''Yellow'' is the seventh

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Nigerian singer

Brymo Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ (born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi; 9 May 1986), better known as Brymo, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, stage performer,actor and author. He started recording music in 1999 while in secondary school. He signed a record dea ...

, released independently on April 1, 2020. It serves as the follow-up to his live album ''Live! at Terra Kulture Arena'' (2019). ''Yellow'' was crafted from

hedonism Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decr ...

and is a departure from the dark themes deployed on ''

Oṣó ''Oṣó'' (Yoruba: ''The Wizard'') is the sixth studio album by Nigerian singer Brymo. It was released independently on 27 March 2018. The album was produced entirely by Mikky Me Joses and consists of 11 tracks, including three recorded in the ...

''. Described by Brymo as an album about "love and survival", ''Yellow'' is an

alternative pop Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

record that incorporates elements of

sentimental ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

sophisti-pop __NOTOC__ Sophisti-pop is a subgenre of pop music which developed out of the new wave movement in the UK during the mid 1980s. The term has been applied retrospectively to describe acts who blended elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish p ...

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

. Nigerian singer

Lindsey Abudei Lindsey Chukwufumnanya Abudei, known professionally as Lindsey Abudei, is a Nigerian neo-soul singer and songwriter. She started recording music and having jam sessions with M.I Abaga and Jesse Jagz while still an undergraduate law student in 2 ...

is the only artist featured on the album. ''Yellow'' was initially meant to comprise 17 songs but due to technical issues, two songs were omitted from the project. The album was supported by the single "Strippers + White Lines".

Background

''Yellow'' was crafted from

and is a departure from the dark themes deployed on ''

''. Brymo began recording the album in April 2018 and completed it within a 16-month period. He said he recorded ''Yellow'' after becoming a different person from who he used to be. Brymo unveiled the album's cover art and track list in March 2020. He described ''Yellow'' as an album about "love and survival" and said it would be an

and

record. ''Yellow'' incorporates elements of

and

. The album's cover art features a rendition of ''Insight and Frustrations 2020'', a painting by Nigerian artist Samuel Olowomeye Ancestor. Ancestor's melancholic painting depicts an eerie half-faced female with a lit cigar to her mouth. Brymo revealed on Instagram that he was drawn to the painting after having several conversations with his friends. With the exception of "Abụ Ya", which was co-produced by Nsikak David and

, all of the remaining tracks on ''Yellow'' were produced and engineered entirely by Brymo's frequent collaborator Mikky Me Joses. Thematically, the album explores topics such as

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

, heartbreak, socio-politics,

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Ofte ...

and ego. ''Yellow'' spans three sides and was initially composed of 17 tracks: six were recorded in English, five in Nigerian Pidgin, five in

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

and one in

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a t ...

. The album's three sides were numbered in Arabic, Roman and English numerals, respectively. On March 24, Brymo cited technical reasons for omitting the tracks "Iya Awele" and "Ife" from the album.

Composition

On the album's opener "Espirit De Corps", Brymo examines the socio-politics of a decaying society; the song's production features a trap beat. In "Blackmail", he addresses the risks that emotional blackmail presents to relationships; the song contains drums and

guitar solo A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...

s commonly used in

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...

and

soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

. In "Ozymandias", Brymo sings about a man who takes all the love of a woman without reciprocating any back; the song is a tale of

self-criticism Self-criticism involves how an individual evaluates oneself. Self-criticism in psychology is typically studied and discussed as a negative personality trait in which a person has a disrupted self-identity. The opposite of self-criticism would be ...

and

self-awareness In philosophy of self, self-awareness is the experience of one's own personality or individuality. It is not to be confused with consciousness in the sense of qualia. While consciousness is being aware of one's environment and body and lifesty ...

. In the

baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid 1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropria ...

track "Heartbreak Songs are Better in English", he sings about his desires to express his heartbreak emotively despite his society's impediment against it. The

"Strippers + White Lines" is symbolic of mental slavery. In the ballad "Without You", Brymo sings about the problematic relationship between a man and a woman who refuse to live without each other despite acknowledging each other's flaws. The

neo-soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

track "Woman" is dedicated to Brymo's unnamed partner; the song contains drums and a bass riff. In "Black Man, Black Woman", Brymo discusses the pros and cons of

gender roles A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cent ...

and

social norms Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws. Social normative influences or soci ...

. The pop-infused

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

track "Gambu" depicts the love a woman has for an imperfect man with a reputation. "Rara Rira" is an alternative pop song with a folk percussion; it describes carefree people who enjoy life and live on the edge. The pop song "Brain Gain", which is reminiscent of songs by

Gabriella Cilmi Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( ; ; born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer. A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice. Her debut album, ''Lessons to Be Learned'', was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate int ...

and

Duffy Duffy may refer to: People *Duffy (surname), people with the surname Duffy or Duffey *Duffy (nickname) *Duffy (singer) (born 1984), Welsh singer, born Aimee Ann Duffy Places *Duffy, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Duffy, Ohio ...

, features a trumpet solo and addresses topics such as immigration. "Ọ̀run n Móoru" (Yoruba: "Heaven is Heated") is a ballad that criticizes gossip among chiefs and kings. In "A F'èédú Fan'ná", Brymo makes references to his grandmother and implants a proverbial fire in listeners' minds. The acoustic track "Abụ Ya" (which translates to "his/her hymn") exposes Brymo and his love interest's tumultuous relationship.

Singles

The album's lead single "Strippers + White Lines" was released on April 1, 2020. The track was produced by Mikky Me Joses and is a mixture of R&B,

alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alternative metal *Chris ...

and

. "Strippers + White Lines" discusses life's struggles, depression and hope. The accompanying music video for the song was shot and directed by Promise Charles for In Touch Films.

Critical reception

''Yellow'' received positive critical acclaim from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. Pulse Nigeria's Motolani Alake awarded the album a 9.7/10 rating, commending Brymo for using "symbolism and metaphor to breakdown his topics". Alake also notes the album is "built on resonant topics cut from the larger society". Music journalist Oris Aigbokhaevbolo granted the album an A rating, praising its lyrics and Brymo's songwriting. Reviewing for ''

BellaNaija ''BellaNaija'' is a lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website in Africa. headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. History BellaNaija was founded by Uche Eze in 2006 as a media startup which later metamorphosed into BellaNaija.com while studying for ...

'', Notiki Bello called the album "robust and rigorous" and characterized it as a "well-written book of fiction that is sung without the tedious effort of thumbing through hundreds of pages". Iyke Bede of ''

This Day ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-in ...

'' newspaper commended ''Yellow'' for being "a testament of years of continued honing of craft and sheer consistency, and not just another album". Bede also said the album's tracks can "fit snugly into any of Brymo's past albums without one noticing any seismic shift in sound". The ''

Nigerian Tribune The ''Nigerian Tribune'' is an English-language newspaper published in Ibadan, Nigeria. It was established in 1949 by Obafemi Awolowo and is the oldest running private Nigerian newspaper. In the colonial era, the newspaper served as the mouthpie ...

'' writer Kola Muhammed praised Brymo's bilingual approach and commended him for "swathing his message with wit and metaphysical conceits". In a less enthusiastic review, music critic

Dami Ajayi Dami Àjàyí (born 1986) is a Nigerian poet, medical doctor, essayist and music critic, described by Bernardine Evaristo as “a dexterous and versatile poet who flexes his linguistic muscles with surprising revelations that offer new perspect ...

said ''Yellow'' "pales behind his last three studio albums" despite it "pushing his craft in new directions"; Ajayi was also critical of side A.

Toni Kan Anthony Kan Onwordi known as Toni Kan (born 11 June 1971) is a Nigerian writer, editor, public relations senior management executive, and teacher. He is author of the collection of short stories, ''Nights of a Creaking Bed'', noted for exploring ...

echoed similar sentiments made by Ajayi and criticized Brymo for "producing an album with something for everyone".

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's back cover. *Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ – primary artist, writer, performer *Lindsey Abudei – featured artist, writer, production *Mikky Me Joses – production, engineering *Nsikak David – production *Lanre Lawal – A&R

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2020 albums Brymo albums Yoruba-language albums Igbo-language albums Albums produced by Lindsey Abudei