With Bleu, Soundz enters a new phase of Afro-Pop, merging emotion, experimentation, and his signature silky vocals. In this conversation, he reflects on growth, collaboration, and the moments that shaped his ascent.  

After Soundz, born Samuel Darasimi, broke out to the Afrobeats scene, circa 2022, with his debut EP, In The Rough, his svelty vocals, progressive pop fusions and overall creative rollout spotlighted him as one to watch. The 6-tracker spin, which housed fan favourites like Pressure, Attention, and Buga, opened him to a wider fanbase, consolidating his earlier career releases since 2018. 

Before his breakout, Soundz had built a following as a record producer under the moniker ‘Wicked’, with production credits for YKB, Reward Beatz, and his own earlier releases, including the hit, Darasimi. 

Since 2022, he has expanded his fanbase, with critically acclaimed jams including the Gabzy-assisted Attention 2.0, the Fave-assisted Fever, and last year’s  4-tracker sophomore EP, Diamonds & Roses, which also houses guest duets from Ghanaian singers Baaba J (Solo) and Olivetheboy (Mad). Earlier this year, he deepened his fusions with a joint two-pack song release with rising star Shoday titled Alubarika and a host of Afro-House refixes of his earlier songs, Pressure, Attention, and Down. 

With his latest and third official EP, Bleu, the young musician goes full throttle on his sonic evolution, underlining his airy Afro-pop compositions with emotional vulnerability, tempered deliveries and exciting features. Catching up with Guardian Music, he speaks about the muse behind Bleu, a metaphorical mind-state and his favourite colour; his early come-up journey; his creative process as a multihyphenate,  record producer and singer; his collaborations; a full-circle cosign moment from Olamide; and his mission to create an evergreen discography in the annals of Afrobeats. 

How did you discover your love for music?

I’ve always been a music geek. I was always curious about music — how people made it, how they put one and two together to get a song. I loved it so much that I wanted to understand the whole thing. It wasn’t even a conscious decision. Over time, with that curiosity, I just got so used to it, and I started doing it.

What year was this?

I’d say around 2017 or 2018.

So how did you get into music production?

I was self-taught, to be honest. I learned via YouTube. I started on my phone — downloaded an app and used it to make beats. When I started getting the hang of it, I did more research, watched YouTube videos, and practised a lot. I made a ton of terrible beats for like a year. But with time, I got better and more comfortable.

What was the first beat you sold? And what was that full-circle moment for you?

I honestly can’t remember the first beat I sold. It took a while before I even started producing for other people. I used to experiment on myself. I also started with beat covers — hearing a song, trying to replicate the beat myself, then doing my own cover of it.

But the full-circle moment for me was Darasimi. I made that song so fast, and I didn’t believe I could do it that well. Then the song came out, and I remember being at a show where everybody was singing it back-to-back. I was like, “Bro… something I just sat down and created from scratch is what these people are screaming.” That was the moment.

Let’s jump into your last project and now. What’s the special spark you put in BLEU that feels like a shift from your previous work?

In Bleu, you hear more personality and more growth. Each of my projects reflects where I am in life. This one shows the current reality — a young guy trying to figure out life. There are distractions, setbacks, happy moments, sad moments — everything. It’s an embodiment of the emotions I’m navigating [while] living in Lagos: love life, lust life, music life, hustle, trying to make it in the industry.

And yeah, blue is my favourite colour, but it’s also an emotion. When someone says “I’m feeling blue,” it means they’re down. But mine is spelt BLEU, because it’s not sadness alone. It’s a mix of happiness, sadness, gratitude — whatever I’m feeling at the time. That’s what Bleu is about. It’s literally an emotion.

How long have you been recording Bleu?

I started officially recording it in October last year.

Let’s talk about the creative process for the project. What was the song that put you in project mode?

It had to be “One Drunk Night.” I literally produced and recorded the whole song in one night. After making it, it became clear to me what direction I wanted for the project. That song kicked off Bleu. Even though I didn’t know at the time what the final project would look like, I knew there was something there.

What was the most difficult or longest track to produce on the album?

I wouldn’t say anything was “difficult.” Making music isn’t hard for me. If it starts to get too complicated, I let go; I don’t overthink things. But the one I spent the most time on was “Numero.” When I recorded it initially, it felt too simple. Simplicity was good, but it took me a while to get comfortable letting it stay that simple. I kept asking myself, “Should I add this? Remove this?” That was the only song I wrestled with like that.

What was the most spontaneous or easiest track to make?

One Drunk Night, definitely. But also Shayla.  One Drunk Night was spontaneous because I didn’t plan to make it; I just made the beat and recorded instantly. Shayla was produced by Reward Beatz, and we were together at the time. He played the beat, and the first line came immediately. I didn’t even write anything. I just knew it was the song.

Do you have a typical creative process, or where do you generally draw inspiration from?

I don’t have a specific process. I just go with the flow. You can start with a beat or get an idea from hearing something somewhere. For example, One and Only came from Snapchat. I was on Snap and decided to make something. I posted a small part, and people responded instantly, giving ideas. I took some of the suggestions and made the song. One Drunk Night came from being alone and inspired. Shayla came from vibing with the producer. There’s no exact method. Creativity is supposed to be impulsive and sweet. 

I’m also interested in the choice of collaborations for this project. What made you pick those particular people?

There were different choices, and it took a while to settle. For One Drunk Night, I wanted something sexy. I wanted someone who could elevate what I had done. Minz has that sexy tone — that Afrobeat but R&B-ish style. He was my go-to guy. So I reached out. 

On Shayla, because the song is so simple, I wanted a different perspective and a different sound. Lasmid is from Ghana, and I’ve always had so much love for Ghanaian Afrobeat music. I wanted to tap into that space with him. I’ve always wanted to do a record with him, and Shayla felt like something he would totally glide on — and he did. 

For Fine Lady, I wanted something very deep-rooted and cultural but still pop. And when you look at Boj, he has a legacy with that alté/Afro type of music. There’s that musical essence with him — he’s smooth with it. You can’t listen to a Boj record and not feel nostalgia and that Afrobeat essence. The song already had that essence from the beat and from the way I entered it. The chorus has that call-and-response, that Ẹlẹ́ṣin vibe. I just wanted to elevate that cultural essence. 

Then for Bkay Eastgaad, he is an amazing rapper and an amazing singer too. He’ll call himself a rapper, but he does an amazing job as a singer. On YND, he rapped in four different languages in one verse. That’s not something you see every day. I always knew I wanted a rapper on the song, someone who could switch. When we reached out to Bkay, I didn’t expect him to approach it like that. It sounded like he approached it as a singer and a rapper at the same time. So yeah, they all did justice to the project. I’m really proud of the features. They’re one of the things that excite me the most about the project.

Still on collaborations, who are some other voices in the industry that you hope to make music with one day?

I mean, there’s a lot. The list is endless, honestly. There’s Fireboy, there’s Ruger, there’s Wande Coal, there’s Olamide, there’s Wavy. Then Joey B and King Promise, both from Ghana. There are a couple I already have songs with, but there’s still so much more. I can’t even finish mentioning them, but yeah, those are some of the people I’d love to make stuff with in the future.

When you’re not making music, what are your favourite hobbies or pastimes?

At this point, when someone calls himself Soundz, you can imagine his whole life is surrounded by music. My hobby is literally production. Anytime I’m not making my own music, I’m making music for other people, or I’m listening to music, or I’m outside in the clubs jamming and still listening to music, hanging with my guys. There’s always music in my hobbies. Then sometimes, I’m an on-and-off gamer. I play games sometimes to take the edge off. But majorly, what I do for fun or relaxation is still being around music. Music relaxes me. I know there’s the business part, but I don’t see it like that all the time.

What’s one unforgettable experience you’ve had making music — whether from a show, a reception, anything?

My most memorable moment was at Olamide’s listening party. Honestly, I had no business being there. I just went to experience the album and network. Somehow,  I found myself in the VIP section with all the big artists, just trying not to step on anyone’s shoes. At some point, I was close to the stage where Olamide was. I wanted to just take a snap — like a selfie video, for the gram. I was in front, he was behind. 

While recording, I noticed he kept coming closer, but I thought he was trying to greet someone else. I was scared like, “What if they ask what I’m doing in VIP?”  Before I knew it, his hand was on my shoulder. I froze. Thank God I didn’t stop recording, because nobody would have believed me. His hand was on my shoulder, and he whispered in my ear: “Soundz, how are you doing? I f*** with your music. Keep going.” I was starstruck. That moment? I’ll never forget it.

Finally, what’s your vision for your career as Soundz?

Right now, we just have to take Bleu to the world. That’s where we are. We have to make sure everybody hears it and experiences it. From next year, I’ll be looking into touring — going to different places, connecting with fans, more collaborations, more shows, more everything. I’m excited.

And your broader vision?

My vision for Soundz is simple: I want to make music people can relate to and enjoy. I always say [that] I make music and I make memories. Every song should hold a memory for the listener

I also strongly believe not everyone is going to be a Wizkid or a Davido. So I don’t aspire to be Wizkid or Davido. I aspire to be Soundz…the global, fully realised version of Soundz. My own type of success, not what everyone else is chasing. If I get exactly what everyone else is getting, then what makes me unique? So, for me, I just want to make music people genuinely love, do my shows, tour the world, go to different continents where people connect with my sound, and leave the rest to God. God is the author of my story, so however He writes it, I follow.