Nigerian-American duo ItsENJ releases Añurika EP

The project, comprising five songs, is their second EP for 2024, following the Dappa Way, which arrived months ago. 

Añurika, which translates to “joy is greater”, celebrates African culture, pride, and identity, reflecting their roots in Enugu, and their ongoing journey of global exploration. Thematically, it addresses love, identity, despair, adversity, pain, success, and triumph.

The project, recorded in Lagos, Nigeria, was produced by ItsENJ themselves, alongside burgeoning Nigerian producers ElvisBeatz and Mykah. It blends Afrobeats, hip hop, disco, and dancehall with native Igbo sounds. 

Añurika sets the tone with ‘Enjoy Life’, with its message of living fearlessly and finding joy in our everyday experiences, and then flows into the glorious love song ‘Napukenda’, which means “I love you” in Swahili. ‘Where You Dey’ explores feelings of despair and the search for a connection with God, while ‘Ego’ discusses working hard and celebrating the fruits of one’s labour. The EP concludes with the life-affirming anthem ‘On God’, which speaks to overcoming adversity and having faith in the journey of life.

“Having grown up in the United States, we yearned for a deeper connection to our Nigerian roots,” ItsENJ said. “This longing led us to embrace African music – a journey that compelled us to delve into our Igbo heritage and the rich history of Nigeria. Through frequent trips to our home country, we’ve been fuelled by a desire to push boundaries and embrace our native language and sounds, which haves shaped this project. ‘Añurika’ is joy, it is a journey, it is love, it is unity. It is a celebration of our identity and an invitation to all to join us in this musical adventure.”

Composed of brothers Chimdi and Otito, ItsENJ, raised between Enugu and New York, first hit the limelight thanks to their song ‘PFI (Pray For It)’ featuring Afropop sensation CKay. They are also behind the debut EP Born On The Moon.