Review of "Awesome God" by Deji King

There is an attribute common to all the great musicians that have made names in entertainment industry. That is “Uniqueness of Style”. Deji king is a JujuGospel musician who has created his distinctive style which manifests in his debut single titled “Awesome God”, set to be released on Sunday, 30^th of October, 2016.

The review of “Awesome God” by Deji King is written in full in the subsequent paragraphs.

THEME

“Awesome God” is based on praises of the Supreme Being. This is a universal theme, a kind which can be related to by young and old, male and female, Christian and Muslim since everybody has one reason or the other to sing praises of God.

LYRICS

The lyric of “Awesome God” is well crafted and Deji King expresses his dexterity by directing it towards the title of the song.

The title of the song is hooked as it is given a good melody and appears at the first line of the chorus.

VOCALS

One of the factors that give Deji King his uniqueness in the music industry is his voice. He is blessed with warm and expressive voice, and he makes use of this to his advantage on “Awesome God”.

The Verse section is rendered monophonically (single voice) while the chorus section is in homophonic texture (more than one voice) to build excitement and to lift the hook (awesome God) of the song.

MELODY

The melody of “Awesome God” is attention-grabbing as Deji King creates different in each section (verse and chorus) of the song.

INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT

The instrumental background of “Awesome God” by Deji king is appealing and tells story. The accompaniment style of each section is distinct. The Verse is accompanied in a staccato style (detached notes) while the accompaniment style of the chorus is characterizes by fluidity. This is an element of contrast.

FORM

The overall design of “Awesome God” is;

Into- Verse1- Chorus -Instrumental Interlude- Verse2- Chorus.

In conclusion, Deji king really proves he has what it takes to be great in the music industry through his debut single, “Awesome God” and the song is worth being on the playlist of every person who see a necessity in praising the living God.

Read more about Deji King here

Review of "Okunkun E Ye Wa" by Demola Suzi

The song, “Okunkun e ye wa” was written and recorded by Demola Suzi and produced by KYteno. The music is rendered in Ikale dialect (a dialect found in Yoruba language, spoken by the people of Okitipupa and Irele local Government areas in Ondo State). 

“Okunkun e ye wa” by Demola Suzi, in spite of all odds, became a success and really extended his (Demola Suzi) fan base. The achievement of this song has its root on Piggybacking (riding on the back of something that already has its audience). Demola Suzi ingeniously wrote this song to express the pain and displeasure of total blackout in the southern senatorial district of Ondo State  and, as a result , gained the attention of all the people concerned.

In the subsequent paragraphs, I will write about other things that contributed to the success of the song and I will highlight the lessons songwriters, arrangers and producers can learn from “Okunkun e ye wa”.

Form of the music

The overall structure of “Okunkun e ye wa” by Demola Suzi is:

Intro-Chorus-Verse1-Chorus-Instrumental Interlude-Verse2-Chorus-Chorus-Coda(outro)

Intro

“Okunkun e ye wa” by Demola Suzi starts off with a fascinating instrumental introduction led by Brass (synth) which signifies “clarion call” (kéééére òòò). The intro creates unity in the whole work as it reoccurs after the second chorus at 3:18. It also sets the mood for the music as it starts with moderately slow tempo which is maintained throughout the music to express the theme of the work- “Expression of displeasure”.

Lyrics

The lyrics of “Okunkun e ye wa” is inspiring and heart-warming . No wonder, it stirs the consciousness of the listeners.

Melody

Demola Suzi is so dexterous as he keeps the melody of each section (verse, chorus, coda) of the song different despite the fact that all is built on the same chord progression. This creates interest to the listeners.

Another thing to note in this music is the BALANCE BETWEEN UNITY AND CONTRAST which always stands out great songs.

Elements of unity

·        The intro is repeated after the second chorus.

·        The same chord progression for all the sections.

Elements of contrast

·        Each section of the music has unique melody.

·        The fourth chorus at 5:05 is made different as it is rendered in acappella but accompanied with clave, contrasting to how listener has perceived the chorus in preceding section.

·        The coda or outro also comes up with new melody.

Lessons for songwriters

·        Hook your title. The title of “Okunkun e ye wa” by Demola Suzi is hooked. It comes up at the first line of the chorus, it is tuneful and easily remembered.

·        Introduce the hook as early as possible. The hook of “Okunkun e ye wa” is introduced at 0:59.

·        Bring out the emotional message of your song by all means. Demola Suzi expresses the emotional message of “Okunkun e ye wa” through his vocals, instrumental and tempo of the music.

·        The secret of great music lies in the balance between unity and contrast. Demola Suzi tells the world through “Okunkun e ye wa” that he knows what it takes to cook a great song as he reaches balance between unity and contrast.

·        Finally, you have to learn from the prowess of Demola Suzi in the area of piggybacking, to extend your fan base.

 Okunkun E Ye Wa mp3

The Magic in Aramide's 'Feeling this feeling'

Feeling this feeling by Aramide lyrics
download feeling this feeling mp3 file here

     "You can't build a relationship with everybody in the room when you don't care about anybody in the room" John Maxwell.

     In this series, we have discussed how to make people relate to your song using "common ground" and "hooking the title of your song". This edition of the series is based on "using a universal theme/title".
     A theme is the central idea of your song- Deep love, love found, heartbroken,etc. A theme is considered universal when it can be related to by the majority of people. Most people want love. When the theme is a part of life that most people experience, that is a universal theme. Conversely, a personal theme represents what can be related to by only you. For instance, if your song is about "How I Met Mary", you may be strongly related to the song but not everybody will relate to that.
     Aramide rode on this concept to make people relate to her song "Feeling This Feeling". A theme/title almost everybody can relate to since we all love and love is about feeling.
     The subsequent paragraphs contain the other things that contribute to the success of "Feeling This Feeling" by Aramide and the lessons songwriters, and music producers will learn from the song.

Form
The overall form of the music is:
intro- verse1- chorus- verse2- chorus- bridge- chorus- chorus- coda

Vocals
The voice of the singer is so pathetic that it arouses listener's emotion. In other words, Aramide expressed the emotional content of the music through her vocal.
     The brilliant vocal pads introduced in the chorus add to the beauty of the music. Besides, the vocal accompaniment introduced towards the end of verse2 adds intensity to the chorus that comes after it and lays emphasis on the hook ("feeling the feeling......................." )

Melody
The melody of "Feeling This Feeling" by Aramide is tuneful. The melody of each section is unique. The most interesting part is that the melody of the chorus is higher in pitch than that of the verse to emphasize the hook.

Bridge
The bridge creates the contrast that really makes the entire song interesting. The bridge is instrumental while the verses and the chorus are vocal.

Coda (outro)
"Feeling This Feeling" ends with a coda that is made up entirely of the hook of the song.

Lessons

• Carefully chose a theme/title that is universal. A title that will be easily related to by majority of people.
• Strive to bring out the emotional content of your song.

The Review of 'Bring it on' by P Square featuring Dave Scott

 

P Square

     One thing that is common to all the hit songs I have listened to over the years is that they connect with the audience. Great musicians always find ways to make people identify with their songs. The first part of how to make people relate to your songs was based on using common ground. This edition of the series is ‘hooking the title of your song’. This is very important if you want the listeners to connect and relate to your song. The perfect example of this is found in ‘Bring it on’ by P Square.

     The strength of ‘Bring it on’ by P Square lies in the placement of the title/hook within the song. P Square made the title of the song the hook and ingeniously place it at the strategic places where it will resonate with the audience i.e. the intro and the chorus.

     Let’s take a look at the elements that make ‘Bring it on’ a masterpiece.

Form

Intro- verse 1- pre chorus- chorus- verse 2- pre chorus- chorus- pre chorus- chorus

Intro

     ‘Bring it on’ by P Square begins with a simple piano arpeggiated ostinato (repeated piano riff) which creates unity by also serving as the background to the music. This intro is followed by the announcement of the hook of the song- Bring it on. This intro set the mood for the whole music.

Melody

     The melody of ‘Bring it on’ is very interesting as each section of the song has its distinct melody. This is an element of contrast that P Square employed to captivate the audience.

Lyrics

     The lyrics of the song is well crafted and built towards the title of the song. See the lyrics of ‘Bring it on’.

Instrumental Arrangement

     ‘Bring it on’ by P Square is accompanied with a compelling instrumental arrangement which can independently take the listeners through the journey. The instrumentation begins lightly at the verse, gradually build up to the climax and break towards the end of the chorus to set the pace for another verse.

Vocals

     Both P Square and Dave Scott applied energy in their vocals. They expressed their feeling through their vocals. Distinct voice texture of the singers is another thing that holds the attention of the listeners.

Lessons to be learnt from ‘Bring it on’ by P Square featuring Dave Scott

• ·         Give the title of your song a captivating melody. For a melody to be interesting, it should be easily remembered and not overly complex.

• ·        Place the title at the strategic places in the song. Especially, first line of the chorus should contain the title

• ·        Introduce the hook of your song as early as possible.

           'Bring it on' mp3 file

REVIEW OF "GOD WIN" by KOREDE BELLO

  

   “If you can learn to pinpoint how those around you experience the world, and really try to experience the same world they do, you’ll be amazed at how effective your communication will become.” Terry Felber.

     Korede Bello understands the above notion. He really studies his audience (Nigerian populace) and sees things through their eyes.

     Psychologically, Nigerians- old and young, male and female, rich and poor attribute their success or failures to the Supreme Being (God). This is what someone once termed “Nollywood Mentality” because that is what is portrayed in Nigerian films.

     Korede Bello utilizes this common ground (Nollywood Mentality) to connect with his audience and come up with the phrase “God Win” which is related to by the whole Africans.

     “God Win” was written and performed by Korede Bello and produced by Don Jazzy.

Intro

     “God Win” by Korede Bello starts off with a rhythmic instrumental intro which is only percussion and followed by a vocal cue that set the pace for the first verse. This instrumental intro creates unity in the work as it also serves as the percussive background to the verses.

Vocals

     Captivating voice of the singer really adds to the beauty of the song. Another interesting thing in the vocal is the expressive “vocal pad” that adds energy to the chorus of the song.

Lyrics

     The lyric of “God Win” is heart-warming as it builds around the hook (God win) of the song. The hook comes up at least once in every line of the verses while the chorus is composed of the hook.

Instrumental Arrangement

     The song is accompanied with a creative instrumental arrangement. It is kept distinct in different section of the song (verses and chorus). The instrumental accompaniment in the verses is dominated by percussion. A strong string section and a powerful bass guitar riff are added to heighten the chorus of the song. Again, the verse and chorus have difference in chord progression.

Form

The form of the song is:

 intro- verse1- chorus- verse2- chorus- verse3- chorus- verse4- chorus- chorus- codetta.

Lessons to Be Learnt From “God Win” by Korede Bello

•   You have to see your song writing as communication. Have your audience in mind when you are writing your song. In other words, see yourself in the world of your audience. This will trigger their emotion and they will relate to your song.

•   Build your song off the hook and place the hook at strategic places in the song. If this is done correctly, listeners will hold onto the hook after the first listening.

Download "God Win" by Korede Bello mp3 file

"God Win" lyrics

Review of 'Iyawo Mi' by Timi Dakolo

Timi Dakolo

     Great songs are not just assumed to be great. They possess some features which stand them out of the crowd. This write up is based on the review of 'Iyawo Mi' written and performed by Timi Dakolo and produced by Cobhams Asuquo.

     In this review, I am going to cover the features that make the song a masterpiece; the intro, melody, vocals, instrumental arrangement and the outro. After that, I will highlight the lessons which songwritters, upcoming musicians, music arrangers and producers can learn from this music.

Intro

     'Iyawo Mi' by Timi Dakolo begins with an eight-measure exciting instrumental Intro which subtly reveals the melody of the Chorus of the song.

Melody

     The Melody of the song is interesting. Melody of each section (verse, chorus and coda) of the song is unique. Another thing that makes the melody of the song strong is that the highest note of the melody is hit in the chorus.

Vocals

     The singer's voice is very expressive. He expresses his feeling through his vocal. It could also be said that the singer lives in the song because his voice triggers the emotion of the listeners.

Lyrics

     The Lyrics of the song is original and meaningful as all the sections build up to the title of the song and it is universal. That is, anyone can relate to it.

Instrumental Arrangement

    The instrumental arrangement of this music is accomplished as it creates interest throughout. The relationship between the vocal and instrumental accompaniment is 'Contrapuntal'. In other words, the melody of the instrumental is independent but complements that of the vocals and there is dialogue between the vocals and instrumental accompaniment.

Coda

     'Iyawo Mi' by Timi Dakolo is rounded off with a Coda (outro) which brings something new to the music in terms of chord progression and style. It is based on 'I, vi, ii, V' chord progression, which contrasts what the listeners have heard in the preceding sections.

        Lessons to be Learnt from 'Iyawo Mi' by Timi Dakolo

• It is good to craft the 'Intro' from a section of the song you are working on. This will create unity in your work.
• Melody of each section of your work should be different. This will create contrast.

• Express the meaning of your song emotionally through your vocal.

Download 'Iyawo Mi' by Timi Dakolo mp3 file  here
Get the lyrics of 'Iyawo Mi' here