''Studying Abroad'' is an extended play by Jamaican-American singer

Masego Masego is a Tswana/ Pedi name (a Bantu tribe found in Botswana and South Africa) meaning blessings that may refer to: *Masego (musician) (born 1993), modern hip hop artist who utilizes elements of jazz and house music * Masego Kgomo (c. 1999–2009) ...

. It was released on November 13, 2020 by UMG Recordings, Inc. and EQT Recordings, LLC. The deluxe edition, ''Studying Abroad: Extended Stay'', was released on May 21, 2021.

Background

Masego said the EP was inspired by his experiences in travelling saying "I took a lot of inspiration from Japan, South Africa, Nigeria, Amsterdam, and Stockholm." He also commented on releasing it during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and said "If the world is burning and crazy things are happening, I feel like I can help by just releasing music, just to escape that for a little bit." He spoke about his recording process during quarantine saying "Any producer that you could name has a high level of shyness and introversion. I've been in my crib. I'm always in the studio. I looked up to dudes staying in the studio for multiple summers and staying in their room figuring things out."

Promotion and singles

On September 16, 2020, Masego released the first single from the EP called "Passport", produced by

D'Mile Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II (born January 24, 1985) is an American record producer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York City. He was sometimes referred to as D. Emile, Dernst Emile II, or Dee'Mile and is most commonly known and accredited as D'Mil ...

. On October 7, the second single, "Silver Tongue Devil" was released, with

Shenseea Chinsea Lee (born 1 October 1996), known professionally as Shenseea, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. She initially gained attention after appearing on songs by Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, and Christina Aguilera. In 2019, she signed a recording contr ...

. On November 10, he released the third single, "Mystery Lady", with

Don Toliver Caleb Zackery "Don" Toliver ( ; born June 12, 1994) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He released his first major label mixtape, ''Donny Womack'', in August 2018. He is known for his singles "No Idea (song), No Idea" and "After Party ...

Critical reception

In a positive review, Megan Walder of '' Clash'' wrote about the EP saying "Smooth sax entwined with a sophisticated exploration of lo-fi sound and beats, Masego has hit the ball running once more with this new EP ''Studying Abroad''. Traversing the peaks and troughs of a relationship, the concept piece not only demonstrates his expansion in terms of collaborations and production choices but presents yet another side to this multifaceted artist."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2020 albums Albums produced by D'Mile Albums produced by WondaGurl