BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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Johnny Drille is back! Not just back, but reborn in a blaze of soft fire and stirring romance with Angelina. With his signature velvet tone and an unshakable devotion to the craft of heartfelt music, he returns bearing a gift wrapped in longing, tenderness, and poetic affection. And he doesn’t come alone. Joining him on this soulful journey is Fireboy DML, a kindred spirit in emotional articulation, who delivers a verse so sincere it feels like a vow whispered in the dark.
Angelina, released on Friday, April 10th, is nothing short of spellbinding. It’s a tender fever dream, one that floats on silken production and glows with vocal brilliance. From the very first note, Johnny pulls you into a world where love is soft, steady, and soul-deep. There’s no pretense here. No overcomplication. Just raw feeling. Just that sweet ache of knowing you’ve found someone who changes everything.
He opens with a confession so intimate, you feel like an accidental eavesdropper–his voice caressing the name Angelina with reverence. She is his midnight muse, his dawn light. A woman so beautiful, he forgets how to look away. Every word carries the weight of infatuation, of devotion that makes a man dizzy and grounded all at once. There’s childlike awe in the way he sings of her entrance–how she lights up a room like sunrise spilling into darkness. In his head, she lives rent-free in a mansion he’s built for her alone. She makes his church prayers. She inhabits his daydreams. And so, he pleads in the chorus: “Sho ma wa ka jo gbe. Oh baby Angelina. You are the sweetest thing I love. Oh baby Angelina. Body dey do me some way. Oh baby Angelina. You are my medicine my love.” Simple. Honest. Powerful. A chorus seamlessly fusing English, Yoruba and Pidgin. The meaning; stay with me, live with me, heal me, love me.
Then comes Fireboy. Smooth as satin, he glides in and continues the ode with breathtaking grace. To him, Angelina is heaven-sent–a divine echo of her name. He’s already asked her to be his, already laid his heart at her feet. He pleads for a yes, for forever, because anything less might just break him. His verse isn’t mere lyricism, it’s devotion made audible. He’s glad he listened when God whispered her name into his spirit. She’s his miracle, his destiny. They should be on a honeymoon already, he muses. They should be married already. So he tells her to lead the way, to the altar, to eternity together. And in a stroke of brilliance, Fireboy infuses his verse with Igbo, his diction so seamless and sincere, it elevates the song’s cultural depth even further than prior parts of the song already have. It’s a touch that is as impressive as it is moving. He delivers a stellar verse, worthy of all accolades.
And then there’s Blaisebeatz. The man behind the magic. That signature Obah tag rings out like a seal of quality, and what follows is exactly that: a production so warm, so silky, it feels like a late-night embrace. The bounce is gentle but powerful, the melodies lush and mellow. The instrumental becomes the canvas for love itself; spacious, rich, and alive. Blaisebeatz doesn’t just produce a beat here. He creates a canvas that perfectly embodies the essence of the song, infusing it with soul and spirit, and driving home the emotions expressed. Months ago, he did it on Fireboy’s Everyday and now, effortlessly, he has done it again.
Angelina isn’t just a love song, it’s a love story. One written in harmonies, painted with emotions, and delivered by two of Nigeria’s most soulful vocalists. It’s a song for late-night drives with the one you love. For dancing barefoot in the kitchen. For weddings, proposals, or simply whispering “I love you” without words.
And in its simplicity, Angelina finds eternity. It’s not trying to be the biggest song. It’s trying to be the truest. And that might just be why it’ll last the longest.
Because this isn’t just music. It’s beautiful memories. It’s magic.
It’s Johnny Drille. It’s Fireboy DML.
It’s Angelina.
And it’s unforgettable.
