On his 2024 EP, Nigerian singer-songwriter Taves skillfully blends Afropop, R&B, and soulful folk twists into a platform for candid conversations—a philosophy shaped by a diverse range of influences. “We took a lot of road trips when I was younger as a family because my dad lived in a different state,” Taves tells Apple Music. “He would play a lot of classic Nigerian music, especially Aṣa. It felt like she was hoping that somebody would understand where she was coming from, and I related to that a lot because I am a middle child. Often, it felt like people didn’t really understand the way I expressed myself.”
Artists like Khalid, Remy Baggins, Nonso Amadi, Post Malone, and The Weeknd helped the singer from Ibadan carve his own niche. “I felt like the type of music I would make would be different from the mainstream,” Taves says, “and these people made me feel like, ‘OK, that’s not such a bad thing.’”
Across eight tracks, Taves positions “Are You Listening?” as an invitation into his world. “It’s like I’m having a conversation with someone, or I’m telling you something,” explains Toluwanimi Aluko, better known as Taves. “There’s a lot I have to prove, so I need everyone to pay attention. I need to know you’re locked in and on the same wavelength as me.”
One standout track, “Bad Romance,” captures this ethos. “I don’t want to say it’s about a toxic relationship because that’s corny, but it’s more like it’s not good for either of you—but also who cares? It’s just me saying, ‘OK, we are both aware this might not work out, or it probably shouldn’t work out, but at the end of the day, just do what you want.’ Have zero regrets, basically.”
Get it here : https://album.link/i/1755431537
