Nigerian R&B/Soul singer-songwriter Dami Oniru has come a long way since her 2017 debut. Last year, she released her second body of work, Bri’s Lounge, which showed remarkable growth in her artistry with her incredible vocal strength, melody and soothing lyrics and earned her a well-deserved spot on our 10 Artists To Watch In 2020 list. Earlier in the year, she released the graphic visuals for ‘5 Shades of Bri’ and gave the audience a deeper look into the mind and life of ‘Bri’.
Now back with her first official release of the year, she offers up ‘Nowhere to Run’. The 3-minute track showcases her lyrical prowess as she delivers an important message about hope in a time of travesty. Speaking to More Branches about the inspiration behind the song, she said, “It’s a story about forgetting who you are and rediscovering your true power through self-reflection and realisation and growth.’’ Over a looped flute sample and vivid drums – courtesy of Remy Baggins – Dami’s honey-dipped vocals echo powerfully as she chants ‘I’m struggling to find myself/Have to find the missing piece’, rendering an all-too-familiar state of confliction on the journey to self-discovery.
With keen listening, you will notice the song sounds like a soundtrack for a movie, this is because it was a demo she wrote for Beyoncé’s Lion King: The Gift album. Speaking on the creation process Dami revealed, ‘I was very frustrated because I was given guidelines and topics/themes to write about but the lyrics for the song weren’t coming when Remy and I decided the beat was ready. So I had a mini pep talk with myself to be honest and just speak from the heart and this is the finished product.’ While the track didn’t make the final cut for the album, it bears a potent message and in these unfortunate corona times, it’s necessary to spread as much positivity as possible.
Quarantining with her mom and sister in Atlanta has forced the soul songstress to a place of deep introspection and she believes it’s the perfect time for self-reflection. ‘Nowhere to Run’ is certainly the perfect soundtrack to our self-analysis. She implores everyone to ‘stay home, stay safe and stay sane by being productive and focusing on maintaining a positive mind-set even though it may seem hard right now’.
