Ghanaian Highlife and Afrobeats singer Eugene Kwame Marfo, known professionally as Kuami Eugene, has unveiled what will be his maiden album since the release of the hit single Angela that propelled him to the limelight some six years ago.
The 13-track album titled Love and Chaos, which currently has some songs streaming on major music outlets, is a mix of upbeat Afrobeats and Amapiano rhythms, which will certainly endear to lovers of his songs.
Before this new project, the Wish Me Well singer had produced the songs Cryptocurrency, Fate and Single which were like a prelude to the new album.
Some followers of the one-time Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) ‘High-life Artiste of the Year’, have in the past chastised him for sampling rhythms and beats from existing songs, thereby making his recording lose the originality it deserves.
For instance, his tune Te Na Fie, (released in 2021) was carefully sampled from Akosombo Nkania — an existing Ghanaian highlife song composed by Obini Takyi in the 80s.
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Although not all of Kuami’s songs are sampled, the Obiaato crooner seemed to have taken the previous backlash in good faith while working on his latest album.
Love and Chaos sounds original and comes with intriguing compositions featuring a handful of musicians, such as Nigerian singers, Guchi and Magixx.
The 26-year-old singer saw the essence of the Afrobeats and Amapiano genres and applied key elements of both in the new album as he poured out his heart into each of the songs. Here are four selected songs from the album that will surely attract positive reviews in the months ahead.
Rags To Riches
Being the first track on the album, this song is a mellow acoustic guitar composition that more or less summarizes the theme of the album. Kuami, sounding emotional in this song, speaks about the burning desires he had at age 17 (moving from rags to riches) and holding on tight to his dream despite the negativity that came along. Despite its passionate appeal, it is a good selection to listen to in a pensive mood.
Energy
Just as its name suggests, Energy, which features Nigerian singer Guchi, comes with all the energy it deserves with resounding Afrobeats, as Kuami Eugene goes a bit ‘naughty’ when he sings about all the girls who want to “test his energy.”
“Rockstar”, as he is also called, starts well and ends his verse smoothly before Guchi steps in with her high-pitched voice, exhibiting her vocal prowess on the beat. The duo made a perfect match as their voices complemented each other on the mid-tempo track.
Monica
Monica incorporates all the fine elements of Amapiano which keep the listener nodding or stamping their feet. It is a danceable tune and appears to be one of the songs that may come with its dance style, just like other upbeat tunes that have popped up on social media in recent times.
Yolo
This is also a perfect rendition projecting the power and dynamics of Afrobeats and is best suited for pubs and radio DJs. Kuami in this song talks about “fake love” – having so many people around and not knowing who loves him. He admits, ‘You only live Once’ hence the need to “take life slowly.”
Other songs on the album include Abena, Pueto Rico, No Promo, and Favourite Girl.
