Zeenobwoy stamps himself a worthy purveyor of the lamba tradition in Afrobeats, and “Sweet Body” is a record that should be enjoyable to just about anyone.
By Emmanuel Esomnofu
Any listener of Afrobeats will attest to its positioning of lamba, that quality of expression bestowed upon those who pay close attention to street language and listen to its music. It’s a persistent characteristic of the movement’s early purveyors, like 2Baba and P-Square, down to contemporary greats such as Tiwa Savage and Wizkid. These artists have always known how to express themselves in local and crisp ways, instantly connecting to anyone who presses play on their records.
With “Sweet Body,” there’s no doubt that the artiste born Ewomaoghene Samuel Asiotu, otherwise known as Zeenobwoy, is bringing himself closer to that elite company. Obviously, he understands that lamba is best suited to love records, where there’s a character to focus on, and the possibilities of seduction become so close, only fenced by how convincing the singer sounds.
On “Sweet Body,” the first noticeable thing is Zeenobwoy’s earnest tone. He’s utterly brilliant in his role as seducer, crooning with a feathery touch that evokes the balmy records of Runtown.
As the title suggests, the song lies more upon the spectrum of the visceral, the flesh, a quite common focus among contemporary Afrobeats acts. However, Zeenobwoy isn’t entirely lost to lust; indeed, the songwriting paints him more in the light of a suave R&B act, a gentleman waiting at the gates of love.
“Oh girl you fine like this, why your body sweet like this?” he sings in the hook, adopting a humbled perspective in sync with the direction of the record. There’s a fine musical touch too in the interpolation of “Tempted To Touch,” the 2002 classic from Barbadian artiste Rupee, a record which was immensely popular across Nigeria during that decade.
Following the path of Zeenobwoy, his feature Martinz Egha is similarly engaged with the theme of love, adopting an energetic flow which doesn’t clash against the message, rather propels it. He’s especially vivid in the couplet “if stew no dey for the rice, I say the rice no go sweet / na you be stew for my rice, oh girl I swear say you sweet”.
It should be rather evident that Zeenobwoy knows the intricate details of Afrobeats. From the choice of production, a bubbly, buttery presence which enlivens the performances, down to the feature and space accorded them, “Sweet Body” engages the sound’s primary focus on delivering a sensual experience.
Here, he’s made good use of the musical knowledge he’s accrued from early years in Delta state, where he learnt to create stories and pattern melodies. Perhaps the production is a bit rough at the seams, giving the evidence of a not-too-altered process, but that subtly contributes towards its rawness. In the end, Zeenobwoy stamps himself a worthy purveyor of the lamba tradition in Afrobeats, and “Sweet Body” is a record that should be enjoyable to just about anyone.
Emmanuel Esomnofu is a Nigerian writer and culture journalist. He was awarded Best Writer of 2024 by The Republic and was named among the 30 Under 30 Power Players in Nigerian Music by Turntable. He’s working on his debut manuscript.