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While his debut album is a skittish attempt, 'Bad Since 97' is a bolder attempt limited by painful sonic predictability that is the bane of BNXN's talent.
BNXN, formerly known as Buju, is Nigeria's chorus master. While this description might appear like an oversimplification of his talent and a reduction of his achievement, it's the truth, albeit painfully so.
Having successfully used his trademark melody and distinct progression to uplift the songs of different artists, he has struggled to establish himself as a superstar who can do for himself what he has done for others
His debut EP 'Sorry I'm Late' was a skittish attempt to show that there is more to him than simply playing Afrobeats Captain Hook.
With the project announcement coming months before its release, the build-up suggested that BNXN might either be keeping his cards close to his chest or he was dealing with the same double-mindedness that preceded the release of his debut EP.
The first offering of the album was the painfully predictable 'Kenkele' that saw BNXN lazily offer an over-flogged melody that failed to inspire Wande Coal to push himself. There was some respite in the form of 'In My Mind' which he debuted on Colors Studio two days before the album release.
In his second project, BNXN is intentional about showing the success he has recorded since the release of his debut tape. On the eponymous 'Bad Since '97' he insists he is an artist that embodies distinguishing markers while boldly comparing the level of his artistry with the tallest building in the world. While the melody is predictable, the progression is decent.
On the Afroswing record 'Bad Man Wicked', BNXN explores a playful subject. His progression is basically a repetition of what he has been doing for two years. The overly predictable nature of the track could have been slightly remedied with a rap verse from a UK rapper or a Banx & Ranx contribution.
African percussion combines with Caribbean rumba on 'Many Ways' as Wizkid and BNXN duet lazily over Juls' incredible beat. Wizkid employed his signature laid-back style to set a rather flat tone for the track which BNXN simply matched. While the drums and progression offered some sultry feel, the rudimentary writing and textbook melody combined to make the single one propelled by profile rather than content.
The shiftless progression continued into 'Kenkele' where BNXN and Wande Coal delivered a dizzily boring melody. There's an existing conversation about why BNXN has struggled to deliver decent solo returns for all the talent he possesses. Perhaps no song better captures this than 'In My Mind', a song that is so quintessential BNXN from the melody to the delivery that an average BNXN listener can predict the progression just seconds into the song.
Olamide delivered a lethargic verse on 'Modupe' where BNXN expresses gratitude to the heavens for his success. Again, whatever will become of this single will be based on Olamide's profile rather than the song's quality.
As the album sleepily peters out with 'Emotions' where BNXN talks about his feelings over Highlife chords, you could have easily run through the 7-track project without remembering the last song you heard.
Final Points
In 'Bad Since '97', it's easy to find a similarity to the slow progression and mid-tempo beat that propelled 'Made In Lagos'. However, while Wizkid was able to assemble a collection of artists that raised the album's quality in terms of content and delivery, BNXN couldn't do it himself nor could he get Wizkid, Olamide, and Wande Coal to do it.
While his debut album is a skittish attempt, 'Bad Since 97' is a bolder attempt that is limited by painful sonic predictability that is the bane of BNXN's talent.
In terms of track arrangement and album sequencing, 'Bad Since '97' is just a case of one sleepy song after the next. 'Bad Since '97', 'Many Ways', and 'In My Mind' are the standouts from an album that doesn't offer much in terms of content or enjoyability.
As much as we all wanted this project to be the one, it just isn't.
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
Album Sequencing: 1.5/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.4/2
Production: 1.5/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1/2
Execution: 1.5/2
Total: 6.9 - Victory