A highly anticipated album for me this year, at number 25 we have Lady Lady from Masego. After seeing a viral clip of him and absolutely funky collaborator - FKJ - at the beginning of the year I've had my eyes on his corner.
His musicianship and multi-instrumental mastery gave me an immediate respect for him and of course instantly piqued my interest. Just last year I was saying that too many artists in the mainstream were beginning to sound similar and it was getting harder and harder to pick a voice out of a crowd. However, Masego's gritty, nostalgic croon would stand out in most places today, especially when accompanied by that sultry saxophone. If I'm honest - I am disappointed that this album didn't make it higher up on my list. Despite the strong production and memorable instrumentals, what brought this down for me ultimately was the lyrics. Every now and again in pockets of the album I found his words lazy and just a little bit too improvised.
The songs that I will be talking about for months and months to come right now are "Lavish Lullaby", "Just A Little (feat. De'Wayne Jackson)", and "Black Love". As much as these tracks stood out for me and continue to make my head bop, I don't think I've latched onto anything from Masego more than his previous single "Navajo" yet, and that unfortunately didn't make the album. That said, Masego did give us a very well selected list of feature artists that not only complimented his voice and style well, but also built on the versatility of the album with each track.
After hearing Masego on a feature on VanJess' latest album since, I don't doubt that we'll be seeing much more of Masego in the years to come. However, I do hope that he continues to grow because he is blessed with extreme musical talent and versatility, his potential is out of this world. As a debut record, this is a solid first look into the humour, personality and influences of Masego.
Have a look at last year's number 25 here.
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