Music Review: Mr Eazi’s “Something Else” EP

Only a month ago, Mr Eazi had released his fourth studio project, an EP, which is named “Something Else”. It is a five track EP, with a duration of 12 minutes 47 seconds. . A sort of comeback for the Afrobeats singer, whose fans, I believe, have been itching to hear something from him in a while.

The lead single, “The Don”, is a man talking of his ‘boss’ status. Mr Eazi subtly sings of how much work he put in to get where he is now; there is money now, and he likes to mind his business. The song is afrotrap. The instrumentation includes kick drum, snare drum, and well struck piano chords, which complement his voice. Clearly, he knows his worth, and is not hesitant on letting us know.

Everyone likes love, and would readily express their love whenever the opportunity presents itself. On “Love For You”, the message is clear —he promises to be loyal to his love interest— which is delivered in his signature Banku music sound. The beat, especially its guitar strings, is soothing and would make you want to listen more than once. Though, I think more could have been done with the depth of the lyrics, it is still a possible anthem at weddings.

“Cherry”, featuring Kenyan-born songstress Xenia Manasseh, is a follow up to the previous track. It begins with the chorus, a request for sex from the girl he likes. Xenia (with a good vocal range) in her verse, says, to who cares to listen that she’ll oblige the request for the cherry, only if, the requester will not catch feelings (get emotional) after the act. The harmony of the drum snare, kick drum, and the piano is beautiful. Here, Mr Eazi made something uptempo and for the dance floor, still within his afrobeats niche.

It is known that a number of countries in the Middle East are blessed with huge deposits of natural resources. Saudi Arabia is one of such countries. From which, the titular for the fourth track on this project is derived. It explores love; an awareness of his woman being a gift, and a promise to cherish her, just like one would cherish gold and silver found in Saudi Arabia. It is an upbeat tune, yet, one can relax whilst listening to it.

“E Be Mad”, an high-life rendition, is the final track on the EP. The thrilling guitar strings at the start was good, and sets the tone for the song. The accompanying saxophone, piano, drum snare, and kick drums, harmonize nicely. In the first few lines, it tells of how a lover has become a ‘final bus stop’ —no games, just him focused on loving her intensely. Furthermore, he narrates the quality of love showered on him, thus, he is ready to replicate much more affection no matter what it takes him. In an interview with OkayAfrica correspondent, Nnamdi Okirike, Mr Eazi describes this song as “a sort of a guitar-led beach vibes”.

The project cover is of a picture postcard bearing Mr Eazi’s face; on the ‘addressed to’ column, the track list is written in an encrypted manner; the project’s title & artist’s name are at the bottom right corner. At the base of the postcard, is an aerial view of an African city, maybe Lagos or Accra. The reason for the inclusion of the photograph of this city may be unknown to me, but it is artlike, nonetheless.

Finally, on this project, I think the A&R did a great job with song(s) selection and arrangement. I hear this, particularly the last track “E Be Mad”, is the new direction his music will take. This is information to hold on to, as we await a forthcoming album from Mr Eazi.

Rating: 3/5

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