Chike achieves a fine balance of RnB and pop on 'Son of Chike'.
Chike's music brings together listeners who yearn for the mesmeric sonics of RnB steeped in Nigerian cultural richness and familiarity.
It's through this fine musical blend that Chike sang his way into the hearts of listeners whose patronage brought him the success and fame to crave Popstar status.
His sophomore album 'The Brother's Keeper' displayed his yearning for Popstar status with the music notably different from the smooth domesticated RnB of his brilliant debut. While his ambition was appreciated, his sophomore album struggled to connect with listeners.
It's this fine balance as an RnB singer flying the Igbo cultural flag while showcasing an admirable ability to craft pop records that Chike achieves on his third album 'Son of Chike'.
A quintessential RnB star, Chike wears his hearts on his sleeve with music driven by melting melodies, heartfelt lyrics, poignant delivery, and a rich infusion of his Igbo culture down to the cover art that ties the project into a wholesome piece.
Chike offers his honest take on the complications of romantic relationships through songs that convey his yearnings as well as his hurt while striking a fine balance of RnB and Pop shaped by his Igbo heritage and Afrobeats production curated by his long-term collaborated Deeyaso.
Chike shares his desire to choose peace and tranquility over negativity in the opener where he sings his way into the hearts of listeners while displaying the elevated penmanship of an RnB star next to Ladipoe's swaggering verse.
He wears his heart on his sleeves in a yearning for love and romantic bliss on the love anthems 'Apple,' 'Ego Onyinbo,' and the Ogene and Highlife driven 'Mma (Beauty)' which adds to his rich repertoire of wedding serenading tunes and give the album mid-point a definitive Igbo cultural core.
To love is to hurt, and Chike shares the painful side of romantic adventures on 'Someone,' where he shares the hurt of unrequited love. He teams up with fast-rising sensation Qing Madi, who dazzles on the mid-tempo 'Your Loss' where they offer heartfelt love while maintaining a resolve to not settle for less.
Chike's dismissiveness to a love interest on the log drum punctuated 'Not Your Daddy' introduces listeners to a rather bad boy side of the soft singing sensation this writer curiously hopes to get in larger doses in his future projects.
'Son Of Chike' gets a fine balance of pop cuts shaped by Amapiano log drum and an infusion of his Igbo heritage. Chike crafts a chart-topping party-starter in 'Egwu' featuring the late Street pop sensation Mohbad, he swaggers on his declaration of love on 'Lifetime Love' where he mirrors Asake's cadences, and he recruits Afrobeats seasoned hitmaker Olamide and emerging star Amaeya to share the message of hope and a better tomorrow on the log drum-driven 'One Day'.
While Chike enjoys crafting heartfelt romantic numbers, there's the other side of him that stretches beyond the desire to simply entertain. This part of him introspects as he strives to understand his limitations and purpose. Chike embraces his flaws while striving to be better on 'Balance Am' before restating his faith in the superior power of the spiritual force that shapes his journey on the serenading closing ballad 'Man Not God'.
Four years, three albums, and several awards later, Chike's beautiful journey with 'Son of Chike' holds up his status as an RnB sensation with superstar ambitions.
0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fail
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.6/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.5/2
Production: 1.5/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.5/2
Execution: 1.6/2
TOTAL - 7.7
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