Tequila Ever After: Adekunle Gold at his creative best on new project

Since his sophomore album About 30 (2018), the singer, who, before that, appeared underrated for his genius, took a bold turn that saw him expand from his folk and fuji foundation into the full colour of his skill.

His lyrics shifted from sad romance to more confident affirmations. And why not? He had accrued the artistic acumen and physique to back it up. This was better defined on Afro Pop Vol. 1 (2020), Catch Me If You Can (2022) and is now crystalised on Tequila Ever After, the fifth LP in his evolving catalogue, which finds him at his creative best and most joyful. 

In generating Afrobeats, one might resort to using horn sections, prevalent in works by Wizkid and Burna Boy, or embracing delicate, heartfelt string work, a mastery that has constituted the genetic alphabet of Adekunle Gold’s recent efforts. For his latest, he travels over a thousand kilometres to Mali to harvest the trusted melodies of guitar virtuoso Habib Koité. This collaboration, on opener ‘Chasing Peace of Mind’, where highlife interfaces with amapiano, sets the album’s overarching tone.

The new, 18-tracker further packs stunning Kel-P-led production using inventive sampling and synths across an impressive blend of genres. R&B traditions curl up on the Simi-assisted ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, and ‘To My Own’, on which you hear the electronic echoes of British singer and producer Labrinth. Pop and pop rock come alive on ‘Come Back To Me’ and ‘Falling Up’. He preaches new morality on ‘Don’t Be A Baby’, and administers delicate sweetness on ‘Soro’, Tio Baby’, ‘Do You Mind’ and on the danceable ‘Make It Easy’.

Nothing gets under his skin. He is rich and handsome, celebrates love hopelessly and is on a warpath with nobody, really. He has it in him but would rather be deeply emotionally invested in rollicking in the harvest of his efforts. Bold and lavish self-indulgence on ‘Ogaranya’, ‘Omo Eko’ and ‘Party No Dey Stop’ is met with an ominous a capella that begins ‘Wrong Person’ and a rugged allure that defines rapper Odumodublvck’s guest verse.

It has taken a while, but Adekunle Gold now has the world’s undivided attention. Good for us, for to hear him is to be awake to one of Afropop’s most clinical masterminds. What has marked him out is that he did it dancing to his own music. On ‘To My Own’, he declares:

I played my own game
Go at my own pace
This my DNA
This my legacy.

This is the man’s story!

Artist: Adekunle Gold
Album: Tequila Ever After
Label: Def Jam Recordings
Year: 2023