AT first I disliked the cover art. What’s this collaged gradient photo of a man smiling all about? Why was the music titled Colors? I mused within myself for a bit. Then, barely a few minutes into this extended play by Viktur Sunday and it all made sense why the music felt colourful. There’s hardly been any other bohemian mesh of Jazz, Soul, Poetry, and RnB out there in recent times. Think the late 2000s with Asa, but this time with Viktur Sunday’s elasticity and pure soul in focus.
Does Viktur Sunday stretch the music? And why does it even matter? It’s the first thing one notices in his compositions — a buttery puddle of dreamy lofi Jazz, Neo-soul, and Poetry — and the best thing that actually happens to the music. The entire approx 15 min spin feels inviting, immersive and intense, as if one swallowed each part whole. Or maybe that’s what happens when you have a great keyboardist who understands tone colour and flow, which, in this case, also happens to be Viktur Sunday. Add that to his other lyricist and composer roles, his tray of talents shines brightly in Colors, with how cathartic he stirs the music to feel.
The EP opens its doors with “Be Yourself (with Maio and AJ)”. The optimism arrives immediately when the first piano chord hits. A suspenseful loop of a ticking clock. Melancholic piano chords rising. ‘Searching for the key to life and the hope to be locked in/I ask the man in the mirror, ‘what would you do if nobody is watching?’/ How can I think outside the box when my thoughts are into boxing?/The answer with doubts in my mind, only to find that being yourself is the only option,’ the short poem by Maia cuts into the melody. AJ’s bluesy vocals come in, ‘Be yourself, everyone is ticking.’ This is less than a minute into the spin, and the EP’s tone finds its nerve center in the spaces — the pauses, the flow, that soothing progression that surrounds each song and creates room for release. This is the canvas of Viktur’s vivacious Colors.
In a world often filled with noise, Viktur Sunday reminds us that happiness is the finest of all colours in the next track, “Happiness Is Here To Stay (with Deana)”. ‘No more chasing empty promises/Now I don’t need to run away, because happiness is here to stay,’ Deana’s ‘Destiny’s Child-core’ vocals chisel the salvific message with a distinct tenderness. Over gentle uuhss and passage piano chords, she drifts with her amber vocals, rising gently over the equally crescending synthy ambient horns. It sounds like an orchestra, but with pianos and a balladeer with vulnerability echoing in the melodies.
The poetry continues in “Seasons (with Teni, Teressa)”. ‘There are seven billion people around/ Different faces, different races/ Different ages, different stages/ Each one with a story to tell,’ Teni’s poetry disarmes the listener’s wit. But Viktur’s invasive jazzy horns reassemble them, as it slightly drowns her cadence in the off-beat instrumental. Still, there’s this reassuring background vocal — mostly melismas and scats; the typical ooohhs and uhhhss — that sweeps through the entire song, weaving it together. It might be, at best a filler track, but its relaxing feel still works up quite an impact.
And in the EP’s closer, “I Go Love You (with Nonso)”, Viktur saves the best for last. And saves the last as the true salve of the playlist. It’s a mesmerizing spool of haunting hooks, soulful falsettos, and moody guitar riffs. Nonso chants his verse slowly, retaining that poetic feel of the EP, but it does not hide his velvety tenor. He yearns the deepest when he refrains: ‘I go love you,’ as if reminding himself that this is the part of himself he holds dearest. Viktur’s slow-burn composition style works strongest in this song. The echoes, ‘Love me’, and the accompanying rain of falsetto, charges the song with that goosebump feeling. Altogether, it’s a very emotive, intense, and exciting tune that sprawls with shock and replay value.
Cohesively, Colors is a mood stabilizing pill. It’s a fantasy of an ideal mind state, a sermon on the indefatigable muse called love. It’s an intimate record, with careful spatial production that makes the room feel smaller and warmer with every climbing chord. The RnB, Jazzy groove, Soul and Poetry mesh fit together nicely, with slight waning moments here and there, especially on “Seasons”. It feels very original to Viktur, an extension of himself, his mastery, his genius, his heart. It’s a convincing playlist, an exciting one, and a full purge from the other crowded sonics en vogue. It sits at 8/10.
Viktur Sunday, also known as Victor Sunday, is a Nigerian-born, UK-based music producer, songwriter, composer and keyboardist whose work blends R&B, jazz, neo-soul, African rhythms and lo-fi textures. His musical influences include D’Angelo, Fela Kuti, Robert Glasper, Moonchild, George Duke and Oscar Peterson. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with artists including Sammie Okposo, Rema, Davido, Iyanya and Simi. His music is rooted in emotional storytelling and genre fusion, with songs such as “Goodbye. Hello!” and “New Beginning” exploring themes of transition, love, hope and renewal.
