About 30. The story continues…17, 18…

– Titilope Adesanya

Let me mini break it down…

Pray for blessings, talk a little sexy, celebrate life, love, lament the painful experiences, blow the cash out the water when you get a chance and then ask your maker for some more to be planted right in your backyard, talk real life issues and hope someone remembers, reflect on the quite familiar and all too often depressing feeling of being alone in a crowded place, celebrate your Queen Mother; because every day is mothers day. Then celebrate your spirituality through the wonders of creation giving life to an undeniable proof that God exists, reminisce about the good old days when life was simpler, then go right back to the blessings that overflow in your life but you’ve all the while not seen it because you spend oh too many nights thinking of the neighbours green lawn. And finally? profess your love that will always stay loyal and on call.

The creativity and hard work put into this project are so palpable you simply cannot withhold your appreciation.

Adekunle Gold is one amongst a few Nigerian musicians one can safely argue has found his balance between classically influenced traditional music and the commercial demand of the industry. About 30 comes as his sophomore album following Gold, and from where I stand, is a reflection and recordings of recognitions that suddenly open themselves up to one who’s growing older, not just in numbers but in self, older and more mature in experiences and expressions of self and spirit.

Anything you seemingly get for free always just seems like such a win and the remix of Ire with Jacob Banks feels like a really big score! I finally accepted after the 5th listen I think, that I will forever tear up or get goosebumps or simply go all quite in wonder each time I hear that ‘bonus’ track. I do have to give a little smiley face + thumbs up to Adekunle for not just chopping up his vocals from the original and mixing up with Jacob’s, but actually re-recording it…

While Ire the remix might be my souls favourite, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Down With You’ featuring Dyo whom I now officially stalk, because discovering new and beautiful channels for music is the dream.

There can be and I am sure there are, quite a few insightful and analytical looks into the album ‘About 30’. This is my version, this is my truth about the project, and it is that you have to give it a listen. Anything else would be simply a shame.