girl. I love you! ❤️ But Daddy loves you more. ❤️❤️❤️
9/8/2018
Crazy Rich AsiansI have liked watching Constance Wu since I first saw her on Fresh Off the Boat.
I don't watch the show regularly, but it is always a joy whenever I happen to catch a few scenes here and there. It was with that same enthusiasm that I entered the theater Friday night to watch Crazy Rich Asians. It was a very romantic movie. A very, very romantic movie. Sorry, did I mention it was romantic? There is something so wow-some about a relationship where there is an inequality in almost everything but love, and that love is able to conquer all. Kind of reminds me of God's love. And that wedding scene y'all? I melted into a puddle of "awws" and "oh wows." Overall outlook: some of the acting was a little overboard for my taste, but all in all, it was the fun feel-good-Cinderalla-type movie that we all know and love.
9/4/2018
Blind by LimoblazeLimoblaze is the equivalent of 10 Mr. Bingleys, and he is all that a gentleman (ahem, Christian singer) should be.
I recently stumbled upon his songs on Spotify. I am not exaggerating when I say that I am a little reluctant to listen to other artists because I am afraid that they would pale in comparison, and my Jane Bennet sensibility cannot handle that. Every Limoblaze song is like a bar of Twix chocolate: a beautiful brown exterior filled with creamy caramel goodness and crunchy biscuit on the inside; just because the music is sweet does not mean the lyrics are not hard-hitting. Album Title: Blind Released in: 2016 (I don't know what rock I have been living under.)
|
AuthorAll posts by Ronke (unless otherwise indicated) Archives
June 2023
CategoriesAll 36 Day Challenge Contradictory Or Nah? Film Review GAMT Premier League Quasi-Reviews Regular Ish Story Time The Jane Review The Misadventures Of A Yoruba Girl Top Ten/ RAD List |