Omawumi “More” Album Review

More

Omawumi

• Genre: Worldwide
• Date: 10 Nov, 2023
• Content: Not-explicit
• Region: NGA
• Track(s): 8
• ℗ 2023 Omawumi / ONErpm

Omawumi Megbele, known for her soulful singing and heartfelt storytelling, has returned with her latest musical offering, “More.” PsychoYP, Cobhams Asuquo, and Timi Dakolo all appear on the eight-track album.

Omawumi described “More” as a great experience that reinforces her abilities and talent. The album is a mash-up of genres, incorporating Soul, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, and Reggae components while remaining true to her original sound.

Album Cover Art

 

In a white-themed photoshoot, Omawumi, donning a white cotton sweater, can be seen resting on a couch in a living room setting, showing off her good looks and full hair while striking a pose for the cam.

Tracks and Features

With “Thank God” Oma Wonder gives the almighty all the worship despite everything she has been through. She also nudges her listeners to do the same, whether or not things are moving smooth. Besides her iconic singing abilites, Oma also showed some evolution as she threw in some crowd-singing effect and went in the Amapiano lane for her choice of beat.

The singer takes things personally with “Try,” where she vents about not receiving the barest minimum from her lover even though she’s willing to stick with him. Her songwriting skills come alive in this track, as she carefully weaves her words, even spicing it with some Igbo lingo, as she tries to make herself as clear as possible to her man. That reggae vibe, Oma’s sweet voice, and the song composition are the real MVPs here.

Then we slide down to the title track featuring one of Abuja’s own finest rappers, PsychoYP. Desperate to fix things in her relationship, Oma states what she believes to be the obvious, saying the relationship could really use a whole lot of “More.” YP, on his part, waltzes in with that smooth alte groove, lending the balance of a male voice to the heart-to-heart conversation. Who would’ve thought a YP and Omawumi collab would slap this good.

For “Yolo,” Oma links with fellow experienced singers, Cobhams Asuquo and Timi Dakolo, to deliver a carefree but solid rendition about the fickle nature of this thing we call life. Oma Wonder certainly did not come to this life to suffer, as she requests the barman to pour her “something foolish” for life’s problems that never finish. Cobhams’ clear falsetto singing and Dakolo’s well-composed verse blend with Omawumi’s performance to produce the top highlife vibe you can hear on this track. Oma would really love for her listeners to try and enjoy life in the face of anything.

“No Be Play” makes more room for a more playful Omawumi. Again, she thanks God for how far she’s come, stating that her enduring career and the music biz as a whole are no jokes. With the love of God in her heart, she stunts on her haters and all those doing what they can to watch her downfall. Then, toward the song’s end, she playfully mimics the singing style of most local gospel artists and goes ahead to laugh at herself, which just has to make you laugh or smile, at least. She went in hard with the melodies too.

“Fear” would be a badass soundtrack choice for the end of a scene in a traditional African action film setting, where the last warrior survivors from a fierce battle are emerging from the battlefield with their plunder, especially when it gets to the “enemy don fall for ground, match am” part. The track title is the opposite of the song’s message, funnily enough. With every boldness she can muster, Oma declares she is afraid of no one. And she enforces her announcement with her best renditions yet.

This is easily the best track on this project. The superb instrumentation, the harmonious chant, Oma’s thought-provoking lyrics and gorgeous voice sets this one apart by miles. She really took her time to curate this one and you can tell because she’s in her element.

With a stellar performance in “Auzubillahi,” Oma concludes the album. From the mass’s POV, she made a song about the messy state of things in the country and the promise-and-fail reputation that precedes Nigerian politicians. When you hear this song for the first time, you may feel the urge to just pause whatever you’re doing and say, “damn” because damn, Omawumi is good good.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	ARTIST	TIME
1	Thank God	Omawumi	2:31
2	Try	Omawumi	2:51
3	More (feat. PsychoYP)	Omawumi	3:26
4	Love You Well (feat. Yemi Alade)	Omawumi	3:21
5	Yolo	Omawumi, Cobhams Asuquo & Timi Dakolo	3:03
6	No Be Play	Omawumi	3:17
7	Fear	Omawumi	2:55
8	Auzubillahi	Omawumi	3:14

Album Theme

Omawumi dwells on the everyday human experiences in “More,” combining her unlimited vocals with narration that spans ages and personal experiences. The album explores a variety of emotions, from thankfulness to unrequited love.

Production Credits

Yussybeats, Sizzlepro, and Cobhams Asuquo produced the new record.

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