Niniola’s ‘Lagos To Jozi’ is a progressional masterpiece [Review]

When she launched, she took the moniker, ‘Queen of Afro-House,’ because her collaborations with superproducer, Sarz, were often rooted in the genre and so were her biggest smash hits.

But over the past two years, things have been quite uncertain. Her sophomore album, Colors, and Sounds didn’t hit the mark.

Although it was harshly received by some critics, it had its positives.

She then redeemed herself by going back to her R&B roots for 6th Heaven, an impressive diary of sex, romance, and love themes.

It produced the amazing number, ‘Ride.’ Due to the lack of commercial success on that record and Niniola’s need for a hit as a popstar, she has reignited her Afro-House reps with Lagos To Jozi, a timely intervention, that could easily reposition her as a hitmaker.

The four-track EP might be too short with Niniola on this impressive form, but it’s also the safety that she needs right now.

The EP is rooted in a fusion of essential Amapiano of the South Africa kind: the type that sends South African parties into rapturous possession by the music.

Niniola’s cadences are of the South African type, but her words are rooted in Nigerian adlibs and premium lamba of the incoherent, but spiritual and infectious kind.

Soundtracked by the legendary Kalawa Jazmee boss, Oskido and Guiltybeatz, Niniola has taken a cue from her buzzing digital hit, ‘Too Sweet (O Dun),’ to go back to what people know and love her for.

The Amapiano records on ‘Lagos To Jozi’ are also much better than those on ‘Colors and Sounds.’

The most impressive record on this EP is ‘I Did It (Bum Bum).’ Niniola might have delivered her trademark sex-filled chatter and innuendos, but the music is good.

But only time will be the only measure of Niniola’s success with this EP.

It’s also hard to judge Niniola with this EP. It already contains previous singles.

‘Lagos To Jozi’ is a simply calculative money-making effort as Detty December awaits. And let’s be honest, it’s only natural.

There’s money to be made in December 2021 and Niniola’s stagecraft can’t go to waste.