Afrobeats is many things—glossy, gritty, global—but at its core, it’s a conversation between beat and voice. And producers are the ones who set the table. Their role is often overlooked, reduced to a name that’s marked in a song’s information. But behind every breakout moment is a sonic architect. They are cartographers, sketching the sonic maps that artists walk across. Mr Vonn understands this well. His recent collaboration with Zugo and Dai Verse, ‘Colorado’ is a case study on the important balance that producers bring to a record.
From the very first few bars, ‘Colorado’ makes its intentions clear. The drums come in like a soft knock on a door, a knock that gives way to a gentle bounce. The rhythm of the music finds its way to the listener’s head and shoulders, and settles there. Mr Vonn’s arrangement of each of the song’s elements is as intentional as ever; each choice of sound connecting the last one to the next. This intentional production gives space for any vocalist to do their thing. Zugo and Dai Verse oblige, and their performances shine through the record with ease.
Zugo leads the charge, weaving rhythms filled with metaphors and melodies and doing so with an assurance that has become part of his identity as an artist. He produces flexible delivery, balancing a conversational tone with a level of poetic dexterity as well. The evident weight of his words does not drag the record down, instead giving it new flavor and dimension. Lyrical dexterity of this level transcends radio trends, which unironically makes ‘Colorado’ a radio-friendly record.
Dai Verse, on the other hand, brings a softness that counters Zugo’s gritty delivery. He does well to create a decent, textured contrast that gives the song the qualities that make it a good record. His tone is airy, and he uses his vocal prowess to infuse a lift to the record’s already hypnotizing nature. The two artists display good synergy, moving in sync without stepping on each other’s toes. One supplies the push while the other supplies the melodic pull.
Behind them, Mr Vonn uses his mastery to make the sounds speak in ways that words can not. You can hear it in the chorus, where the 808s expand and contrast, giving the record an enveloping feel whose reverberation will be felt in closed rooms or echoing halls. It’s the kind of beat that earns the listener’s attention by simply existing. Each kick, synth, and snare feels aligned more than it feels played on a computer. It is mastery in full flow.
‘Colorado’ does many things for the acts on the record, aside from being a good song. For Zugo, it marked an entry into the larger conversation of Nigerian music in a way that makes his presence felt even after his talent is heard. He delivered with aplomb. Dai Verse’s benefit is evident, in that the range of his vocals and style is his strongest asset. when used wisely. Some artists sing, but his voice resonates. And for Mr Vonn, ‘Colorado’ adds to a growing catalogue that suggests he is building the next Afrobeats wave.
While global recognition is gratifying, local innovation is what keeps the Afrobeats genre alive. Songs like ‘Colorado’ prove that the heartbeat of Afrobeats is still very much at home, evident in the choices of producers who understand the relationship between words and sound. In ‘Colorado’, three artists arrive with something to prove and leave having made music that is evergreen.
