I know its only two weeks in but 2014 has started off rather slowly for Nigerian music, compared to 2013’s quick start at least which saw the release of “The Matter“, “Watch My Ting Go“, “Bad Guy P (Remix)”, “Skibo”, “This Year (Odun Yi)”, “The Kick” and “Baddo Love” among other hits within its first few weeks. It may be too early for us to judge but we’re not particularly excited about 2014, at least not yet anyway. There have been songs that have piqued our interest such as Lace’s “Change My Story” and Seyi Shay’s “Ragga Ragga” but nothing yet that has completely blown us away in 2014, except for the new single from award-winning Nigerian musician songwriter and producer Cobhams Asuquo titled “Ordinary People”.
Serving as the lead single for his forthcoming solo debut album, Cobham’s “Ordinary People” is a slow-building delectable Pop ballad with life-affirming musings and Contemporary Christian leanings, led by soft guitar and piano arrangements, at-times towering drum patterns and a stirring string section. Backed by a resounding choir that does not put one foot wrong vocally, Cobham Asuquo shines bright with one of his many talents that he is least known for – his voice. It is soothing yet commanding and as pitch-perfect as it gets plus his control is of consummate fashion on this record.
As for the talents that he is very well known for – his songwriting and production, those do not disappoint either. Having written and produced from Nigerian class acts such as Asa, Darey Art Alade and Bez, with Sony/ATV Publishing signing him on as a songwriter back in 2005, his credentials as a producer and songwriter were never in doubt and the sheer excellence on “Ordinary People” simply goes further to cement Cobham Asuquo’s stature as one of the best musicians to come out of Nigeria.
