Dami Oniru is one of the outstanding voices in the Nigerian Alternative music scene. Her rise to prominence began in 2017, and since then, she has been releasing good music. After taking a four-year hiatus, Dami is back with a 6-track EP titled “Matter of Time.” The singer, songwriter and music producer collaborates with her longtime producer Remy Baggins, and together, they explore themes like love, living the soft life and romance.
The EP begins with “Just 4 You,” a song that communicates her present emotions. She sings, “I sing what I feel don’t know how it sounds to you,” letting everyone know that she wants to make music to express herself. Just 4 You introduce listeners to Dami’s world. It gives listeners a glimpse of the trajectory of the project. On this project, Dami’s growth is obvious, she is more confident and doesn’t strain her voice to prove a point. She is comfortable with her music and she makes it her mission for listeners to witness this new side of herself. She sings confidently, “Get it together, dust yourself, go get your money.”
“Emotions” is a rich RnB track laced with a rich baseline and Dami vocals. Here, she compares herself to a genie who grants her lover’s wishes, no matter how vain his desires may be. In this song, Dami shrinks herself to please her lover and begs her love interest not to break her heart “I’m begging you no fall my hand.” While the first track on the EP positions Dami as a confident person, “Emotions” displays her vulnerability and her fear of falling out of love.
Now that listeners have whet their auditory appetite with the first two songs, Dami takes them through the previously released single “Soft Life.” Here, Dami Oniru sings about her desire to enjoy the good life. She sings, “I just want the soft life, enjoy all the time. If you give me money, I’ll be fine/Money tastes like suya that just came out from the fire.” As we listen to this song, may we all join Dami in her pursuit of the soft life because who doesn’t want to live the soft life?
“Soft Life” bleeds into “Friday” which is cut from a different sonic cloth. In this song, Dami is more flirty and tells her lover to keep their relationship private. She sings, “Put my hips on the grind, now pull me closer put your hands on my body,” I absolutely love everything about Friday; from the Remy Baggins-produced bounce and the simple effective lyricism to Dami’s sultry vocals. It all comes together to create a thoroughly cohesive package. “Know My Name” sees Dami saying goodbye to her ex-lover. She begins the song with, “Don’t waste my time. As a matter of time, don’t waste my time had way to many sleepless nights.” Here, she is as confident as she was in “Just 4 You,” and doesn’t shrink herself as she did in “Emotions.”
Dami Oniru closes the EP with “Run 2 You,” a song where the artist sings about being stuck in a relationship “Don’t know where to run to.” She sings about her toxic relationship and how helpless she feels. So, she continuously chants “Don’t know where to run to.” In this project, Dami transitions from being confident in what she does in Just 4 You to closing herself in a magical box in Emotions. Later on, she moves from her desire to experience love to singing about desiring the good life in Soft Life. In “Friday,” Dami is flirty and boldly embraces her sexuality. While in “Know My Name,” she finally lets go of her ex-lover. She ends the sonic ride with “Run 2 You,” where she sings about being trapped in a love affair.
In my opinion, Dami Oniru’s “Matter of Time” is a good project that displays the artist’s growth. Here, Dami’s writing skills shine, her vocals are enthralling and she and Remy Baggins present a stellar production. “Matter of Time” is a captivating project that offers nothing but good music. Listen to the project here and let us know your thoughts about it.
