(+LYRICS) MUSIC REVIEW: ISSOKAY BY YEMI ALADE “EVEN THESE LYRICS ARE LAGGING BEHIND!”
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“Issokay, If you are not with me, you are lagging behind” What a very catchy line! Perhaps the reason, I maneuvered its entrance into our music video catalogue in order for it to be reviewed this week. Like seriously, it has never happened before that a song released within a week or two, should be reviewed on Ogefash Blog. I mean, there are a lot of music videos already in the catalogue. But that is by the way, so let us see what Mama Africa aka that Igbo- Yoruba girl aka Yemi Eberechukwu Alade; you know na, just call her Yemi Alade for short, has to pass across in this her new song titled “Issokay”. Feel the lyrics first
LYRICS TO “ISSOKAY” BY YEMI ALADE
INTRO
BEATZ
Yeah yeah, Yemi Alade, Eh oh oh
Egar Boye
Issokay Issokay Yeah
Issokay Issokay Yeah
VERSE 1
No be say I be novice. You can’t say you don’t know this, ah
Back to back is not it. If you are feeling the groove then vibe it
No be say I too sabi but e be like say I sabi ah. On a row we dey party
If you’re not with me, then you’re lagging behind
PRE CHORUS
Okay, behind. Issokay, behind. Bumper, bumper,behind. Feeling like a rock star, behind
Okay! Issokay yeah. Feeling like Okay. I can see Issokay
If you’re not with me then you’re lagging behind
CHORUS
Okay, Issokay, Issokay
If you’re not with me then you’re lagging behind
VERSE 2
As the gbedu enter, the people start to dance (Make way); my people start to dance
Carry dey go, e dey the plans. So make you give me chance
Money oh, money oh! Money sweet oh, we dey make am
Money sweet oh, when we dey make am
We run the streets and we run the town
Oh eh!
PRE CHORUS
Okay, behind. Issokay, behind. Bumper Bumper, behind. Feeling like a rock star, behind
Okay! Issokay yeah. Feeling like Okay. I can see Issokay
If you’re not with me then you’re lagging behind
BEATZ
CHORUS
Okay, Issokay, Issokay
If you’re not with me then you’re lagging behind
[Outro]
Swaps Swaps
CHORUS
Okay, Issokay, Issokay
If you’re not with me then you’re lagging behind
DURATION: 2 MINUTES 30 SECONDS
DIRECTOR X OVIE
THE REVIEW
I was happy when I saw the duration of this song; this is the shortest music video ever reviewed on Ogefash blog. So, I thought because the song lasted for 2 minutes 30 seconds, the lyrics would be clear, but that was not the case. It was really tough understanding what message she was trying to pass across. The only line that was clear and easy to grasp was “If you are not with me, you are lagging behind”
So, I am like, if you are not with her on what exactly? Perhaps what the artiste was trying to say is that if you are not dancing to her music the way she and others are dancing to it, then you are lagging behind. Any other idea? Kindly fill in the comment box
Moving on, if that is what the song is about, then I would say the lyrics are poor; so weedy! The verses say nothing concrete; quite empty
She has an idea, but the idea was not properly put down which makes the song confusing and complex to understand. The only catchy line “if you are not with me, you are lagging behind”, may be the only thing that listeners really grasp in the song, which is not too good for a song with great beat..
Lyrically, the song comes in two short verses and two pre-choruses and three choruses. A lot of disjointed lines; the lyrics don’t flow well.
For instance, she said “As the gbedu enter, the people start to dance (Make way); my people start to dance. Carry dey go, e dey the plans. So make you give me chance” choruses
Give you a chance for what?
Then her next line was what almost scattered my brain…“Money oh, money oh! Money sweet oh, we dey make am…” no correlation with the song in entirety. Perhaps, she was just fascinated with the beat (which I must say, it is really nice) and then jumped on the beat without an idea of what to say. If you ask, it is lyrically lagging behind.
Hey, that reminds me, enough of the criticism, I actually love her pitch in the 1 minute 8 seconds of the song. I also love the fact the song is not too long unlike the music videos we have nowadays. The song lasted for 2 minutes 30 seconds; did you exclaim? Don’t worry, it is allowed
BREAKDOWN OF THE SONG
In the Verse 1, “No be say I be novice. You can’t say you don’t know this, ah”, the artiste said she is not a newbie/learner in the music industry. She also said releasing a new song that people will dance to has nothing to do with the consecutive past hits an artiste released but how interesting and dance-able the new song is. She said if you are feeling her vibe, you can dance to it, like she is dancing to it; hence you are with her and not lagging behind.
In the Pre-chorus/ Chorus, “Okay, behind. Issokay, behind. Bumper, bumper, behind” the artiste said if you are not on the same page with her, if you don’t understand her flow, then you are lagging behind.
In the Verse 2 “As the gbedu enter, the people start to dance (Make way)” the artiste said people are dancing to her music which automatically means they are with her. She said people should give her a chance to keep releasing great songs that they can dance to. She also said she is making money, enough to run the town.
WHAT DOES THE SONG “ISSOKAY” BY YEMI ALADE MEAN
Issokay is a word gotten from the word “It is Okay”. In the context of the song, Issokay means you are permitted or allowed to do what you want to do. But whatever you do, if it is not in line with what the artiste is doing or promoting, then you are not with her, which means you are lagging behind.
However, I don’t know what she wants viewers to be with her on in order to be on the same pace with her; is it her dance flow, or her song, or the money she is making or something else; it is really not clear.
MEANING OF SOME WORDS
Lagging behind– Not on the same pace with someone, behind other, unable to catch up with others, slower pace
Ok– To allow something to happen, an approval, permission, you don’t mind about something, it is fine with you.
Vibe it– A way of relaxing and enjoying yourself either through music, dance, clubbing…
Novice– Someone who inexperienced in a particular thing, a learner
Back to back– Consecutively, in a row, never ending, continuous, interruption
Sabi- To know or understand something
In a row– If something happens non stop a number of times without a break.
Run the town– she is in control no matter what anyone else has to say about what she is doing- the solution, have authority over something, to be in control
With me-in their company, as a companion or friend or a s a member of a group, to understand what they are trying to say.
Bumper to bumper– When something is bumper to bumper, there is space for little or no movement, so the thing would be behind; moving slowly
Give me A chance– an opportunity to do something
VIDEO PRODUCTION
I like the video; basically dance. I like the vitality displayed by all the dancers. They were actually having fun while dancing. I also like the last scene of the video where Yemi Alade and the little boy danced. They had this hilarious dance step. Good video!
SOUND
Terrific! Very catchy as well. The combination of various instruments made the song interesting to the ears. I could really feel one of the major instruments played in music which is the drum; which enhanced the rhythm. It also has this humorous tune feel.
COSTUME
Fair! The ladies wore mostly bum shorts and matched it with tops of various patterns. Yemi Alade wore a black camisole with an Ankara jacket and a bum short.
LOCATION
It was shot outdoor
REMARK
Yemi Alade was not able to expound in the verses, in the whole song, what exactly she meant by “if you are not with me, you are lagging behind” because really, we don’t know what she wants people to be with her in… But great tune though
WATCH VIDEO HERE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=krLebTXtvtw-
ISSOKAY BY YEMI ALADE
VIEW MORE PICTURES HERE
@yemialade @mamaafrica
#issokaybyyemialade
#issokay
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