Lifestyle may not be Balloranking’s most vulnerable outing, but it signals a subtle iteration that Balloranking can preach the gospel of the streets and still soundtrack its wildest nights.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
The meteoric growth of Street-Pop over the past years has unlocked a new variant of young stars, propelling the genre in the most distinctive ways. Balloranking is one of these unique artistes injecting new life into the sound with his Konto-inflected — pseudo-Reggae-Dancehall — soundscape, a signature sound that can be traced to the sonics that bubbled in Ajegunle in the early 2000s. It’s the template he has remained consistent with since his emergence, right up to his new EP, Lifestyle.
While Balloranking’s sound is rooted in that Galala/Konto lineage, his music remains as aspirational as ever in storytelling and motifs. It’s a variant of Street-Pop often called Afro-Adura, and he executes it in the most soul-piercing ways.
Across the years, he has ushered listeners into a sound world that’s entirely his, fusing far-flung and nearby influences into a tightly-knit Afro-Pop body of work. Although Balloranking has been active since his breakout moment with “Killing Dem All” in 2020 and his collaboration with Seyi Vibez on “Time No Dey”, his influence still feels largely concentrated within specific regions.
After the release of his debut album Ghetto Gospel in 2023, a project that chronicled the lived experiences of people in Lagos’ inner city, he expanded its universe last year with Zero Panic Vol. 2, which spawned hits like the stoner’s anthem “7.5G”.
As a continuation of his sonic DNA, the Lifestyle EP opens with the pre-released, slow-burning, dancehall-inflected track, “Life”. Its aspirational lyrics draw from Balloranking’s personal story: “No silver spoon, just dreams in my cup/ And I got the hustle na mi blood…”, offering a window into his rise from modest beginnings.
The song is motivational in how he references well-known figures as examples of relentless striving: “Dangote still dey find money oh/ Even Obi Cubana open 24/7”. He also sprinkles in humour when he sings, “Mr Eazi know say e no easy, lo shey bo’omo Otedola lo”, a playful line suggesting that Mr Eazi married into the Otedola family because he knows life is not easy.
He teams up with Portuguese singer, Richie Campbell, on the love song “Forget”, asking his lover not to lose sight of where their bond began. It’s a heartfelt plea to salvage a love that’s slowly slipping away.
Over the bouncy, mid-tempo kick of the beat, Richie Campbell slides in with a soul-stirring delivery that heightens the song’s emotion as he sings, “Time waits for no one/ And I want you to spend all your time with me, don’t share with nobody”. The energy shifts on the Amapiano-charged “Level Up”, where log drums keep the tempo flowing as Balloranking maintains an effervescent, infectious groove that transforms the track into a ready-made party anthem.
Perhaps the most melodic song on the project is the Godomarr-produced “Lavish”, where bright guitar lines are layered over a danceable beat as Balloranking sings about his hedonistic cravings and the desire to enjoy life, live lavishly, and stay dripped in the latest designer pieces. Over the Log-drum-laden “Dirty”, produced by one of Street-Pop’s most in-demand hitmakers, Larrylanes, Balloranking delivers another Amapiano-styled party starter, looping classic Afrobeats patterns over the rumbling drums in a manner reminiscent of Asake’s signature style.
The formula carries through to the closing track “Barcadi”, which pulls from Amapiano’s bustling crowd vocals and thumping percussion as Balloranking boasts about his wins and how he intends to spend his money. And as is often the case with Street-Pop’s aspirational tone, it occasionally brushes up against cyber-fraud references like when he casually intones, “Load my CC/ Owo loading, ding’ ding’” on the chorus.
Across past releases, Balloranking has proven himself a deft singer and storyteller, capable of mining deeply personal experiences and transforming them into lyrics that resonate with honesty, vulnerability, and a lived-in authenticity.
However, his new EP, Lifestyle, isn’t as invested in that emotional excavation. What it makes clear instead is his knack for sculpting lean, kinetic party records. Aside from the introspective opener “Life” and the lovelorn “Forget”, almost every other song is engineered for motion, designed to soundtrack packed Lagos dancefloors.
Stylistically, his signature Konto-driven sound doesn’t anchor these songs as firmly as on earlier projects; instead, he leans into Amapiano-inflected frameworks powered with log drums, shimmering keys, and percussive elements, giving the EP a lighter, more freewheeling feel.
In essence, Lifestyle EP may not be Balloranking’s most vulnerable outing, but it signals a subtle iteration that Balloranking can preach the gospel of the streets and still soundtrack its wildest nights.
Lyricism – 1.0
Tracklisting – 1.3
Sound Engineering – 1.5
Vocalisation – 1.4
Listening Experience – 1.5
Rating – 6.7/10
Abioye Damilare Samson is a music journalist and culture writer focused on the African entertainment industry. His works have appeared in Afrocritik, Republic NG, NATIVE Mag, Culture Custodian, 49th Street, and more. Connect with him on Twitter and IG: @Dreyschronicle