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Joeboy reveals the creative process behind new album ‘Body & Soul’.
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I had a creative block when making my new album – Joeboy.
Nigerian Afrobeat singer and songwriter Joseph Akinwale, known professionally as Joeboy, has revealed the creative process behind his new album ‘Body & Soul‘.
On May 19, 2023, Joeboy released his much-awaited sophomore album, “Body & Soul,” which is expected to take him to a new level. The singer is one of the best Afrobeats artists.
The main singles “Alcohol,” “Contour,” “Body & Soul,” and “Duffel Bag” came before the 15-track album. The album has received positive reviews, and mp3bullet names it among the best projects coming out in 2023.
In an interview with Dada Boy Ehiz on Apple Music Africa Now Radio, the music phenomenon discussed the inspiration for the album.
According to Joeboy, the album contains the best of both worlds since it gives listeners amazing love songs as well as songs that address relationship-related difficulties.
He said: “It’s like the best of both worlds – there’s the love ideology there, [and] there’s the toxic love – because at the end of the day, love is not just a bed of roses, there are battles and challenges that people in relationships have to go through.
There’s this social media idea that love is perfect and white as snow, but that’s not it. Love is war, basically, so I’ve come to understand that and the album doesn’t just touch on the positive aspects of love, it touches on the other aspects of love. Not just the good part.”
Joeboy said that he experienced a creative block while working on the record because he overanalyzed the best course of action. He said:
“As a mainstream artist, there’s a pressure that comes with trying to make the next hit record, and it brings a lot of undue and unnecessary pressure on yourself. I remember while I was working on the album I had a creative block, I was just thinking of too many factors and when you start putting in too many factors in regards to making music it slows down your creativity, which is what I’ve learned right now.”
He also mentioned how longtime collaborator E Kelly, who advised him to just create music from the heart, helped him get over the barrier.
“I was speaking to one of my producers, E Kelly – he’s been working with me since the beginning of my career – and [he was] like you know what, just make music without any forms of barriers or boundaries, just make music that comes out naturally. Don’t try to make it sound a certain type of way, make it like you’re enjoying yourself. At the end of the day, before the fame and the money, music was something I just loved doing, like I enjoyed doing, so I just really went back to that point.”
On his debut, Joeboy didn’t have any featured artists, but since then, he has been on a few other collaborations. In an interview, Joeboy said that he chose to feature artists on “Body & Soul” because he thought it was time to start collaborating with the musicians he admires and loves.
“I’d say this point it was just necessary. With the first album I just really wanted people to connect to me directly – like ok, this is me, this is what I entail right now. The first album is the foundation of the music, so when people want to go back to the source, they know that this is the vibe and sound this person started from. I wanted it to be just me on that particular album so people can get the whole package of me at that point.
Moving forward with this album it was just a matter of time because I’ve grown to learn working with different artists I really love and respect, so it was time to work with people, and the songs were beautiful.”