I have the attention of the whole team – not just Tunji. I’m grateful that I have his ears and his attention. Having an Ilorin boy being the A&R as well, and the executive producer is just the best feeling in the world. Do you want to know where you should be promoted? How you should be sold?īut my case is so different. A lot of people are signing Afrobeat artists but then they don’t understand what to do with them. Having somebody understand what direction I should be heading is the best feeling. Having somebody that understands the sound is amazing. How has it been at your new label home, Def Jam – specifically working with fellow Nigerian and CEO Tunji Balogun? Yoruba is a beautiful language, and I don’t even try to even explain it. For the most part, I don’t… because in music there is no limitation. If the word or phrase sounds better in Yoruba, I’ll leave it. Generally speaking, on your latest album, you have a way of flowing back and forth between the two. I’ve seen people call me a “Yoruba singer” … as if being a Yoruba singer is a bad thing ( laughs).Ī lot of recent popular Afro songs are in English or have very little Yoruba or other African language. You know in the past I’ve been made to feel like my music was local. How does that feel to see your music and Afro music as a whole become even more global? You’ve talked about performing in non-English and non-African countries and having fans singing every lyric of your songs. You’ve been creating music for a long time, but within the last 2-3 years there’s been a huge uptick in listeners. Highly sought-after Nigerian producer Kel-P also produced several songs on the project.īelow, Gold tells Variety about the intricacies behind the making of his new album, opens up about his upcoming tour and shares praise for his new label home. Balogun also served as an A&R on the project, and Gold heavily credits him for his overall creative insight as a Nigerian executive. “Tequila Ever After” also marks Gold’s first release under Def Jam and under the creative direction of executive producer and CEO Tunji Balogun. It stands out with Rodger’s strings at its instrumental forefront and lyrically sees Gold reflecting on his blessings over a sonic mix of Afrobeats with traditional African choir elements and modern EDM/Amapiano. This approach also allows non-Afropop artists (take for example R&B songstress Coco Jones on “Make it Easy”) to seamlessly adapt to his vibe and shine in their own lane.Īlbum highlight “Falling Up” with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers appears near the end of the tracklist and presents itself as one of Gold’s most experimental songs to date. Declaring himself “Tio Tequila,” Gold can be found teetering between his native language Yoruba and English fluidly across the set. Inspired by Gold’s first-time experience with tequila in 2022, his latest album positions itself as a songbook of conversations with friends, his romantic partner and Gold himself. The Nigerian-born singer released his debut album “Gold” back in 2016 amid the global rise of African music and has been captivating the hearts and ears of fans all over the world ever since. “Tequila Ever After” comes off the heels of his 2022 album and tour, both aptly titled “Catch Me If You Can,” which featured Davido, Ty Dolla $ign and a plethora of other artists from across the diaspora.
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