By Ayomide Tayo
Album- Words Aren’t Just Enough
Artist- Waje
Producers- Del B, Spelz, Ekely,Sizzle Pro, Cobhams Asuquo, Leriq , M.I
Guest Appearances- Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, M.I, Phyno, Eva
Label- Waje Music Entertainment
Waje has made us wait a while (a pretty long time actually) for her debut album W.A.J.E – Words Aren’t Just Enough. Before her debut LP Waje had steadily risen to be one of the best vocalists in the country. After pushing the release date of her album endlessly and tweaking it numerous times, Waje finally drops her first body of work.
From her previous singles ‘Kolo’ and ‘So Inspired’ feat Muna (they didn’t make the album) Waje has shown a flair for producing R&B songs over electro pop beats. The electro pop flirtation continues on this album with songs like ‘Ijeoma’, ‘Fine Girl’, ‘No Tomorrow’ and ‘Grind’ featuring Burna Boy. The latter starts off with synths that make it sound like a song in an Anime soundtrack. It is a sweaty track which draws attention to the grind of sex. ‘Everybody knows that you’ve got to work to grow and the road can be rough’ sings Waje on ‘Ijeoma’ to inspire women who are out there hustling.
Female power is a constant theme on W.A.J.E. On ‘Fine Girl’ Waje bigs up the independent ladies (I no depend on nobody, ‘cos I am grown. I hustle…diva toh bad) who don’t need a man to buy them the finer things in life.
On ‘Time Na Money’ she tells her ex-lover that she is fed up with his games and she is moving on. The beat of this song is Hip-Hop, Southern as matter of fact. Imagine Lex Luger (the young American producer who ‘created’ the ‘B.M.F’ sound for Rick Ross) producing an R&B track with his signature beats. If he does ‘Time Na Money’ will be that track. It’s kind of cool that Waje isn’t stuck in the vocal booth and limiting herself to traditional R&B beats. A verse from the uber-cool Naeto C would have been excellent on this track.
Waje uses a lush Reggae background to sing about her fragile heart on ‘I Wish’. ‘See I don’t know why they say that love is blind, sometimes e be like say make I press rewind’ reflects Ms. Waje. The pidgin line she throws litters the LP which is an attempt to give the album a populist edge. With the way she sings, you wouldn’t even know when the pidgin lines come in. Waje sounds at ease on this body of work which is an indication of tireless hours of training.
Waje is a big woman with a big voice. Even with the polished production on the album, her voice is the most striking instrument. It hits you full blast on several songs but not more on the love ballad ‘No Be U’. In a throwback to the big Motown track of the 70’s Waje delivers her best vocal performance of her professional career till date. ‘No Be U’ induces goose pimples at the latter end of the song where she wails about broken promises. A song like this is what A&Rs call a record. Waje has a big record with ‘No Be U’ and this will definitely be one of the highlights of her career when she leaves the stage.
‘From my dreams I dey see filled with pictures of my reality. How I want am to be-picture perfect but it seems far from me…me I no go tire, take me through the fire, this is my desire’ sings Waje on the inspiring and uplifting ‘Higher’. On the second verse Waje asks for divine upliftment as she is on the verge of stardom ‘I see lights, shining bright. I see the curtains opening up for me. Hear the sound it’s my heart. Me I know say this wan na destiny.’
It’s not all heart aches for the diva. On the bouncy album opener ‘Oko Mi’ produced by Del B she sings about the good qualities of her loving man. ‘Only You’ featuring M.I is another dope collaboration between Waje and the short black boy with whom she shares a strong musical chemistry. With two good songs together they should consider doing a joint album.
If all debut albums sound as good as Waje’s then no one would mind waiting six years.
With solid lyrics, good production and well thought out concepts Waje has produced an album that hints at the (slowly) maturing music industry where some top acts are producing solid albums instead of quickies.
Words aren’t just enough to express what Waje has packed in her debut. It is a musical tour de force boasting of a strong voice and amazing songs.
Rating- 4/5