Dr. Dolor’s ‘Unexpected’ pits great production against mixed deliveries [Album Review]

We are nobody to tell anybody not to fulfill their dreams. Dolor should be praised for having the courage to pursue his. However, this album would have been better as a Dr. Dolor Entertainment compilation album, not an individual Dr. Dolor album.

You probably know Dr. Dolor as the CEO of Dr. Dolor Entertainment. He is the businessman who signed Nigerian superstar, Teni to his label. Since then, artists like Nikita, Hotkid and Ryan Omo have released music on the label. While Teni’s time on the label winds down, Dolor has been trying to create a succession.

At the moment, Ryan Omo looks like the most convincing act from those experiments. Nikita needs an intense artist development regimen and Hotkid needs another layer, even though the streets like him. While rumours have been around the industry that Dolor could always sing, he is finally actualizing what seems like a long-held dream of becoming an artist.

"Wetin Dr Dolor wan sing?" We go find out by 12:00 midnight W.A.T The journey to #Unexpected has been a rollercoaster and thanks to COVID-19 lockdown, which gave me an ample time to get back into the studio. With the collective efforts of my team, we kept recording exploring different sounds. I really cannot thank God enough for making this dream come true. To my Team - @ddeworldwide, my amazing artists; @afinosha @tenientertainer @nikitasgram @hotkidfire @boyryaan I want to say a big thank you. This reality would have remained a dream if not for the amazing and patient Producers and Writers - major shoutout to Klem @only1klem Tayo @tayoristar 4Tunez @4tunez_beatz Magic @magicsticks_ Suppa @suppa_wayy Jay @jaysynthsbeatz and Milla Mix @themillamix Artwork by @mag_designz and @iamwillysart Album strategy by @oluseyiak and @iamthedami for @gustoentertainment A&R @drdolorofficial @dejimacaulay @thechargie @ishakukaro @themillamix @only1klem @enujacobs @agbazue_princewill Guys, #Unexpected album drops by 12 Midnight and be rest assured to enjoy nothing but great music. Link on my bio ☝🏾💚🙏🏽 God bless you all. #DDE #IGoPay #DrDolor

On Friday, September 18, 2020, he released his aptly-titled debut album, Unexpected. While the cover art was indicative of ‘newness’ and ‘freshness,’ it does seem a little lazy. Even though the music will encounter cynicism from most people who will question an executive’s need to create music, the project isn’t actually as bad as some might think.

Throughout the 40-minute experience, Unexpected excels on a diverse range of amazing Afro-pop, Bashment and classic Afrobeat production - the beats are amazing. Whoever selected the beats for this project has great ears on them. In fact, Unexpected doesn’t have an average piece of production.

While songs like ‘Hate World’ which critiques victim profiling alongside a few others are loaded with substance, Dolor’s delivery is rough around the edges.

Sometimes, his words are slightly too rushed or slightly delayed on beat counts. Other times, he also seems to laidback on the beats - allowing the beat to do most of the work. You can’t be too shabby on an Afro-pop song, you have to be lively and sing like you are about to lose your soul. While the Afro&B song ‘Love’ has a lot of potential, Dolor’s vocal deficiency marred the song.

Dr Dolor - Dance Floor (Audio) ft. Ryan Omo

Even with the quality beats, Unexpected needed A&R from someone like Davido or MI Abaga. Balanced lamba songs like ‘Dance Floor,’ ‘Santorini,’ ‘Goody Goody’ - and to a lesser extent - ‘Special One’ dished out endless lively vibes on Afro-pop, Cloud Rap and Afro&B respectively, but those moments are few and far between on this project.

It’s also noteworthy that the things that made those quality songs stand out were the featured acts, not Dolor. That said, Dolor’s delivery got better on ‘Pictures’ and ‘On Track.’

We are nobody to tell anybody not to fulfill their dreams. Dolor should be praised for having the courage to pursue his.

However, this album would have been better as a Dr. Dolor Entertainment compilation album, not an individual Dr. Dolor album. That way, the album would have the potential for shock value on its side, and not the cynicism that comes with news of Dr. Dolor as a recording artist.

He could still have featured on two or three songs on that compilation album. At the end of the day, this writer reiterates that Ryan Omo is the crown jewel of that Dr. Dolor Entertainment clan - the boy is special.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

Tracklist: 1.0/2

Delivery: 0.6/2

Production: 1.8/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 0.7/2

Execution: 0.9/2

Total:

5.0 - Champion