Fast-rising Nigerian Afropop singer-songwriter and producer Idahams follows up his acclaimed 2020 EP Man On Fire with his debut album Truth, Love & Confessions. The 13-track body of work is led by the buzzing chart-climbing single "Bad Girl". The production on the project includes Idahams himself, long-time collaborators Yussy Beats, and Orbeat, with additional production from the likes of French Ivorian beatsmith Price D, and Senegalese DJ/producer Mr. Meyz among others. Idahams has also brought together an eclectic mix of guest artists from all around the world, including Xenia Manasseh from Kenya, Zach Zoya from Canada, and Tugga Skii from the UK, to help bring the album’s themes and stories to life.
The project opens up with the gospel-tinged "gratitude", as the title suggests, it's an inspirational tune that sees Idahams giving thanks to the most-high for giving him the opportunity to excel at this music thing. The production is majestic, quite dynamic and progressive and the layered choral melodies are brilliant. The party kicks off with the second track "Che Che", a smooth bouncy Afropop jam ripe with vivid storytelling of his comeuppance, this is followed by the previously released "Bad Girl", an upbeat party jam featuring rappers Ajebo Hustlers. In "Hate That I Love", he makes use of hypnotic Spanish guitars as his canvas to tell a tale of heartbreak. The man literally bought gifts for his girl only to literally see her being devoured by another individual. The energy changes in "Odeshi", here Idahams has found his strength and gets back on track with his smooth melodic style and profound lyricism where he throws darts at the naysayers and detractors who try to derail his destiny. Tracks like "Oyeh" and "Somebody's Daughter", show two sides of him. The former has him falling head over heels and literally losing his mind over a girl while the latter sees him pouring adulation on a lady who was mistreated by her ex. Idahams steps in the picture and lets the ex know that he lost a good one.
Truth, Love & Confessions is a masterful 13-track album that runs the gamut of soundscapes, from pop and R&B to highlife and afrobeats, over which Idahams bares himself open for the listener about his life and times, his relationships, the climate crisis in his hometown, pressures of chasing success, and his near-death experience at the hands of the Nigerian police, among other real-life experiences over the past two years that have fuelled the making of this album.
Speaking about the inspiration behind his Truth, Love & Confessions album, Idahams says, “Recording the 'Truth, Love and Confession' album was quite a journey. It took almost two years to record, and I’ve musically documented my life, environment, and personal experiences in the album. As a young man who has gone through life, I believe some of my stories on this album will connect with people. It is a very relatable project and I have opened myself up for people to see, I’ve also made sure I maintained my true essence as an artist, a musician and entertainer”.
Stream Truth, Love & Confessions on all DSPs here.
