Kemi Ade - Drive (Dawn Edition)
By Christianah Jesudass-Roberts (@mstiaroberts)
We have this innate need to be kept constantly in the loop as a generation, before we even get through one thing, as a society, we are lining up the next, just to ensure that our need to be constantly entertained and stimulated remains fulfilled. There isn’t much difference in our behaviours when it comes to the musical content we consume. Think about it… Think about how many times we tap into Spotify on a Friday morning to get that sweet taste of our release radar, (whether the algorithm gets it completely specific to our taste or not- another debate to be had on another day.) So it is immensely refreshing when an artist picks up on this and navigates their release to the trend of a consumer.
Now, around 2 months ago I spoke of the exquisite release 5ADAY from UK Songstress Kemi Ade, so you can imagine my exuberant joy when Kemi announced she was releasing her two part EP, Drive. As mentioned, she picked on the listening behaviours of the times and three weeks ago released the first part of the EP, Drive (Dawn Edition).
If you managed to read my review on her single release, you would know how much I appreciate Kemi’s eloquent, soothing sound and her project release by no means falls short of the bar. She starts off by giving us a short, slightly comedic & nonetheless smooth introduction to the EP. The introductory tune, Future, hits us with a bassy, bubbly soulful, futuristic number. The jazzy notes throughout the EP blend all the tracks together seamlessly, each track unique in its individuality but complementary as a collective.
Crown, track three on the EP, is more ballad-like in its essence, smooth, whispery and seductive but with a self-assured quality that creates a perfect union between the former and the following track, 5ADAY. This project is then elevated by this concluding track, upbeat, climatic and wholesome in its entirety.
The exciting thing about this EP, as impelling as it is, is the fact that we can await the second drop of goodness to complete the project in vivid anticipation. We are aware of the immense expansion of Kemi as an artist throughout this project, as she experiments with sounds whilst still remaining consistent in her soulfulness, with her lo-fi influence fastidiously pouring though every track to create these incredibly balanced pieces, that not only stand alone in their strength individually but collated, work seamlessly to tell the most fluid musical story fuelled with honesty and confidence. This is definitely one to save to the favourites this month. Drive ( Dawn Edition) is available on all major steaming platforms.