Omawumi’s ‘Love Deep High Life’

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

An exclusive album launch party for her new body of work titled Love Deep High Life had heralded the project prior to its release on a recent Thursday evening. Joined by fans, friends and colleagues in the industry, the multitalented artiste and afrobeats performer, Omawumi Megbele gave a good account of the songs to the delight of the guests including Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Bovi the comedian, actress and OAP Nancy Isime, Di’Ja, ace photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Mai Atafo, her inseparable friend and sister, Waje and a host of other celebrities in attendance at Otis Place, Victoria Island venue of the intimate listening gig.

The album already streaming across digital platforms, strings Afro-pop, R&B, and Ballad rendition in 30 minutes, showing the singer and songwriter, wife and mother makes music that suits her current standing in life and offers young artists an insight into the beauty of her life. The 10-track project comes on the back of the release of ‘Bullshit’ as the lead single in April. From Afro-fusion and Jazz to R&B, ‘Love Deep High Life’ embodies tracks of multiple genres which include ‘Joy’, ‘Billionaire (Go Baby)’, ‘My Darling’, ‘Sugar Baby’, and ‘Fefe’.

Other tracks that make the album are ‘My Darling’, ‘My Life’, ‘Milk and Honey’, and ‘Coast To Coast’, featuring top-rated singers like Brymo, her friend and sister Waje, Phyno and Ric Hassani. Two years after her husband’s inspired EP, ‘In her Feelings’, the vocal powerhouse officially released “Love Deep High Life” (LDHL), her 5th studio album covering topical issues such as love, family, relationships, and socio-political entanglement. The album revolves around the core areas of the title. It portrays Omawumi’s growth over the years.

According to Omawumi, “This album project is important to me and I am very intentional about it because I’m making a conscious effort to keep in mind timeless lessons that reflect on the way we live that we do not take into account. These lessons cut across our relationships, politics, family, religion, and more.”

The project cements the strings of success and recognition Omawumi has garnered since she emerged as a runner-up of the 2007 West African Idols, a music reality show contest.

She has since made a career through making intersectional music that fuses pop with traditional folk elements in storytelling. She is also one of the most prolific live performers in Africa and has performed over a dozen concerts across the African continent. Previously she released Wonder Woman (2009), Lasso of Truth (2013), Timeless (2017) and In Her Feelings (2019).

‘In Her Feelings’ follows her 2017 album ‘Timeless’, which reflects the fact that her songwriting was not hooked to any specific sound or trend. The album was met with universal acclaim, with many praising her decision to incorporate a vast number of styles in the album’s sound palette, such as afro-pop, jazz, funk, and even techno.