''Libel'' is the debut

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

by Nigerian singer

Brymo Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ (born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi; 9 May 1986), better known as Brymo, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, sound artist, sonic artist, actor and author who was born and raised in Okokomaiko. Brymo started recording music in ...

, independently released on November 5, 2020. A follow-up to his seventh studio album ''

Yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...

'', the EP comprises five tracks and features guest vocals by Deborah Prest. All of the songs on ''Libel'' were produced and mastered entirely by Bigfoot. The lyrics address the rape accusation leveled against Brymo by a woman on social media. ''Libel'' was supported by the single "Messiah Complexes".

Background

A few weeks after releasing his seventh studio album, ''

'', a woman on Twitter accused Brymo of raping her. He denied the accusation and implied that an inquiry was still in progress. He also made reference to the accusation on ''Libel'' and believed the woman's actions were libelous. Brymo wrote all of the songs on the EP and recruited Bigfoot to produce and master the entire project. Designed by Adey Omotade, the cover art features a pair of women's

panties Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, ...

, blood, and a broken glass. ''Libel'' comprises five tracks and features guest vocals by Deborah Prest.

Composition

''Libel'' is a

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate stylistic ch ...

record that explores musical styles such as

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

and

quiet storm Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album '' A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Li ...

. On the opening track "Ascendancy", Brymo discusses depression, pain, and musical succor. ''Pulse Nigeria''s Motolani Alake said the singer was "broken and reeling from pain" as exemplified by lyrics like "So I sing, sing, sing, drown all my pain in the sound. So I breathe, breathe, breathe, the rhythm comes flowing through me". In "Love and Paradoxes", Brymo sings about love and dedicated the record to his wife who helped him overcome the rape accusations. Alake likened the piano chords used in the song's opening sequence to

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

's music. The third track, "Messiah Complexes", is a departure from the "pensive, slow-paced beat" of the album's first two tracks. On the record, Brymo instructs himself to take a moment to reflect and be grateful for his blessings. In the

sentimental ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

"Phoenix", Brymo is worryingly defiant but rises like the phoenix. "Time", the closing track, features vocals by Prest and discusses loneliness, worries, and the futile passage of time.

Critical reception

''Libel'' received positive reviews from

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 ...

. In a review for ''

YNaija ''YNaija'' is a Nigerian online content publishing platform, founded by Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams of RED Africa media group. ''YNaija'' launched in May 2010 with columnists and various news sources. It offers news, original content ...

'', Kola Muhammed characterized the EP as a "musical diary bearing tales of anguish" and said Brymo "sought to heal himself from the pain of defamation". ''Pulse Nigeria''s Motolani Alake awarded the EP an 8.2 rating out of 10, acknowledging it for being "largely about Brymo's journey back to life, as aided by love".

Track listing

Personnel

*Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ – primary artist, writer, performer *Bigfoot – mixing, production

Release history

References

{{Brymo 2020 debut EPs Brymo albums