Asa Fifth Highly AnticipatedAlbum “V” is Finally Here! Nigerian Singer Songwriter & producer Asa has finally dropped her new magnificient Album ist to the delight of fans.
V. This project is the 5th Studio Album by the French-born Nigerian legendary Singer, Songwriter & arguably the Pioneer of contemporary African Music in genres rnb/soul, jazz, neosoul & pop, ladies & gentlemen, Bukola Elemide popularly known as ASA. I listened to her project on impact Friday 25th February as it was released to popular music streaming platform Spotify and I was amused/stunned from track 1 to 10 on the beauty that is Asa’s Voice & this discography.
This project is a stand out from the previous Asa project ”LUCID” as it takes a very divergent sound pattern on each track like upbeat instrumentals, a bit of trap, fluid flows/verses, distinct narratives & has some features on it as well. The release of this project transcends with the new musical & creative culture/movement within the Nigerian youths shifting away from the traditional AfroBeats & African styles, patterns & sounds which blends or fuses multiple genres and is referred to as “Alte” in Nigeria. On this project, she features Afrobeats Top Tier if-not-biggest artiste & Sensational Singer Wizkid Also Known as Big Wiz on track 3 (IDG), Amazingly Talented Highlife Duo Singers, guitarist & drummer The Cavemen on track 7 (Good Times) & Sizzling hot & Sensational Afrofusion Singer Amaarae on track 9 (All I Ever Wanted).
The basis or entirety of this project “V” by Asa is the most powerful emotion and phenomenon that rules, binds and drives us as humans, LOVE. Following the release of this project she has been placed as the cover artiste of major playlists & countdowns across Nigeria, Africa & the World at large.
Tracklist
Track 1 (Mayana)
This was initially released as a single off the album in 2021, stirred a lot of fans to rave and made way for the release of the rest of Asa’s V album. Mayana is a funky feel good song which Asa sings about love, going away with her partner when the lights are out, both of them living(leaving) together and being forever, in a way that makes you happy, dance and wish that for yourself. Asa goes on to talk about how there’s nothing more than love and how people say “we’ll never make it out” (referring to she and her partner splitting), however regardless of what people say, they will ignore them, eat plenty fish and banana, then her partner will be her “Mayana” which means MOON (light in the dark) and also rhymes with the word “banana” in the previous line showcasing her lyricism. Watch the Video to this amazing track on Youtube below:
Track 2 (Ocean)
This was initially released as a single off the album V by Asa & has sprinkles of spectacular singer & songwriter, WurlD’s vocals on the adlibs. Ocean is a soothing song which Asa expresses her deep feelings to her partner; she talks about them taking it slowly & progressively just like the oceans flow. Asa tells him “I want you to know, boy you got the soul and the flow, and I know that we’re gonna live it out” meaning he has the potential and characters she admires, she continues by saying she thought he should know that there’s nothing she won’t do for him and there’s nowhere she won’t go with him, hence reassuring him about her love for him. As a guy listening to this, it sounds like a song I would love to hear the voice of my partner saying or singing to me, so I would experience or feelpeace and happiness in love just like the calm of the ocean as it flows back and forth to the tides or current. Head straight to Watch the visuals to this soothing track on Youtube below:
Track 3 (IDG)
IDG meaning “I DON GO” is a funky warmly crafted progressive afropop & rnb song which the guitars, piano & African drums sound harmoniously as Asa sings about living in the moment as everything belongs to God, going places where there is no love, however now she wants to find her way to feel and experience real love. Wizkid enters asking (probably his partner) to show him love, he talks about how he works hard just to chill and live a life so real. Wizkid says he tries to forget the worries of life, get a hold of his head and live a free life, however he says he doesn’t know if he needs love, but he’ll take it all, although he tells us to “check yourself you can’t have it all, vanity you can’t have it all” he then goes on to talk about seeing different kinds of love, so he knows if it’s real enough. Asa comes in again with the chorus followed by beautiful African melodies in Yoruba; she says she has gone a long distance to find her way to love, then finishes asking these questions “can I go down Soweto? How long can I go?”. Head straight to listen to this beautiful track on Spotify below:
Track 4(Nike)
In this song, Singer Asa talks about a story of meeting a fine boy who wears Nike, how he looks good, speaks good, turns her world around & how it feels good that they're making love, then she goes on to ask him how she could possibly love anyone else asides him when he gives her the world? Furthermore, she laments in pain saying "when I let my guard down, you throw me a bomb, you say you love me, still you break my heart" then goes on to say "I no fit love anyone anymore" because he broke her heart. Asa says he wanted her because he loved her energy, meanwhile she wanted him because she was lost (lust) to see, she reiterates how she cannot love anyone after all the things he did her in the chorus emphasizing how pained & heartbroken she felt which is touchy, therapeutic as I can relate, makes me connect and especially feel like I am not alone with these emotions. Head straight to listen to this track on Spotify below:
Track 5 (Show Me Off)
As the instrumentals of this track kicked off I was captivated to roll my waist to the beats like a professional salsa dancer or a football shot on the ground as it felt so good in my spines even though I am terrible at rolling my waist, lol (laughing out loud). After a few seconds in, Asa's beautiful voice commenced singing the chorus "show me off, show me to the world, I wanna live my life with you" twice, she continues talking about how her partner is like the beautiful sunrise in the morning, that when she looks in his eyes she feels mesmerized & he reminds her that she is lucky that he's the one she would live her life with. Asa who in this track sings so ecstatically like she has deeply found love again after the pains of heartbreak in track 4 (Nike) says she just wants to spend all her time with her partner, grow old with him and live life with him, so he should show her off to the world with no worries. She reassures him with these lyrics saying "you are the one, you are my heart, you are the one, you rock my day, you are the sun that lights my way, I never need to lose my way, you are the apple of my eyes, you are the highlight every day, you are the one that makes me happy every day, you give me joy, you make me smile, you make me laugh when i'm worried, you give me reason to be alive, I just want to spend it all with you and grow old with you and be in love with you, oh yea! I just want to live it up with you and grow old with you and be in love with you, oh yea!", she goes on to ask him "why don't you show me off?" then hits the chorus "show me off, show me to the world, I wanna live my life with you" thrice to end the song in a beautiful & perfect tone with adlibs complementing it. Head straight to listen to this splendid track on Spotify below:
Track 6 (Morning Man)
This track continues with a progressive beautiful melodic rnb/soul & afrobeats instrumental in rhythm to the previous track (Show Me Off). Asa starts off singing the chorus about how she is committed and wants to be the one to make him (her partner) smile everyday when he looks in her eyes, Asa says she wants to make him love and love again, make him never forget how it feels to be in love and furthermore reiterates how she wants to be the one to make him smile every day. Asa asks her "morning man" (I feel it means her partner who loves her 24hours a day, rather than love her occasionally, at night or discretely and leaves before daylight) to love her mad (intensely/unconditionally) and asks him to love her bad (like a villian loves evil, lol). She speaks the love languages; quality time, acts of service, word of affirmation & reassurance saying "I wanna be the one to make you never forget what it feels like to be with a woman in your life who knows what you really want, I want you to never forget what it feels when it's sunshine so bright all in the morning time when you wake up with a glow, you are my morning man oh!(my morning man) I wanna be with you darling, I wanna be the first thing you see early in the morning, as the sun rises you're my morning star", she goes on singing the chorus with beautiful adlibs to follow while making exclamations "Oh my God!" in joy, then finishes off calmly with "I want to be the one to make you smile everyday you look in my eyes, I want to be the one to make you love and love again, you are my morning man Oh! My morning man, my morning man" making her partner feel loved in entirety & wholeheartedly by her. Asa showed off her depth, craftsmanship and lyricism in professing her deepest emotions of love in the very short 2 minutes 29 seconds of this track and made magic. Head straight to listen to this track on Spotify below:
Track 7 (Good Times)
This is a song made with the beautiful melodies of African highlife sound which features dynamic duo THE CAVEMEN. It is about the memories and thoughts of friendships or friendly love, where their love and loyalty is unfailing, unconditional and understanding despite some situations that occur from actions you take that could make even some family members judge, reject and condemn you, their support remains solid and they do not backstab you. Head straight to listen to this track on Spotify below:
Track 8 (Believer)
This is a rnb/soul, neosoul & Afrobeats song with soothing feels & electric vibes that send chills down your spine from the chords of the guitar, nostalgic piano rolls, synth sounds and African drum rolls. Asa asks her partner to “tell me you’d give me the world” if he feels insecure, she’d still follow, the she says “even if you tell me something ridiculous like I don’t deserve your love, I still would follow” she says the least talk the loudest so she doesn’t care about what people say about them because his moving her she feels like she can rule the world, she makes his beat the loudest, so she feels some power around him that she can move the world, she asks “if I tell you say na me rule the world, then give you all you want, you would follow? if I tell you say I feel insecure cause I’m on top of the world, boy you would follow?” she goes on singing some melodies then the chorus “I’m a believer, I’m a believer, I’m a believer, I’m a believer, baby I’m a believer, I’m a believer, I’m a believer, I’m a believer “, meaning she wholeheartedly trust in loving the entirety of his existence and essence. Afterwards, Asa switches to a strong captivating synth guitar roll playing the chorus and finishes off with the chorus once more leaving us stunned. Head straight to listen to this track on Spotify below:
Track 9 (All I Ever Wanted)
This is a trap and rnb/soul song with versatile lyrical flows and beautiful sizzling hot vocals singing in Yoruba and English that leaves you bumping your heads sideways listening. Asa talks about all she ever wanted from her partner, which is making him hers, knowing he has got her back, knowing “Who? Why?”, Wanting to be his all but “he F**ked it up” making her feel like she was on top and the only one in the relationship which I think probably means that because of her fame and wealth, he framed her of being possessive or bossy to him. Asa hits the chorus in Yoruba talking about wanting to be the way they were before, then Amaarae steps in with her sultry vocals serenading us singing and rapping intensively and explicitly about how her relationship was in the past which you should head straight to listen to below
Track 10 (Love Me Or Give Me Red Wine)
This is a super-exciting feel good track that gets you in the mood for a spontaneous dance at any time the instrumentals come on and it sets on a perfect tone to end the beautiful fifth album “V” from super talented legendary singer Asa. Asa begins this track asking “why why you no tell me? We’ve been through this before and you know it, make me look a fool now i'm bawling" she asks now that he's gone who's going to love her? she's in doubt because she heard it from the grapevine (rumors), she tells him despite everything still she's here and she won't leave as she feels they will find a way together and there's no other way as he is all she needs. She asks him "Why why you no warn me? Instead, you pick your things and walk away, Why won't you tell me oh! Tell me what's on your mind" yet she insists again saying "Still I'm here, I no go anywhere, Let's find a way, There's no one else, You're all I need...", she sings in hurt singing in yoruba, then finishes off telling him "Don't make me, Don't make me go down" or don't "give me red wine" which in this context I think means losing it or suffering heartbreak but remaining friends, while she rather needs him to love her. Head straight & Listen to this spectacular track directly on Spotify and read the lyrics attached below:
LOVE ME OR GIVE ME RED WINE LYRICS
Why why you no tell me We've been through this before and you know it Make me look the fool, now I'm bawling Now that you are gone, who's gonna love me Why why you no kiss me Say baby I don't love you any more I heard it through the grapevine (Oooh) Love me or give me red wine Why why oh, why why oh Why why oh, why why oh Why why oh, why why oh Baby I'm asking you Why why o
Still I'm here I no go anywhere Let's find a way There's no one else You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need There's no one else
Lol Iol Ello be de di do we Lol Iol Ello ba ba di do we Ello wa mello wa Ello ba ba di do we Ello ske ske lo mo de Tan tan lo mo be A da da
Why why you no warn me Instead, you pick your things and walk away Why won't you tell me ooooh Tell me what's on your mind Why why oh, why why oh Why why oh, why why oh Why why oh, why why oh Baby I'm asking you Why why o
Still I'm here I no go anywhere Let's find a way There's no one else You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need You're all I need There's no one else
Lol Iol Ello be de di do we Lol Iol Ello ba ba di do we Ello wa mello wa Ello ba ba di do we Ello ske ske lo mo de Da tan lo mo be Lol Iol Ello be de di do we Lol Iol Ello ba ba di do we Ello wa mello wa Ello ba ba di do we Ello ske ske lo mo Don't make me Don't make me go down
V showed us to a different ASA world, which is super versatile and very relatable as the emotion love which was emphasized on is the most powerful force among humans. This Album definitely met up & exceeded the expectations of what the project was presumed to be. Overall, the feel of this Album is soothing, energetic, inspirational, highly spiritual, splendid & captivating to us as listeners of Legendary, Phenomenal and Super Creative Singer Bukola Elemide, ASA. ASA stuns us from A-Z with this relatable & spectacular well-crafted unique body of work, from her splendid vocals, to the beats, flows & lyrics to the records production, creative direction in the videos & down to even the beautiful cover art of her. I would like to say a Big Thank You & Congratulations to ASA, the featured artistes, P Priime the producer and her amazing Team for creating this spirit-lifting beautiful body of work and for taking a huge step to make this project stand out from the usual or regular Nigerian Afrobeats or traditional music showing off ASA’s incredible artistry and versatility in full form. – Pi THE MOON SAGE, Natchsville.
BUY OR STREAM "V - ASA"
#Asa #V #Album #Wizkid #TheCavemen #Amaarae #PPriime #WurlD #Download #Stream #Buy #Play #Music #Mp3 #Mp4 #M4a #Zip #Nigeria #Lagos #Platoon #AyoBalogun #RnBSoul #RnB #Soul #Jazz #Pop #Afrobeat #African #French #Paris #British #Carribean #Spotify #AppleMusic #YouTube #YouTubeMusic #Audiomack #SoundCloud #Amazon