Ultimately, Don’t Hold Me Back is a vibrant and energetic project that highlights Liya’s strengths as an artiste, showcasing her versatility and vocal prowess.
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
The Nigerian music industry can be treacherous terrain to navigate and not all that glistens therein is gold. Such seems to be the speculated experience of DMW’s former first lady, Liya, whose abrupt exit from the label above did not go unnoticed or unscrutinised.
The rumour mill picked up speed when the young artiste released “I’m Done” in 2023, a single that featured the lyrics “If you fuck with me, I don’t fuck with you/ Eyin melo gan le fe ba mi sun (How many of you want to sleep with me?)”
The song stirred up wild speculation concerning the circumstances that led to her departure from the imprint. Two years removed from that hullabaloo, Abdulsalam Suliyat Modasola set out to show the world what she is capable of independently and has presented us with a 7-track EP shackle-breakingly titled Don’t Hold Me Back.
Directly alluding to the title of the EP, Don’t Hold Me Back begins with “Freedom”, a brief cinematic intro that sees Liya whispering the singular word over a swelling atmosphere of emotive pianos and foley textures.
“Whine” breaks the solemn reverie with an energetic instrumental courtesy of Nxrth. Bright keys, punchy poppy drums, and subtle Amapiano influences lay the foundation for this feel-good track. “Shaking my booty, on my wiggle and whine/ I’m high I’m sipping on wine/ What a time to be alive”, Liya sings as the log drums rattle through the chorus.
The upbeat melodies and fun backing vocals keep the energy high through the song’s runtime, making up for a few moments where the lyrics or beat lose some focus.
“Put a baby in me/ Baby, what do you need?” are the ear-catching lyrics that kick off what ended up being my favourite song from Don’t Hold Me Back. “Skin to Skin” is a bold sultry jam driven by playfully sensual lyrics, agile sugary melodies, and delightfully layered harmonies.
These elements blend effortlessly with the rich soundscape of Dunnie’s production, featuring a bouncy bassline, rattling shakers, expressive electric pianos, and a percussion-laden drum arrangement.
The midpoint of Don’t Hold Me Back is punctuated by “Vibes on Vibes”. Eskeez provides Liya with a unique instrumental that almost feels like a throwback with its subtle arpeggiations, droning sine synths, and relentless drum battery.
Olamide graces the track with an energetic catchy chorus in his signature playful Yoruba stylings. Liya holds her own on the verses, matching Olamide’s pace with impressive wit and dexterity, blending hard-hitting Yoruba passages with her penchant for softer melodic segments.
“Yes” is a beautiful, surprising fusion. Heavy-hitting Amapiano percussion and shakers are stacked atop the pianos and strings of a heartfelt ballad. Liya and featured artiste, WurlD, side with the ballad in their soaring vocal deliveries and vulnerable lyrics. The result is a danceable but emotional wedding playlist track that would also be at home on a busy dancefloor.
“Something” is the first song on Don’t Hold Me Back that feels mildly generic. The instrumental features typical Afro-Swing fare in the drum pattern, layered over a simple but serviceable chord progression.
The simplicity of the chords seems to limit Liya’s melodic possibilities on the track. Her singing is still top-notch and there are moments of melodic intrigue but the song is largely unremarkable. This is exemplified in the chorus: “There’s something about you/ Are the one I’m waiting for”, sung simply in a way that causes some awkwardness at the point where the two phrases meet.
Thankfully, Don’t Hold Me Back ends on a strong note with “Lie”. A slowed-down guitar sample forms the instrumental base of the song. This is sandwiched between thunderous bass hits and lively percussion-heavy syncopation to curate a funky sonic canvas for Liya to paint over with tasty airy melodies and a soft spoken angelic delivery reminiscent of the most skilled R&B songstresses.
Don’t Hold Me Back is a title that can be interpreted in many ways considering the trajectory of Liya’s career. One way the theme speaks through the course of the EP is in the versatility and variety on display.
Liya demonstrates an immense amount of versatility and flexibility across the project. From the explicit sensuality of “Skin to Skin” to the Yoruba braggadocio of “Vibes on Vibes” and the wedding halls of “Yes”, Liya successfully tackles a host of genres, themes, and styles across the project.
The production played a big part in this, with most of it combining disparate elements in unique and interesting ways that furnished Liya with acres of room to play with.
The standout element of her artistry is undoubtedly her vocal prowess. Her voice is bright and distinct, light and heady, on the verge of nasal at times without becoming grating. The autotune assist is noticeable in a few spots but it is largely evident that her voice is independently impressive. She then augments its quality with a sharp understanding of melody.
She fully utilises her vocal range to deliver consistently varied melodies and enjoyable passages. There is rarely a dull moment to be found and she effortlessly carries the listener along with her ear for composition and dynamics. Add to this the expertise with which she constructs and layers harmonies and you have a recipe for high degrees of listenability and replay value.
The audio engineering also ensured that these thick layers of vocals and instrumentals came across clearly in most places across Don’t Hold Me Back.
Given her relative youth, Liya’s potential also suggests room for growth. Her penmanship and lyricism remain somewhat inconsistent, with certain moments losing their established rhyme scheme or coming across as slightly clunky.
This is something she is likely to refine with experience and collaboration. Ultimately, Don’t Hold Me Back is a vibrant and energetic project that highlights Liya’s strengths as an artiste, showcasing her versatility and vocal prowess.
Her potential is undeniable, and the hope is that it will be carefully nurtured as she develops her abilities and grows in popularity. I would love to see her take on a full-length project to explore how she incorporates broader themes into her work. Until then, I’ll be keeping an eye on everything she releases in the near future.
Lyricism – 1.3
Tracklisting – 1.4
Sound Engineering – 1.5
Vocalisation – 1.6
Listening Experience – 1.3
Rating – 7.1/10
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.