Contemporary R&B. This is a mutation of the R&B genre that favours keyboards, synthesizers, and drum machines. While also incorporating Hiphop and putting vocal virtuosos front and centre. In simple terms, "feels, 4 u" is Contemporary R&B.
Now I often want to start these reviews with winding reflections on artists and their journey in creating a body of work, but here I have to start by saying: "I apologise YAMIKANI, I wasn't familiar with your game".
For the longest time YAMIKANI was a name I encountered around music conversations. Not from the general public but those deep within the music community. Yet for some reason I never made the time to find out for myself just how talented this young artist is. In my defence I was using Spotify free for the longest time (I'm now using Spotify premium but it's still for free because I'm on a couples plan with someone I'm not a couple with).
So "feels, 4 u" was my introduction to YAMIKANI the artist and not just the name. A 4 track EP that's only 12 minutes in running time but it's a testament of that saying about dynamite and small packages.
haunyare is melismatic serenade that tells the story of of a consuming feeling of love. It is blended together with certain elements of Hiphop and if there was a single word for it, it would be sensual. "Haunyare here, kuba moyo wangu?" Are you not ashamed for stealing my heart?... In 2019 my ex made me swear off love and relationships but if haunyare was dedicated to me, I would instantly forget that heartbreak made me seek therapy.
DIRECTION takes on a slightly Afrobeats feel. It's another love song, well the entire EP is about. It's a song questioning intentions and the depth of emotions. The emotions expressed and the situation YAMIKANI describes sound so familiar and related. Lyrics like "So do you really want to be with me? Tell me what do you see in me" remind of times I replied love interests with bad, filled with half truths.
Well baby we can, we can, we can
Learn to control the direction (direction)
But we can't control the temperature
READY 2 GO is pretty much as the title says. It's a track about being at that point of diving off the deep end. YAMIKANI has the uncanny ability of turning human emotions into sonic experiences. It's beautiful to listen yet the lyrics are rich and she paints pictures your heart can see.
bad has the feeling of an interlude, due to it's short nature but it's a fitting piece into the jigsaw that is "feels, 4 u". It is a song of yearning, revealed in the line "Tell me you want it bad as I do". As a strong believer that music should move you, I can't help but love "feels, 4 u". It speaks to the hopeless romantic within me. It's as if every song triggers a memory and yet it also reminds me of people in my present. I'll probably add a song or two to a playlist I'm making for this girl in my DM who thinks I'm funny.
If I have any criticism for "feels, 4 u" it would be that it's too short. Yet what a debut EP it is from YAMIKANI.
Greedysouth rating: 7.5/10
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