By the point December 2022 swung around, there was little or no doubt that YBNL newcomer Asake had been essentially the most propulsive voice in Afropop in a yr that had seen the genre turn decisively on its head. Asake’s run from earlier within the yr, after the breakout of his Olamide-assisted “Omo Ope” led to the discharge of his enchanting debut album Mr. Money With the Vibe, established crowded vocals, futuristic percussive elements, and iridescent amapiano-Fuji fusions as the brand new framework of Afropop while minting hits like “Sungba,” Terminator,” “Peace Be Unto You,” and “Organise.”
Keen to maintain his momentum going and further the narrative of his blistering come-up, Asake’s sophomore album, Work of Art, coming lower than a yr after his debut, presents an artist operating at a virtually peerless level. With production still majorly helmed by Magicsticks, the template stays largely the identical, but the dimensions of ambition is stratospheric as Asake goals to present his music as high art. Switching between effervescent live arrangements, jaunty hip-hop-adjacent beats, and classic African samples, the air on Work of Art is celebratory and zestful, with the singer’s compelling mix of Yoruba panegyrics and concrete slang adding color to songs like “Sunshine” and “Basquiat.” In a throwback to his Ololade Asake EP, label boss Olamide makes the one guest appearance here, contributing a standout verse on “Amapiano.” Still, mostly alone, Asake continues to take inspiration from his journey, spreading himself far and wide to channel bleary-eyed optimism on “Lonely on the Top” and hope on “I Imagine.” Across these 14 songs, Asake invites us into his latest reality and tells his story in vivid Technicolor.
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