Dunnie delivers lively pop numbers on 'Four' [EP Review]

There's a star in Dunnie and everyone from Lagos to Gaddafi's Libya knows that.

On May 28, 2020, Nigerian singer-producer, Dunnie released her second body of work titled, 'Four EP.' With it came a refixed version of her dream-cum-producer tag from 'Oladunni, The Beatmaker' to the simple, yet more resonant, 'Legend o.'

In 2018, she released the impressive debut, Seven EP. Four EP continues a creative trend of naming her bodies of work after their length. While Seven EP was more experimental, Dunnie dives head-first into the Afro-pop market with a timely offering of four beautiful dance tracks on Four EP. What came of it? Bliss.

Her growth is apparent as she now has a beautiful sense of timing. She knows when to produce astute lyricism from when to produce vibes. 'Overdose,' which seems like a lyrical continuation of, 'Foolish' her dreamy 2018 single of amorous defiance is a self-produced pot of steamed vibes while 'Koro' is more lyrical, yet still melodic.

Both are love songs with copious doses of what Nigerians call, 'wash.' While 'Overdose' is more a product of the intoxicating nature of love to produce carefree tendencies, 'Koro' is more a call to quickie. Oops.

That astute sense of what's required for a pop beat eludes a lot of Nigerian artists who aim to break free of their substance-filled music background for empty, yet blissful vibes. There's a star in Dunnie and everyone from Lagos to Gaddafi's Libya knows that. That sense of what's needed is again a theme of the more lyrical Afro&B, 'Ordinary.'

A tale of human imperfection, 'Ordinary' sees Dunnie embrace her unpredictable humanity in the face of a hurt lover who needs answers. 'I Need You' is a mix of Hi-life, Kwaito and Afro-house and it sees Dunnie embody a needy lover.

Final Thoughts

More than anything, Four EP sees Dunnie make giant strides towards cogent artistry. She's not quite there yet, but she will inevitably get there. Four EP might only be four tracks, but the concise nature of each track adds to its allure and replay value.

That said, the final track lacks the vim and pop zest of the opening three tracks. That might be due to diversity, but it could also lead some people into skip it. It's also praise-worthy that despite being a fine songwriter and producer herself, Dunnie sought ample help to craft this project. In a country where people are obsessed with DIY, it's refreshing.

Dunnie speaks the truth of numerous millennials and Gen Z Nigerians with her music and her amazing vocal texture. The resonance remains either she's delivering vibes or well-written pop songs.

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

7.7 - Victory