What do you feel when you listen to a song? For every music genre; every chord and note played ought to evoke emotions whether excitement, lovestruck, or melancholy.
‘Emotions’ can be likened to the soul of a song and for me; it is one element enough to buy me over to appreciate the art in a song.
As an artiste known for his hybrid forte in fusing R&B, Afro and Pop genres beautifully, Alexander Adelabu, known as Magixx is not just a storyteller but master of ‘emotions’.
Magixx, who is signed to Mavin Records, initiated his rise to fame in 2019 after his debut single Problem. His journey since joining the Mavin family have birthed his self titled EP, Magixx, ATOM and now, his debut project I Dream in Color.
On I Dream in Color, the singer takes listeners on a journey to experience roller coaster emotions from a love-love, life-love, love-hate and hate-hate perspective.
From his slow-burning serenades, to groovy tunes, and everything in between, Magixx’s sublime voice proves once again the irresistible emotional strings behind it. Smooth, Punchy and rhythmic, Magixx also has his unique way with words.
Reviewing Magixx’s ‘I Dream in Color’ debut album
Consistency as a first track that opens the album for me is a reminder for many who often undermine Magixx’s potential.
“Consistency, agility, say dem dey doubt my ability, but right now say dem dey feel me,” he says. The often statement of being referred to an underrated artiste addressed. The mid tempo beat is solemn enough to give range to his storytelling voice and lyrics.
In a similar attempt, his track Eleven also sent a message to those who may have doubted him. “Me I no go stop, I no go settle. Dem wan to catapult my progress but like Burna Boy I told them,” he sings.
In Sempe, lyrics like; “we no dey the same cate…o,” “Celebrate my wins properly because tomorrow is not promised,” and “Dem no fit stop my run,” also touches on how he is perceived and regarded in Nigerian music.
Trailing on the themes of triumphing despite haters’ plot, Magixx on Konibaje and Voices tells a story of betrayal, friendships and surviving despite their backstabbing.
I can’t lie that I could have sworn that Magixx’s Ori Mi was sung by his colleague Llona. There seemed to be a lot of similarity with a Llona’s song that I’ve heard. The familiar beat however, delivered a captivating storytelling.
Tracks like Bad Decisions and Foreplay, Alch, With You, Sexy Lady and Winter & Summer captured different shades of love that either serenades a lover or confesses the depth of love.
From ballads to breakups, Magixx’s voice on these tracks weaved emotions that lure you into every lyric. I was mostly impressed with Sexy Lady, blending Yoruba traditional Fuji beats to serenade a lover.
It paints a picture of a Yoruba wedding setting, with a live band chanting the song. It also sees Magixx step outside his comfort zone and forte, R&B.
Okay speaks of the pressures of life and societal demands that rests on the shoulders of a man. The lyrics portray the typical ‘men don’t cry’ notion yet they die in silence. It is a beautiful track.
Delivering an almost no-feature album, Magixx featured only Jeriq on the track Vibration. The track honestly stands out without Jeriq’s verse. The fusion between both artistes seem to be going different ways, no smooth flow. I liked the fusion of Igbo and Yoruba cultural beats into its production.
Final thoughts
If you ask me, what I think about Magixx's debut album, I Dream in Color I will say that it is nothing totally different from what I’ve heard him sing before.
However, if you ask on a deeper level, I’ll say that Magixx is one of the rare artistes with emotional voices.This has a way of elevating his songs to evoke emotions you need to feel on every track.
Many rhythms and styles on the album felt repetitive but salvaged by Magixx’s enchanting voice that locks you in. On I Dream in Color truly painted what ‘emotions’ should be on a song with his sublime voice.
Lest I forget, I struggled to find correlation between the title of the album and songs curated on the album. It gave a ‘self discovery’ themed expectation while offering a totally different experience. Using one of the tracks as a title could have still worked.
Afrobeats singer Magixx unveils tracklist of his upcoming album, ‘I Dream in Color’
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Afrobeats singer Magixx took a different approach to announce the tracklist of his debut album, ‘I Dream in Color.’
Magixx unveiled his 13-tracklist featuring only Jeriq at the back of a T-Shirt he wore in the company of his colleagues like Bella Shmurda and Seyi Vibez.
