"Flavor" (also spelt "Flavour") is a song recorded by Nigerian singer Iyanya for his second studio album, ''

Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of affa ...

'' (2013). It was released as the record's third commercial single on 10 November 2012 through Made Men Music Group, a record label he co-owns with his manager, Franklin Ube. Written by the singer and produced by long-time collaborator D'Tunes, "Flavor" is a

highlife Highlife is a Ghanaian music genre that originated along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (region), history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It encompasse ...

and pop-influenced song. It features Iyanya questioning his lover through repetitive lyrics. The single received generally positive reviews from contemporary

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

; a reviewer from ''Pulse'' congratulated Iyanya's grooviness while another provided an explanation for its success. An accompanying music video for "Flavor" was released on 24 December 2012 and features the singer performing and dancing through a

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and a nightclub in

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. Iyanya has also performed the single on several occasions, including on his 2013 promotional tours for ''Desire''.

Background and composition

"Flavor" was first released on 10 November 2012 as the third single from his then-upcoming second studio album, ''

'' (2013); a version of the song featuring non-explicit lyrics was released a few months later on 6 March, also in 2013. Made Men Music Group covered the release, which the singer co-owned with his manager, Franklin Ube. In an interview with ''

Vanguard The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. ...

'', Iyanya noted that the track, in addition to a majority of the parent record, was inspired by his enjoyment of writing about his feelings in love songs; he also described that "Flavor" was one of his compositions to fall under the pop genre, following " Kukere" and " Ur Waist". Written by the singer and produced solely by long-time collaborator D'Tunes, "Flavor" is a song influenced by the

Highlife Highlife is a Ghanaian music genre that originated along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (region), history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It encompasse ...

genre. In the recording's lyrics, Iyanya is revealed as a man who is constantly questioning his lover's motives. Through the use of a "funkified" melody and beats, and the large addition of strings, the singer performs several of its lyrics repetitively: "Omoge, what's your flavor? / Omoge, what's your flavor?".

Critical reception

"Flavor" was generally well received by contemporary

. A reviewer from ''Pulse'' was positive towards "Flavor" and claimed that it was unlikely that a fan of Iyanya has not yet "grooved" to the track. Additionally, Olumide Adesida stated that this led to the single being heavily played on Nigerian radio. Don Boye from tooXclusive claimed that the single proved Iyanya "is ending 2013 on a high note".

Accolades

The music video for "Flavor" was nominated for "Most Gifted Male Video" at the 2013 Channel O Music Video Awards. However, Iyanya lost to Tswana rapper

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for his 2013 single "#DatsWassup", featuring musicians Aka and Tumi.

Promotion

The accompanying music video for the single was shot in

by Moe Musa. It was released on 24 December 2012 through Iyanya's official

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account. The video commences with footage from the live concert in which he asks the audience: "It's getting really hot in here, can I take my shirt off?". Several scenes display the singer loitering around a

, dancing in a nightclub, and driving around the city at night. He is also shown dancing with various female companions and hugging a few of his friends. The visual ends with Iyanya drinking

vodka Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...

around the aforementioned ladies. Boye appreciated the clip and Iyanya for ending the year off right. In 2013, Iyanya performed "Flavor" for the first time at a concert in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

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to promote ''Desire''. The promotion business Cokobar helped fund the tour in collaboration with the singer's record label, Made Men Music Group. During the Music Festival Lagos 2015, held in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, Iyanya performed "Flavor" in addition to the album tracks "Gift" and " Sexy Mama". Ayomide O. Tayo from the Nigerian publication ''Pulse'' noted that his female fans in the crowd were delighted by both his appearance and the performance.

References

External links

* {{authority control 2012 singles 2012 songs Iyanya songs Song recordings produced by D'Tunes