All is immensely fair-and-square in the effectuation of opulence, vogue and music! A within reason enthralling detailed galactic trot that imparts a sweeping arch of concurrence — radiating every lifestyle brand’s dream. Passion with true purpose, what gigantic bird’s eye view chemistry boom cake at first glance — between Ralph Lauren and
Significantly perpendicular on top, a lot is massively riding on the American publicly traded fashion troupe’s sailplaning promulgation of the launch of its red-hot Polo Oud — a 2023 well-grooved fragrance for men, backed by a campaign starring the ‘Love Nwantiti’ and ‘Emiliana’ Nigerian Emo-Afrobeat opus godhead.
What is perhaps to the highest degree adulatory about this staggeringly stunning international fragrance brand deal, is that it coincided with the one-year anniversary (September 23) commemoration of the debut full-bodied work of tonal pattern — ‘Sad Romance’ — by the latter, who surpassed 1 billion solo streams on Spotify last August. Before then, CKay, who is bossing with over 3.5 billion streams to his repute — dead on target — threaded his needle, intensely frustrating the stiffer improbable to its knackered knockout blow. Now heavily basking in some good fortune, his on the dot gilded double champagne bit was heralded through a — joy to watch and take heed to — finer acoustic performance of his scrumptious canon ‘Capture My Soul’, initially aided by Joeboy.
CKay crystallises his Emo-Afrobeats major planet — which tattle stalwarts have long enjoyed. As the “most streamed artist of the year” in 2021, he takes center stage behind an upright piano, with a ballerina keeping the frame, while dancing next to him. Together filled with perfect qualities, looking spectacular as always in a straight-from-the-shoulder display of a coherent interplay between singable composition and dance!
Not to pass the buck, by becoming the first African artist to be the face of a Ralph Lauren fragrance franchise, the ability to sustain the magic is undeniably enormous for CKay — known off-stage as Chukwuka Ekweani. Very overmuch in the pocket and sauce, Ralph Lauren Corporation was set up in 1967 by iconic American fashion designer Ralph Lauren — illustrious for creating sempiternal designs that transcends trends. The cosmopolitan multibillion-dollar enterprise, which produces merchandise ranging from the mid-range to the luxury segments, is the exclusive official parade outfitter for the US Olympic and Paralympic teams.
Ambitiously partnering with the United States Olympic Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as well as 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio — was a thunderous diachronic deal! Stepping to the line and legacy it will continue to reign in, it is famed for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. Of olfactory perception, each of the latter voyages of intrigue formulated evokes a chiseled personality in the Ralph Lauren tradition. Unshakable and unstoppable, in 1978, the initial Ralph Lauren fragrances — Lauren for women, and Polo the men’s cologne — were launched at Bloomingdale’s.
Primitively made by Warner-Lauren, Ltd — L'Oréal now brings forth the Ralph Lauren fragrances for men and women. That is to say World of Polo (Polo, Polo Blue, Polo Black, Polo Red), Ralph Lauren Romance, Midnight Romance as well as the Big Pony Collections For Women and For Men — which if spritz onto pulse points (wrists, nape of neck, behind knees and ears or inside elbows) — are indisputable intense and have the lengthy lasting strength. Always the grooviest creative person ever, pulling up feats such as the “most Shazam-ed song in the world”, where CKay comes from, there is a reason and purpose. Wonderful identical attributes that have projected him to stardom, therewith, hiving away over 15 billion graphical views on video-focused social networking service — Tik Tok.
Taking the get-up-and-go donkeywork plan of attack towards his chanted sonic jostle — prior to hatching his first studio album (‘Sad Romance’), over the course of his career; the vocalist, composer and producer solidified his Emo-Afrobeats soundscape with mood shifting EPs (extended plays). The most convincing ‘Who The F**k is CKay’ (2017), splendid ‘CKay The First’ (2019), before squirming the screw further with ‘Boyfriend’ (2021) — efficaciously awash of handicraft blues.
Flexing his funk, on ‘Sad Romance’ CKay tapped Davido an American-Nigerian singer, ballad maker and record producer, Ayra Starr a Beninese-born Nigerian singer, Focalistic a South African rapper and Amapiano chief lyricist, Cape Verde-born vocalist Mayra Andrade, and Ronisia a Cape Verde French urban pop songbird. Cocksure the latter tempo royalties would croon trills that could have lasting cozy loops on listeners.
‘You’, ‘Mmadu’, ‘Come Close’, ‘Watawi’ [‘What Are We?’], ‘Samson and Delilah’, as well as ‘Lose You’ — make up a bonnie ball of smash lullabies rolled out on this 12-track tuneful offering, calved last 12-month. To judge from the out-and-out magnitude of distinctive flavour in magnificence, on an otherwise impressive year, this imperishable period of time has silk-lined CKay’s stamina and streetwise operation. His beyond doubt intercontinental sleeper record ‘Love Nwantiti’ has been the jam that keeps on giving. In any case bringing home the bacon — going (4x) platinum in the United States and (20x) platinum in India — ‘Love Nwantiti’ won a BMI Award earlier in the 12-month period.
CKay has also been on stage throughout this time period — both locally and abroad — turning up volumes with heart stopping bangers that torr venues down. In the second half of the 12-month, he has been featured in Spotify’s ‘Afrobeats Journey to a Billion Streams’ — which chronicles Afrobeat’s trajectory in the global euphony landscape. Chockablock of dynamism, the streaming service ranks CKay as the fourth Top Afrobeats Artist (Global).
Beforehand this year, the hearable sensation maestro released a ‘Sad Romance Remix’ package. The cantabile sculpt is a hub of toothsome anthems remixes. ‘By Now’ (an Amapiano version produced by Disc Jockeys OG Sterling x Arieenati of the Nigerian producer collective — On Some Fly Shit!), as well as a re-imagination of ‘Emiliana’ by DJ Yo! and AX’EL — take the lion’s share.
On June 16 the deluxe edition of ‘Sad Romance’ was foaled. The latter work of melody features four speckless hits namely ‘Nwayi’ (Igbo word for ‘woman’), ‘Capture My Soul’ on which CKay was assisted by Joeboy a songster, ‘Hallelujah’ alongside rapper Blaqbonez, as well as ‘Nneka’ with Tekno a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer. The number ‘Hallelujah’ earned — soaring up worldwide charts — CKay, his archetypal position 1 placement in Nigeria on Apple Music’s Top Daily chart. A pivotal upgraded career milestone!
And so what is in front of CKay is limitless. Dreams starring right in his face, he freshly shared a spick-and-span Ralph Lauren fragrance franchise campaign image on his social media. Letting fans in on this privileged up-to-the-second journey of de luxe and a la mode. The campaign corroborates the pitch contour audile communication gem’s broad-brimmed appeal as well as resonance around the universe. More than extra, the likability factor of a Ralph Lauren fragrance franchise is the synopsis of the svelte path of life that melts stone cold hearts.
- Grant Moyo is a prolific writer, innovative media personality, entrepreneur and a creative artist who is passionate about using his creative mind for the betterment of society. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter): @TotemGrant
