Ijaola Olufunke’s 2023 project, I Prevail, is quite a worthwhile arrival in the Nigerian gospel music scene. Across its seven tracks, the record drifts with an enchanting tempo that stirs the listener without forcing its emotional charge. It is a treasure trove of tender melodies, uplifting declarations and worship-centred arrangements, showcasing Olufunke’s sonority and artistry as a firm statement of intent.

It begins with “Jesus,” a classic worship opener built around sobriety and reverence. The song is soulful, sombre and deeply devotional, almost like an invitation into the spiritual atmosphere of the record. From there, the title track, “I Prevail,” raises the pulse a notch higher. It feels more musically textured, carrying the same worshipful centre but with a fuller sense of movement and arrangement.

The project swings fully into indigenous folk terrain with “Juwon Lo,” where soothing Yoruba highlife guitars meet Olufunke’s catchy antiphonal phrasing. Here, her use of call-and-response becomes one of the record’s most effective tools, allowing the song to feel communal without losing its intimacy. It is worship as both personal testimony and shared chorus.

On “Imaranma,” the record shifts into Igbo highlife terrain with a gentler, slower pace. The song is soft on the ears, almost carrying the sentimentality of a Nollywood rom-com score, except that its devotion is turned towards God. Olufunke also leans into short refrain motifs, those broken phrases and repeated hooks that lodge themselves in the listener’s ear. By the time she moves towards the outro, chanting “Nobody like you, Lord,” her delivery becomes charged, stretching the song’s length without making it lose cohesion.

Hymnal traditions seep into the soundtrack with “Alafia,” a charge to listeners to trust in God’s providence and remain diligent in their dealings. Its pulse is strongest when the choral chorus rises, giving the track a vintage Yoruba folk worship feel. With its orchestral elements and hymnal tone, “Alafia” feels like one of the moments where Olufunke connects most clearly with older church music traditions while still keeping the record within a contemporary gospel frame.

Across the EP, Olufunke’s strongest quality is how she navigates the musical atmosphere. She weaves an ambience steeped in Yoruba folk, Igbo highlife, hymnal progressions and contemporary gospel arrangements that actually blend well as a cohesive spin. That range gives I Prevail its emotional breadth.

There is also a clear sense of vocal intention in the project. Olufunke sometimes performs some vocal acrobatics but not for its own sake; as she stretches into richer octaves, especially in the latter parts of the record, her performance gains a deeper emotional weight. Her phrasing is warm and patient, and even when the songs become lengthy, she carries them with enough conviction to make the worship feel lived-in rather than merely performed.

Flipside, the project still leaves room for growth. A few of its arrangements linger longer than necessary, allowing sections built on repeated refrains to lose some of their jizz before the next movement arrives. Also, a little more variation in instrumentation and transitions could have sharpened the listening experience while preserving the project’s reflective atmosphere.

The record climaxes with “Olorun Iyanu” and “The Revelation,” two of its strongest closing statements. “Olorun Iyanu” delivers perhaps the EP’s clearest point of catharsis, building steadily with talking drums, choral backing vocals and a swift tonal drift from sombre worship into something more dancey and groovy. “The Revelation” closes the project on an English, hymn-esque note, driven by familiar church-worship chords and warm melodic phrasing. It may not be the catchiest song on the record, but Olufunke’s warmth surfaces clearly there, rounding off I Prevail as a tender, cohesive and spiritually grounded gospel project. It sits at 8/10.