With his eleventh studio album, the self-titled Olamidé, the Afrobeats icon delivers a masterclass in balance, seamlessly blending streetwise lyricism, introspective depth, and global ambitions across 17 meticulously crafted tracks. Fresh off the success of Unruly (2023) and Ikigai EP (2024), Olamide eschews reinvention for refinement, offering a project that feels both veteran-smart and vibrantly current.
The album opens with “Prelude”, a piano-laced meditation on self-assurance featuring Fxrtune, before sliding into “Hasibunallah“, where warm saxophones underscore Olamide’s spiritual grounding. Tracks like “Kai!” with Wizkid and “Billionaires Club” (featuring Wizkid and Darkoo) flex his signature swagger, pairing jazzy horns with boasts about Lambos and longevity. Yet it’s the collaborations that reveal his strategic genius: Dr Dre’s slick cameo on “Indika” bridges continents, while Popcaan’s dancehall cadence on “Rain” and Asake’s fiery energy on “99” showcase Olamide’s curatorial ear.
Lyrically, Olamidé oscillates between hustle anthems (“Free” with Seyi Vibez), romantic vulnerability (“Luvaluvah“), and cheeky provocation (“Lalakipo“). While some lines toe the line between playful and contentious (see “Stronger” with Boj), the album’s production—polished yet raw—keeps the focus on Olamide’s evolution. Standout “Hybrid” distills this duality, merging lounge-ready beats with urgent bars about survival.
Olamidé isn’t just a victory lap—it’s proof that after a decade-plus reign, the “Morowore” crooner still sets the pace.
