No doubt, Mohbad is having one of the best years of his career, making a slow but steady leap for the top of the game as we know it.
Generally, 2021 has been an incredible year for street pop acts like Mohbad, Zinoleesky, Seyi Vibez etc. The sub genre is steadily gaining fast recognition both within and outside the country and we have the likes of Mohbad to thank for taking the game one notch higher than Small Doctor did when he made his foray into the scene with a mind blowing bang.
Mohbad’s previous single, FEEL GOOD, will definitely get all the accolades it deserves when the Headies nominations come out. 2021 is the year that Mohbad finally established himself as a proper pop act in Nigeria.
The new single, “Backside” is an impressive follow up in his strew of singles this year, as usual, his storytelling skills are brought to the limelight, striding every lyric like he’s writing straight from a dream. That’s not all, his rhyming scheme, perfected from when he purely rapped is a huge advantage to him on this new path. It strengthens his versatility, and content delivery and makes you wonder why folks pay little attention to the lyrics of ‘trench artists’.
Backside is a sultry song that pays homage to the backside of a well endowed lady.
This isn’t a new theme in the Nigerian music scene, over the years we’ve had songs dedicated solely to curating the wanton delicateness and absolute beauty of the African woman; it’s not surprising that even the biggest Afrobeat song ever “ESSENCE” also borrows from the same thematic appeal. What makes BACKSIDE stand out as a track is all of the qualities that make Mohbad stand out as an artist.
Despite the fact that artists like him are constantly put down with the claims that they are street acts with no long term claim to fame in the industry, Mohbad is focused on changing the game by applying the same strategy that your favourite mainstream pop acts are deploying; [A banging beat+Top Notch Lyrics+Unique Flow = A Nigerian Hit Song].
Usually, in this part of the world, artists who have managed to find a way out of the trenches have a hard time breaking into the mainstream scene for a sustained period of time, the only one who’s been able to do it so far is Olamide and he’s had to go through a reinvention process to keep up with his artistry.
On the other hand, new breed acts like Mohbad are used to reinvention, they came up just like that. Starting out as a rapper with incredible story telling skills, Mohbad has successfully reinvented himself as a street pop act with a lot of stories to tell and it’s beautiful to watch.
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Backside is a really cool song and dope follow up to I Feel Good Panranran. Mohbad has established himself as a street pop act and his audience is hyped to see what he brings to the table in the new year, probably a full length project given his current acceptance.
The one work that remains for Marlins Music regarding Mohbad is the tasking work of Branding! It’s pretty obvious that Mohbad’s branding at the moment doesn’t equate to his talent. He’s the kind of talent a record label should be willing to go all out on, not micro manage.
His videos are usually quite subpar, like every other video that’s been released by his management, and generally, there’s no solid brand narrative, just vibes and music.
Rating: 6.5/10
Comment: Backside is a dope song, guaranteed to burst speakers in this festive period. Hopefully, with the rise of Street Pop, acts like Mohbad pay better attention to their personal and business branding!
LISTEN/DOWNLOAD SONG (MP3) HERE
Reviewed by AfrobeatsMerije.
Bisi-Taiwo Chukwumerije is a blood-bound Nigerian music journalist & A&R in his early 20s. He goes by the pseudonym ‘AfrobeatsMerije’, and considers himself one of the greatest psyche in Afrobeats.
Tweet your favourite songs, EPs, LPs, Albums, & music projects at him; @AfrobeatsMerije.