There’s a beautiful, chill song “Another Love Song,” by the singer and songwriter Johnel. The synthesizers are operating at full throb, what sounds like a meandering flute wanders in and out, and there are no discernible drums. Johnel opens with a favour: “Leave me a message count five, four, three, two, one yeah,” then turns attentive, assuring, “I’m on my way I’ll be after you.”
He has an earnest, sturdy voice, sometimes deploying an anxious yelp that casually recalls Champagne papi. But unlike that classicist singer, Johnel is more of an impressionist, alternating between vocal tones, delivering some lines with power and some from a distance. “Another Love Song” is spacious and ethereal but not directionless — it is R&B that privileges mood over structure, soft daubs of feeling over authoritative belting.
“Let them know that I forgot to make their heart crack like my phone” Johnel sings, with an energy that sounds less like regret than resignation. He knows that he absolutely did.
The sonically sultry Another Love Song continues to build upon the themes of love and relationships that artiste began exploring on Conversations with Myself EP, with the East Nigeria opening up about a more vulnerable phase in relationships and expressing defiance in the face of his lover not respecting his worth. The infectious R&B offering is fused with lush soul sensibilities and soundscapes, over which Johnel uses his relatable songwriting dexterities to tell a defiant tale of the strength of a man in a relationship, who is not going to settle for less than he deserves.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Johnel said, “Another Love Song is more than just a love song, it’s an open up of what I have experienced and the experiences I learnt from my guys and their ladies. It is really inspiring, so it’s either you love me or you leave me.”
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