Like most noteworthy projects of any kind, Viva Lavida is not a one-man show. The collective of talents that contributed to this project are part of its success.
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
In the fast-moving environment of today’s entertainment scenes, longevity is becoming a scarcer achievement seemingly reserved for only the most consistent, adored, or respected names. The Nigerian music industry and its Afrobeats pantheon is no different, quickly relegating acts to the background if they cannot maintain their relevance with their audience.
As such, it is a laudable feat when artistes can keep their names at the fore of their fields for years on end. It is safe to say that Joeboy (born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus) is slowly making his way into those hallowed halls as he releases his third full-length studio album in Viva Lavida, having been a mainstay of the industry since his breakout single, “Baby”, in 2019.
While speaking to Apple Music about Viva Lavida (Spanish for “long live life”), Joeboy expressed a desire to try something different on this project, creating from a place of freedom and an absence of pressure.
“Innocent” gets the album underway, with Joeboy reminiscing on a past state of innocence and naivete, singing “That’s why anytime you lamba me/ I go still pick phone/ I will answer you/ And the other day? Wey you wounjure me/ See, I still come through and I pamper you”. His vocals are pristine, strong singing filled with palpable emotion in the delivery.
Stacked with wailing ad-libs and backing vocals over a fittingly somber instrumental (comprised of dark swelling pads and sparse thumping drums), Joeboy delivers a gripping introduction to the body of work. The brief track is outro-ed by a vintage soul sample that comes out of nowhere but adds a touch of quintessence to the track.
Next up is “Abena” which continues on in the haunting vein, building its instrumental with heavy bass synths, grim pads, subdued flutes, and an Afrobeats drum pattern with a light Baile Funk tilt to its syncopation. Joeboy implores the titular Abena to dance, touting his ability to make it worth her while.
The sonic direction is not the usual for its subject matter but it provides an interesting change of pace, with its heavily effected vocals and unusual tone. The song ends with an instrumental flourish that is interrupted by the sound engineer’s tag; typically a staple of Afrobeats but it interferes with the effect being created by the outro.
“Streets Are Lonely” is an admonition of the dating game in the social media age. Moaning kokyus are married with sub basses and clinking percussions to create another stirring sonic palette for Joeboy’s piercing vocals, their emotive effect enhanced by brilliant audio engineering. “If you don’t love me just say it/ You really wanna leave just say it/ Things con be like work”, Joeboy complains with straightforward lyricism.
The performance bolsters the songwriting here, so much so that one might not notice that the second verse is simply a repetition of the first. The outro trend continues here as we get a climax with rumbling synthetic basses and an effective detune effect.
Strummed rhythm guitars usher us into “Taxi Driver” which is the lead single and the first stereotypical Afrobeats song on Viva Lavida. Clacking Afro-Pop percussions set the familiar pace as we get more emotional strings and pads, keeping the mood sombre.
Joeboy assumes the persona of a passenger venting their woes to the titular taxi driver, lamenting “Taxi driver, can you take me home?/ I can’t feel my soul/ Hate this feeling, I’m better on my own…I don see, I don see, I don see something/ Somebody, somebody comfort me”.
Joeboy’s ability to communicate the pertinent emotion in his vocal timbre is perfect for what this song is, putting the listener in the complainant’s shoes.
“SMH” (which we later understand as Something Missing Here) is introduced with oddly Arabian-sounding ululations over sharp distinct plucked strings, whistling flutes, and a bouncy Afrobeats drum pattern. The Tempoe-produced instrumental sounds distinctly nostalgic, like it was plucked from the soundtrack of old Nollywood; from the instrumental choices to the way they are all mixed together. The unintelligible chorus, the group vocals on the hook and Joeboy’s delivery all follow suit, immaculately feeding into the nostalgic effect. Joeboy’s cadence harps back to Wande Coal past, cementing the uncanny energy the song has.
“Magdalene” is our second trip to standard Afrobeats fare on Viva Lavida. Rattling shakers, energetic drums, and frenetic rhythm guitars set the high-paced energy while North African influences creep into the woodwinds and string accompaniments. Again, Joeboy’s delivery morphs, channelling J. Martins-esque Highlife energy as he sprinkles biblical references into this tale of unrequited love. The song is brief but bold, packing a punch and ending in a cacophony of Arabian strings and percussions.
“Sunset” takes us to Latin America with its percussion-heavy syncopation and guitar melodies. Joeboy puts on his lover boy hat, serenading his lover as they dance under the sunset. His vocals are soft and tender, delivering each line with emotion.
His delivery is matched and maybe even outshined by featured Brazilian artiste, Elana Dara who delivers a heartfelt verse primarily in her native Portuguese. While not becoming a traditional duet, the balance of both perspectives and talents results in an effectively emotional Latin ballad that feels fresh and vibrant.
Next up is “Adenuga”, another song that dropped as a single prior to Viva Lavida’s release. Assisted by rising starlet, Qing Madi, we get a different flavour of love song. Propelled by energetic drums, strummed electric guitars, and synth chords, Joeboy heaps adulation on his love interest, showering her with praise and assumedly money as well, alluding to the titular Adenuga in terms of wealth. Qing Madi’s voice adds a delightful counterpoint to Joeboy’s but she isn’t given the space to fully establish her presence on the song.
“Free of Charge” returns us to Latin America but for Baile Funk this time, with it’s typical heavily swung drums, as well as a healthy dose of hard-hitting synthetic brass, and a thumping bassline. Joeboy adopts a braggadocious persona, half-singing about the lavishness he intends to bestow upon his love interest and even her family. “Too much money for my kolo/ Walai girl I fit to spend it all on you oo/ Shey you want pounds sterling my baby or na Euros/ Put you in a mansion and a Lamborghini Urus”. He sings on the chorus before handing over to Olamide whose confident swagger is a perfect match for the song.
“Osadebe” is the final of the previously released songs, and makes heavy reference to the late Chief Osadebe and his timeless Highlife hit “Osondi Owendi”. Over steady drums and a bass-heavy instrumental, Joeboy’s voice refers to the aforementioned song, reminding people to stay in their lane and do their own thing regardless of what others may think.
Although simple in its writing and construction, Joeboy’s melodic choices and knack for layering vocals make the song a pleasurable and mildly poignant listen.
“Hey Father” continues the instrumental precedent set by “Osadebe”, albeit with a higher tempo, and rhythm guitars to infuse additional energy. On this song, Joeboy looks on high for protection and guidance, delivering his supplication with the earnestness that propelled songs like “Alcohol” to the heights they attain. “Hey Father, shine your light on me/ Open my eyes o, so I can see”, he pleads with his group vocal choir.
“Sinner” combines sombre vulnerable Afrobeats with the divine surrender of “Hey Father”. Triplet percussions combine with wavering pads and sorrowful guitars to establish a touching sonic atmosphere for Joeboy to fully bare his inner musings and challenges, singing “So much pain in my heart and my blood/ Drugs no dey even help no more/ No matter what I do, I don’t feel it’s enough”. As such, the lyrics on this song seem to cut the deepest, peeling back layers of the human experience from Joeboy’s perspective and it results in a song that feels like much more than just a song.
Viva Lavida wraps up perfectly with “I’ll Be Okay”, which feels like the culmination of the journey the album has taken. Part prayer, part affirmation, the song is both subdued and uplifting, built on a rich bassline, smooth guitars, and a host of piano, brass, and string accompaniments.
Joeboy comes with vulnerability in his delivery again, praying for grace and more singing “Lord please save my soul/ Protect me from all woes/ From all the things I know/ And things wey I no know”. His group vocals sound reassuring as he sings the chorus, inviting the listener to sing along and hang on to the words.
However, the heart of the song is featured artiste, Wizard Chan. His style is akin to that of the Marleys; honest, conscious, uplifting. His rich voice delivers his verse in a fatherly manner that exudes the reassurance the song is going for. “Ikubie fia fia ma / Ikubie mie fia fia ma” could be a takeaway mantra that sticks with listeners.
As the track winds down with emotive strings, the audio engineer’s tag shatters what would have been a moment of quiet reflection on the themes of the song and the album at large. It is annoying that the tag is the parting impression and not the emotional roller coaster that we are disembarking.
Viva Lavida exceeded expectations, presenting an emotional, introspective, expressive, and enjoyable distillation of life and love from multiple perspectives. In an economic runtime, Joeboy is able to succinctly but effectively touch on, and channel a broad spectrum of emotions.
Across Viva Lavida, Joeboy successfully tapped into what fuels some of his biggest hits; there is a degree of relatability and vulnerability that he is able to embed into his songs while keeping them simple, radio-friendly, and relatively catchy.
His superpower is the expressiveness of his voice. His singing is pretty much flawless. He rarely pushes his range but it is wide enough for that to be unnecessary. He exudes bags of technical skill; control, power, and clarity.
He also displays a fair amount of versatility, switching between purely sung passages and more semi-spoken Afro-Pop cadences at will. His understanding of melody is deceptively impressive as he rarely opts for anything too complicated, yet he never leaves the listener disengaged.
However, the real magic happens when he combines all these with a ridiculous knack for subtle emotional inflection. His voice seems to cry, plead, boast, brag; it bends and flexes to embody the emotion the song calls for, almost like an actor in itself. This is the real hook of Joeboy’s artistry. You believe his delivery, you can feel the genuineness, and you can also substitute it for your own. It is an ability not many in the music industry have. It allows his penmanship to slack a bit, because his voice can say what he didn’t overtly say with words.
Like most noteworthy projects of any kind, Viva Lavida is not a one-man show. The collective of talents that contributed to this project are part of its success. The sparing use of featured artistes is a strength of the project as the few that are called upon are perfect for the roles they are given.
Notwithstanding the slightly tempered impact of Qing Madi’s cameo on “Adenuga”, the featured artistes at large were able to bring a unique but complementary flavour to their appearances, with Wizard Chan and Elana Dara coming close to stealing the spotlight.
The production is stellar across the board, effectively straddling the lines between multiple stylistic influences and a handful of energies, while remaining largely cohesive and congruent. The intentionality of the production is evident in the sound choices used in the instrumentals as well as the concerted effort to give each song its own bespoke instrumental outro. The audio engineering is another strongpoint of the album.
Outstanding vocal processing and layering allowed Joeboy’s vocal expressions to morph in accordance with each song. The group vocals hit because of how well they are stacked and the effects applied to the vocals keep Joeboy from sounding too samey considering he is unassisted on most songs. A major gripe with Viva Lavida stems from the engineering; it is simply the prominence of the audio engineer’s tag at moments that undercut and detract from the actual music, be it in the outros or not.
If there were any element to reconsider, it would likely be the inclusion of “Abena” on the tracklist. While the song holds its own in isolation, it comes across as a sonic and thematic outlier within the broader context of Viva Lavida, slightly detracting from its cohesive narrative.
With all that said, Viva Lavida was a delight to experience. The album’s unexpectedly dark tone is refreshing for a largely Afrobeats project, reveling that Joeboy’s “long live life” was not going to shy away from addressing some of the darker truths about love and life, and it is in that contained vulnerability and reality that Joeboy’s expression seems to truly shine.
Lyricism – 1.5
Tracklisting – 1.5
Sound Engineering – 1.8
Vocalisation – 1.6
Listening Experience – 1.6
Rating – 8.0
Yinoluwa “Yinoluu” Olowofoyeku is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative who finds expression in various media. His music can be found across all platforms and he welcomes interaction on his social media @Yinoluu.