Close to one year after the release of his debut single, “Program,” rising Lagos-based singer, Novvo, has returned with a new single titled “Laide.” The emotive, mid-tempo song arrives on the back of a brief break taken by the singer to figure out his approach to music and finetune his strategy.
This sophomore single by Novvo produced by Zolo is a sombre reflection on a problematic romance from the point of view of the talented singer who’s torn between reaching out to a former love interest while being conscious of the dynamics that impeded the relationship in the past. Gliding effortlessly over a delicate blend of percussions, strings, and horns, Novvo reminisces with pointed clarity while imprinting his tonal signature on the track.
Speaking of the single, Novvo says:
“We chose a different story this time around, and I was in a pensive state of mind when I was writing this song because it’s from a memory of losing someone dear to me, someone who knew me to a fault almost better than I knew myself, and you’ll see these things reflect in the song itself, in the lyrics. ‘Been a long time, you sabi my p.’ This knowledge the person has of me brings me peace of mind, and at the same time, it gives me migraines, because I was constantly worried about the unknown. That’s the reason you find some people hanging on to some people that hurt them. It’s because they are scared of having to start all over again, having to trust another stranger.”
“Laide” follows up “Program, ” Novvo’s first official release after an intense two-year stretch of artist incubation and development undergone by the singer in collaboration with Bridges Entertainment. Raised in Ilesha, Osun State, the singer grew up steeped in the Yoruba oral tradition as well as receiving an encyclopedic course in music courtesy of his father’s restaurant where a selection of music from old Yoruba greats like Majek Fashek, Orlando Owoh, and King Sunny Ade was counterbalanced with the street-savvy tinctures of the ’90s and early 2000s hip-hop.
His first solo experience with music-making came while getting a law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University where an eruptive music and cultural scene was taking root. Within the four walls of the Ile-Ife-based higher institution, Novvo’s appreciation for music took on a life of its own, leading to months spent crate-digging for influences that formed the base of his eclectic music interest.
Through contacts in the university community, Novvo was a regular at studios where he was keenly working on his music and adding subtle tweaks to make himself a better musician and writer. A conversation with his brother, also keenly interested in music, validated Novvo’s desires and led to him beginning to envision a career in music beyond his work in the background, and, over the last three years, he’s been hard at work to prove his artistic credentials.
Stream “Laide” here.
