Title: Saturn
Artiste: Nao
Genre: R&B/ Soul
Release: October 25
Neo Jessica Joshua is not new to the music
scene. Her
voice is quite familiar to an extent we already know what she's likely to offer. Better known by her stage name Nao, the British singer-songwriter has already created a space for her listeners who want to hear about relationships and adulthood. She's always done this ever since she wrote her first track in 2013. Now in her early thirties, she continues to explore
this topic with her mastery in a
style that seamlessly integrates contemporary elements of sound.
Before we break down her sophomore full-length LP 'Saturn,' let's give some relevance to her past works. In 2014, she released her debut EP 'So Good', which simply introduced her into the music scene,
where she needed to offer quality work to be noticed. It was in her 2015 release that her sound started being apparent on 'February 15' EP. Her 2016 debut album, 'For All We Know', was a project meant to inspire hope, as the artiste believes it is important to let things be
as they are.
Her latest project is not only her most significant attempt ever
but also a brilliant concept. On this one, she brings out an intimate and slow-moving project, which is overwhelming. Her guest features indicate the
artiste
has been reaching out to unfamiliar territories all in the name of making good music. "Another Lifetime" kicks off the 13-track album with
focus
on mixed emotions that come up after a relationship ends in good terms.
The album lead single, "Make It Out Alive", recruits vocals from TDE's SiR to express situations in life, including relationships. Three days to the album launch, Nao released another version of the project's third track, "If You Ever", featuring one of the biggest R&B acts this year, 6lack. The collaborative effort, however, didn't make it to the album.
Kwabs joins Nao on the powerful slow title track "Saturn", which details deep love. The same is also extended on tracks like "Gabriel," "Orbit," "Love Supreme" and "Curiosity". We also get to experience an Afro beat-inspired tune, "Drive and Disconnect", which highlights the artiste's will to get away from a hurting relationship. She then moves forward to "Yellow of the Sun", which is an essential celebratory track, before she closes out with the slow "A Life Like This."
We all know that Nao's vocal range is out of this world. We also are familiar with the fact that she understands how to fuse her contemporary influences to create such awe-inspiring tunes. She's described her style in the past as "Wonky Funk" and built it to be a phenomenon. This project proves, for the first time, that she's ready to be ranked among the top artistes. We can all agree that she's been in a continuous progressive course and her career looks more promising than ever.
Star rating:
4 out of 5