Nigerian gospel artist Diamond Jimma steps into confident aspiration territory on “Big Star,” the third track on his “GOD IN CHARGE” EP.
The title lands at the EP’s exact midpoint – and that placement says something. Track three of five is where a short project either holds its momentum or loses it. Diamond Jimma keeps it moving with “Big Star” by shifting the emotional register from the devotional intimacy of “Mowa O” and “Chosen One” into something with more forward energy and ambition. So the record serves as the EP’s momentum engine before “Esteri” pulls things back toward warmth at track four.
“Big Star” sits in that faith-and-ambition space that Nigerian gospel navigates uniquely well. Because unlike Western contemporary Christian music which often separates spiritual life from material aspiration, the Nigerian gospel tradition has always held both simultaneously – praising God for the blessing while also declaring where the blessing is headed. Diamond Jimma understands that cultural specificity and writes from inside it rather than around it.
His Yoruba gospel production instinct runs through the arrangement throughout. The contemporary Afrocentric framework keeps “Big Star” current while the melodic expressiveness in his vocal performance keeps it sincere. So the record lands as a genuine declaration rather than a commercial crossover attempt dressing itself in gospel language.
The no-feature approach across the full “GOD IN CHARGE” EP also gives “Big Star” its specific value. With only Diamond Jimma’s voice and vision present across five tracks, each record stands or falls entirely on his own artistry. And “Big Star” stands cleanly.
Stream “Big Star” off the “GOD IN CHARGE” EP and tell us – does this track make you believe Diamond Jimma is heading somewhere big?
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