Annatoria delivers this multi-lingua afrobeats song in English, with bits of Shona, Broken and Spanish in the key of C sharp minor…. vocalises a lot like Brandy…her riffs and runs are executed intricately, with precision and speed…
It is almost like every line climaxes on its own. Sopriye’s vocals are so fluid, delicious and easy to follow. She does have an extensive vocabulary of riffs and runs that are neither obtrusive nor overpowering in any way, but at the same time are very correct and authoritative. Everytime I think of her vocal dexterity, I think of the scripture…
…taking me back to Rita Springer’s ‘Defender’. I like the background vocals matching Mandisa’s energy. Mandisa’s vocals have a slightly operatic flavour and I love how she glides…
Kim Weston’s vocalising on D major has a reggae flavour, much like Bob Marley’s. Her intense vibrato throbs and pulsates through all three verses of the anthem. Weston indeed growls with heavy passion, in complement to the chimes of the organ, which is also intensified with the bass as the song fades out. My favourite notes are do ‘Do re me se la’ at ‘facing the rising sun’. I love how her voice bounces off the time signature as the…
Laraa throws in beautiful melismas here and there in the second verse, with the digital violin also making its debut. The ‘sltdr’ from the piano takes me back to Chidinma’s ‘Jehovah Overdo’. Actually, it’s the other way round. #checckit! here. Laraa’s vocals are so light and smooth, I bet she has the whistle range…
Ada has an incredibly calming country twang resting on this worshipy pop beat. The back ups are mellow on this track, but I can hear Ada’s steady focus in every syllable as she keeps hammering on ‘Everything’. It takes me back to Ada’s live rendition of ‘Cheta’ at her London tour…
Chidinma’s palpable passion always shines through in her vocals, and she belts beautifully, switching to mixed voice in the same breath at ‘Hallowed be your name’. The back ups have a raspy effect, which sort of reminds me of Mercy Chinwo actually, especially when there is a match pitch at ‘Oya take my heart, I give it to you, it belongs to you…’
Drille sorta has a natural country drawl in his vocals, which is perfect for his ‘I Can Only Imagine’ cover. At the chorus, the quartet comes in richer, adding more colour and emotion to the piece. Johnny takes the chorus to the descant immediately, without…
Judikay’s lyrical style exhibits her exquisite Nigerianness in the line ‘It can never ever exist o’ and how she lists characters from the bible, making the song more colourful. Her harmonies are incredibly happy and bright. Her vocal style reminds me of Jekayln Carr and Mercy Chinwo a bit with rich highs and lows, but she is slightly…
Bunmi’s alto range is simply a breath of fresh air on this bluesy piece. Her cover of Elijah Rock is slower paced to Mahalia’s tap dancey one. The cover starts with notes from the organ and beats from the drums. Her tone is all round rich…
