At Trace Live, Chike Enchants  with Soulful Aura 

Iyke Bede

Recently, rising Nigerian singer, Chike, etched his name in the Trace Live concert series, joining music veterans who shut down previous editions with electrifying performances. Unlike his predecessors, Chike basked in the alluring charms of his love songs, enchanting the audience at Terra Kulture, Lagos.

Like the other editions, this was no different: there was barely room in the sardine-packed audience made up of mostly millennials and Gen Zs, waiting in anticipation as the ‘Roju’ singer made a dramatic entrance heralded by two burlesque-inspired female dancers and a trio comprised of two saxophonists, and a violinist, to perform ‘On the Moon,’ the first track off his sophomore album ‘The Brother’s Keeper.’

For each song he performed, he introduced a story Interlude that provided more context. This transformed his night out into the perfect soul session, leaving his audience anticipating more anecdotes that paired well with his live vocals for a more visceral feel.

“For a man, for a woman, I believe, people naturally want to identify themselves with success. Don’t blame anyone who doesn’t check on you when you don’t have anything. That’s how it is. Next time it happens, don’t be upset, just realise that’s the way things are,” Chike, standing immaculate in his all-white ensemble, journeyed his audience through the creative path that formed ‘Nwoke Oma.’ Before that, he had performed ‘Beautiful People,’ a hallmark track off his debut album ‘Boo of the Booless.’ The track was introduced with scintillating strings and horns.

Furthermore, he traversed between both debut and sophomore studio efforts to perform more songs to the crowd’s delight. ‘Insecure,’ ‘Spell,’ and smash hit career debut single ‘Out of Love’ were some of the crowd’s favourites. In a sing-along, they drowned his vocals, making the atmosphere more vibrant and memorable.

A dreamy night of flooding neon lights, energetic dancers and instrumentalists, a spirited audience, and the charismatic Chike, Trace Live, once again, recorded an impressive outing, achieving it this time with pure love songs.