Mayorkun – Back In Office Album Review
Back in Office is the third sonic project from the Nigerian music sensation, Mayorkun, after the release of his first and second album under the Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) record label. Like the album title suggests, Mayorkun continues to build the “Mayor of the city of Lagos” character/reputation he developed in his debut LP: Mayor Of Lagos. However, this time, he is claiming to have returned back to his imaginary political office. On the title track, Back in Office, Mayorkun explains this idea in very plain terms when he proudly said /and as I do am before, and I go do am again/. Nevertheless, the LP goes beyond the fictional Mayor of Lagos character. Back in office is a project full of many fictional characters that Mayorkun assumes.For example, on the first track of the album, Soldier Boy, Mayorkun plays the role of a enervated soldier as he sings about motivation and relief, /heads up, little soldier boy, you gon’ be okay/ he sings.
As Mayorkun transitions away from playing the role of a soldier or a politician in Lagos, he assumes the persona of a freedom fighter on the track Freedom, as he performs a song that borders on the beauty of the motherland and a desperate attempt for freedom. Although the verses were scattered all over the place, Mayorkun managed to send his message across through the song’s hook. On the dance anthem, Let Me Know Mayorkun becomes the familiar Afropop loverboy we all know and love, as he showcases his ability to stun his fans with melodies and common street slangs. While he joins forces with Ghanian sensation, Gyakie on Desire to make a record about love, confusion and passion. Although Gyakie’s verse added very little to the theme of the track, her lush vocal renditions are a plus to the overall mood of the song.
Holy Father is one of the best tunes on the Back in Office LP, thanks to the sumptuous vocal delivery by Victony and the incredible instrumentation by Semzi Beatz. One of the important highlights that makes the LP an adventurous experience is the diverse music palette of Mayorkun. From Amapiano on tracks like Jay Jay (ft DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small) and Nakupenda to an Highlife inspired track on Feel Am (ft Flavour), Mayorkun takes his audience on a daring musical ride into sounds from all over the continent.
Back in Office is not without its flaws. Mayorkun’s attempt to compliment his lack of song idea with an uninspired Joeboy verse on the track, No Strings Attached, seems to be a very superfluous effort to pad the tracklist. Overall, the LP is without a centralized theme or big idea, and Mayorkun’s constant change of musical persona both sonically and visually suggest an apparent lack of decisiveness.
Album Score: 7/10
