Review: Waje - Heart Season
On this EP, Waje is calm and collected; dreamy and mushy from the heavy perspective off the mature modern black woman.
When Waje became the most recognizable voice on P Square’s ‘Do Me’ more than a decade ago, very few would have placed a bet on the singer releasing yet another EP in 2021.
But here she is; following up her critically-acclaimed 2018 album, Red Velvet with another masterful body of work. This time, it’s an EP titled, Heart Season. It showcases everything that made and has sustained Waje; the expansive vocal range, masterful chronicles of enviable love and emotive communication of sensuality.
On this EP, Waje is calm and collected; dreamy and mushy from the heavy perspective off the mature modern black woman. She sings like a smitten teenager who is in love with a charming teenager upperclassman in high school.
In her mouth is beautiful lyricism and in her hand is a persuasive piece of art to accompany a female audience on their quest for love, soften ‘hard guy’ hearts and create jealousy for envious hearts. On ‘Bottom Line,’ Waje’s hooks boldly reads, “I’m so crazy in love…”
More than anything, this project also inspires younger women to freely express love and their needs in a society that places women on a higher emotional and behavioural pedestal. Waje takes control and sometimes sings from the perspective of the suitor.
On ‘Call On Me,’ Waje surprisingly speaks in Yoruba as she seems to ask a guy out aboard Afro&B.
Her maturity also reflects in the confidence with which she openly expresses love and her need for it. She feels like a woman at peace and in the driving seat.
On ‘Last Time,’ she makes solemn promises and describes her type of love on a Chad Kroeger-esque Ballad. She flexes her vocal range without oversinging in a ludicrous vocal rotunda. Lord Jesus! What a record.
Sometimes she also gets soft and plays the lover, who needs reassurances and quiet time. At some point, he needs a man to ‘Hold My Hands’ and other times, she tries to mend the fences of a troubled love story - as on ‘Naked.’
But across the EP, Waje wears her heart on her sleeve and unrepentantly expresses love. That said, the Pop leaning of ‘Bottom Line’ and ‘Hold My Hands’ severely played catch up to Waje’s ferocious consumption of the final three tracks, which are Ballads and R&B tracks.
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