On “Pressure” one of the more bold collaborations on his debut album “22,” Kunmie brings street-hop heavyweight Zlatan on board.
The record works because of the contrast between the two artists. Kunmie comes thru with his soulful and emotionally grounded vocal style that built him a reputation via “Arike” and the “Gorgeous” million streams run with Lojay. Then Zlatan comes crashing in with that charismatic, high-energy delivery that’s kept him relevant from “Zanku” thru “Motion Sickness” with ODUMODUBLVCK. So the two sounds don’t melt into one another. They slam into each other and that tension is the energy of “Pressure.”
This piece dives into the realities of chasing success, as life keeps throwing you road blocks. But neither artist is coming from a place of complaint. While Zlatan’s street confidence drives it, Kunmie’s emotional vulnerability keeps the theme grounded. Because a song called “Pressure” needs two emotional temperatures, a temperature that recognizes the weight and a temperature that says no to it. Both men do exactly that.
For Kunmie in particular, getting Zlatan on the album says something about how far his profile has grown since “Arike” hit number one on the Official Nigeria Top 100. That chart run blew open doors that a first single from a budding artist rarely gets blown open this quickly. And bringing Zlatan into “22” confirms he is walking thru those doors with purpose.
The album is due August 14. “Pressure” is the type of record that guaranties no one sleeps on it when it drops.
“Pressure” is out now, and let us know if Kunmie and Zlatan just made the hardest record on “22” , drop your rating below!
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