Stonebwoy “5th Dimension” Album Review

5th Dimension

Stonebwoy

• Genre: Worldwide
• Date: 28 Apr, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Region: GH
• Track(s): 17
• ℗ 2023 Burniton Music Group, under exclusive license to Universal Music South Africa/Def Jam Recordings

The highly anticipated “5th Dimension” massive album by legendary Ghanaian reggae and afro-dancehall performer Livingstone Etse Satekla, better known by his stage name Stonebwoy, has finally been released. The “5th Dimension” sounds demonstrate the Grammy nominee’s mastery of smoothly fusing several musical genres and cultural influences into his song. The 17-track album includes performances by both domestic and foreign musicians, including the British rapper Stormzy, the Grammy-winning African vocalist Angelique Kidjo, the legendary Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido, the South African DJ Maphorisa, and the Jamaican reggae rapper Shaggy.

Album Art

In the album art, Stonebwoy is shown wearing thick fur and jewelry while covering one eye with his hand. He then reveals that all his fingers are “blessed” with diamonds, indicating that he has indeed arrived at the point where he is starting to feel content and fulfilled while remaining focused to keep it moving onto the next Dimension. Given that everything must be present for anything to be whole, perhaps the closed eye and one arm indicate that he knows the need to continue this journey of self-discovery.

Tracks And Features

The 17-track album “5th Dimension” is filled with standout moments. Stormzy, a UK icon, shines on the track’s opening track, “Life & Money,” paying tribute to the game with a unique and significant feature. His line almost has a sacred air to it. The song emphasizes keeping in one’s lane, free from distractions, and expressing gratitude to those who deserve it. The pair sings about how their travel has been interesting, but as Stonenbwoy says in the phrase, “make we dey laugh, and make we dey chill.”

“Far Away” comes next, and stonebwoy rides solo on this one. He claims to be focused on his work and to have a winning mentality while praying for his adversaries. However, he acknowledges that his mind has wandered off far from the location of the negative energy.

The vocalist of “More of You” sings about how much he adores the girl he has and how he constantly wants more of her love because he never seems to receive it enough. Afrobeat music has an emotive sense, and this tune has the same atmosphere thanks to the background response vocals. Ghanaian singer singing in his dialect in “Ava Wum Lo” as he attempts to explain to his baby how much he truly loves her. Since the previous song and this one almost entirely revolve around love, relationships, and the need for assurances, this one is a transition from the previous one.

The soothing “Therapy,” which features Oxlade and Tiwa Savage, masterfully fuses R&B elements with his booming afro-dancehall style. This song contains all the ingredients an Afrobeat music fan could want, and the lyrics even have a few words that people in love could relate to. The background adlibs that the group intermittently adds to the music make it one of the album’s most stunning compositions, and Tiwa and Oxlade’s voices are sizzling.

Dexta Daps is a featured artist on the song “Secret Lover,” which depicts a cheating relationship in which the secret lover is warned to keep things under wraps should the fling evolve into something neither would appreciate and risk getting caught. This song tries to draw attention to current events occurring in most relationships.

Mareba’s vocals on “Run Am” are as flawless as ever. She moves seductively over the beats while infusing some soul into her verse. The song references love, relationships, desire, and passion all night. Stonebwoy asks his baby what the issue is when he detects a difference in her attitude toward him in the music video for his anthem, “In Control,” which Jaz Karis promotes. He sings to her and tells her that she has control over his heart and should communicate with him if she wants to be his genuinely. Jaz does the Lord’s work by gifting the song with a verse that elevates it and turns it into one of the album’s more melancholy songs with a nostalgic feel.

There’s Davido on “Activate.” The song was first made available as a single in 2020. Davido ate on that track, as music fans can already tell, as the duo brilliantly teamed to produce afrobeat perfection.

‘My Sound’ finds Stonebwoy fusing his vocals with dancehall kingpin Shaggy, creating something savagely entertaining. Stonebwoy has always aimed to unite trans-Atlantic groups. ‘African System’ goes a little farther and adds socioeconomic elements to his lyrics, while ‘Forget’ is an oddly moving soliloquy. It’s not just dash and color, though.

Many will assert that, despite utilizing features, “5th Dimension” is frequently most powerful when Stonebwoy is alone. The featured acts’ weight gave this record depth and character and let the Ghanaian voice stand out. His multifaceted abilities are thrillingly demonstrated by the songs “Where Is The Love” and “Non-Stop,” a deep reggae skank with lovely horn work that will become a radio classic soon.

With the support of Angelique Kidjo, the record ends with the vivacious “Manodzi,” showcasing Stonebwoy’s broad spectrum of abilities. It’s an album that continues to draw in the listener from start to finish and is created for summertime enjoyment.

Tracklist / Songs

NO	TITLE	ARTIST
1	Life & Money (feat. Stormzy)	Stonebwoy
2	Far Away	Stonebwoy
3	More Of You	Stonebwoy
4	Ava Wum Lo	Stonebwoy
5	Therapy (feat. Oxlade & Tiwa Savage)	Stonebwoy
6	Forget	Stonebwoy
7	Secret Lover (feat. Dexta Daps)	Stonebwoy
8	Run AM (feat. Mereba)	Stonebwoy
9	Into The Future	Stonebwoy
10	In Control (feat. Jaz Karis)	Stonebwoy
11	Activate	Stonebwoy & Davido
12	My Sound (feat. Shaggy)	Stonebwoy
13	Apotheke	Stonebwoy & DJ Maphorisa
14	African System	Stonebwoy
15	Where Is The Love	Stonebwoy
16	Non-Stop	Stonebwoy
17	Manodzi (feat. Angelique Kidjo)	Stonebwoy

Album Summary

The album is a tribute to Stonebwoy’s diversity and capacity to push the boundaries of his music, ranging from contagious dancehall beats to lyrical reggae melodies. Stonebwoy can do no wrong. The highly colorful Ghanaian star has developed his style by fusing elements of dancehall with new afrobeats originality. He is out there on his own, working distinctly, and is a member of the present golden generation of West African musicians making their imprint on the world stage. His presence keeps “5th Dimension” together, with the glitzy guests giving notice to a fireworks-filled show of intercultural exchange.

 “5th Dimension” is a great album available for streaming and download on all major digital platforms.

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