Made For Us: Harmonize proves he is master songsmith once again

8 Nov 2022 - 10:41

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

By Charles Maganga

When he released his sophomore album in November 2021, many thought Harmonize would take a well deserved long break to listen to the rustle of crisp banknotes. However, 11 months after High School dropped, Harmonize is back with Made For Us.

Tanzanian artist Harmonize just released his third album titled Made For Us.

The new album sees the bongo flava heavyweight teaming up with some of the best artists in the business currently, including Tanzanian rising star Abigail Chams and Jamaican dancehall artist Spice, to deliver what promises to be a blockbuster album.

While Afro East and High School sought to crack open the international market for Harmonize, on Made For Us the artist looks like he has other ideas. As a matter of fact, Harmonize recently stated that he won’t be promoting the 14-track project, perhaps an indication that he is assured of his place in the bongo flava hierarchy.

On the new album, Harmonize appears set on doing collaborations that suit his artistic needs rather than marketing ambitions.

The collection opens with ‘Mwenyewe’, a narration of Harmonize’s rags-to-riches story through inspiring and boastful lyrics layered over a piano tune borrowed from the timeless classic ‘La Bamba’.

This is followed by ‘My Way’, a danceable track where the award-winning singer reminisces about his previous love interests and his internal struggles. Some might say the song takes a subtle dig at Harmonize’s former boss Diamond Platnumz with whom he had a public falling out.

The romantic chapter of the album starts with ‘Wote’, a sentimental song that sees Harmonize deploy his voice to deliver one of the memorable performances on the album. The album's love theme is also cemented in ‘Nitaubeba’ which proves once again that Harmonize is the king of storytelling.

‘Utanikumbuka’ is the first song on the album where Harmonize's raw heartbreak is revealed, while ‘You’, which is a dedication to his girlfriend Kajala Masanja, has a way of evoking every shade of pain, regret and torment.

When you listen to ‘Die’ you'll be surprised at how producer B.Boy Beats’ thin and melodious beat blends so well with Harmonize's smooth and melancholic vocals. But it’s the song’s message and sentiment that makes the track hard to skip.

The Bruce Melodie- and Nak-featured ‘The Way You Are’ marks another serious attempt by Harmonize to break into West Africa's music market. The dancehall and R&B-driven ‘Miss Bantu’ and the bongo flava tune ‘Deka’ are both playful offerings which at first seem to add nothing thematically or sonically to the album, but they are in no way filler tracks.

Just like his 2017 hit ‘Happy Birthday’, what makes ‘Best Friend’ special is the unique message it carries whereby Harmonize stresses the significance of having loyal friends. Also as with ‘Happy Birthday’ the track's lyrics are infectious.

As expected, the album could not be complete without a touch of amapiano and ‘Too Much' featuring Ntoshi Gazi does the job.

‘Amelowa’, which was released a few weeks before the album's arrival, is a perfect club banger to close the album.

Made For Us is the most personal album by Harmonize to date. Through the album, Harmonize is either saying that he is a star in his own right or reminding his fans of his songwriting abilities. There is no doubt it will be received well.