Flummoxed listeners have doubtless found alacrity after being acutely given reason to lavish praise on eighteen-year-old Yugoszn and twenty-six-year-old Eli Jae; who for every tight and stitched ditty dropping, will be mighty hard to ignore. Slaying a couple of haunted as well as hunted dragons before consciously humming towards the jazzy gates of the promised land unharmed; the swelling with beauteous blasts Nigerian musicians are non-zero names to keep under surveillance and take heed to, as the momentum lilts rapidly in their dewy behind the ears incisive sonic oeuvres.
An Afro-fusion and Rhythm & Blues singer, songwriter as well as performing euphony act — better-known off-stage as Abuchi Elijae Emedem; Eli Jae is set to capture souls of blues loyalists across the globe with his immaculate track called All Over. Berceuse flavouring with his infectious soulful voice; he draws stimulation from melodic influences like Fela Kuti a Nigerian Afrobeats pioneer, English multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter and producer Ed Tullet, Chris Brown an American singer, composer, rapper, dancer and actor, as well as English indie pop musician The Japanese House.
Novo Amor a Welsh multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, sound engineer and producer, American singer-songwriters Miguel and Frank Ocean, as well as Hailaker an indie pop music project of British musicians Jemima Coulter and Ed Tullet; also, tinkle Eli Jae’s fancy! Therewith, the latter who is signed to Squareball Entertainment — a record label that is also home to Afrobeats maven 1da Banton — has been rock-steady gaining popularity on social media. Credit to his dumbfounding tonal pattern covers that showcase his irrefutable gift.
All Over is a domineering coalition of Afro-fusion, House, and Pop auditory sensation spotlighting Eli Jae’s versatility as an artist. The integration’s contagious keys and trills as well as attention-getting tunes create a resistless groove that is bound to get audiences on their feet. The single produced by Banging Beats; is a testament to Eli Jae’s ability to circular-knit blend different expressive styles, making ‘All Over’ a standout in contemporary intonation.
On the chanted smash; Eli Jae — raised in the city of Port Harcourt — channels the get-up-and-go knife thrust and personal magnetism aromatic of hit hotshots: Tyla a South African singer and songwriter, American-Nigerian vocalist, composer and record producer Davido, as well as Usher Raymond an American singer, songwriter and dancer. The number’s feel-good vibes promise to come across with stalwarts of various singable genres, making it a ‘must-listen’ for anyone in search of fresh and high-octane pitch contour.
Bouncing off the canvas; the turn of last month saw Geoffrey Ugochukuwu Mgbeoji —celebrated on-stage as Yugoszn — conceive his self-titled genuinely fantastic debut EP (extended play). The singer, songwriter and rapper from Lagos knows for certain how to ride a storm. With spectacular editorial reinforcement from Spotify (New Music Friday Naija, New Music Friday Ghana, Up: Date, Lovin’ Beats, Naija Bars, Sad Boy Anthems, as well as Afro Chill) and Amazon Music (Breakthrough Hip-Hop); his shall be a putsch — an incredible rumble jungle epoch-making tight holed catch up with the best — played out with heart and hunger!
Above and beyond his lead jam Guy Like Me being added to 8 editorial playlists; Yugoszn’s cutthroat attitude would — with no hiccups — score him a cover of Sizzlers editorial playlist on the Swedish audio streaming and media service provider (Spotify). Having debuted on Benin City Entertainment last 12-month with his scrumptious opus known as Before Before; he hatched his follow-up canon Renegade — which caught fire on TikTok! The non-extinguished birdcall has since accrued over one million views on the latter video-focused social networking service.
As luck would have it, Yugoszn got on Cameroonian-American singer Libianca’s radar, with a cover of her ballad Jah. Smitten, the BET Awards achiever re-posted and wheel spoke highly of Yugoszn’s rendition on TikTok as well as American photo and video sharing social networking service — Instagram.
A Quislingism with Canadian actor, Hip-Hop knocker and internet personality Connor Price — for his Spin the Globe series (featuring artists from multiple countries around the universe) — would pull in Yugoszn his first million streams on Spotify. The promotional cinematography has since wreaked over 1.8 million views on TikTok; piling up a staggering 4.5 million views on Instagram. Rock solid-state; foaled on January of this 2024 period of time — ‘Tombstone’ — would go on to become Yugoszn’s most-streamed banger!
His talent delivered so strongly; a feature on Live Nation’s ‘Ones to Watch’ editorial playlist (‘Now Watching’) — showed off his novelty. Heading towards the bright lights of fantasy, being interviewed by SiriusXM Channel 13’s Trinidadian-born artist DJ Anarchy, for the a la mode season of his weekly radio show — Tropical Takeover — which airs on Globalisation run by Grammy Award winning American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor Pitbull; actuated and stationed Yugoszn’s spirit super precocious.
Ready to go; he has debuted his first well stimulated industrial croon offering that gingerly opens tattles. Delusional, Love & Highlife, No Be Crime, as well as Freedom; alike come on the synchronous pedal of a willow capsule corking and grabbing the lion’s share of songs — spiraled out in Yugoszn’s cantabile creation, comprising a total of seven catchy pieces of gems.
Putting in invigorating shifts; both Yugoszn and Eli Jae are carnivores basking in the high temperature of the aptitude their roaring craft of lullabies bears. As grovelling as it sounds; conquering its peak — is a cringe-worthy flushed heavy-duty package of black music triggering a giant focus on the third world school of thought. A dogfight in tactics amplifying Nigeria’s next level of sunshine that in any case opening wide spic-and-span windows and doors to provide a stunning environment for West Africa; continues to create a value-added self-sustaining ecosystem on the African celibate.
By exclusively playing up conventional and erect genres across the entire continent, an ingredient of necessity is remunerating dividends to glorious collective phenomenon. And since the wolves are settling; there is a slim chance Yugoszn and Eli Jae’s genius strokes would dwarf!
- 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: @TotemGrant
