When CKay released Ckay the First in August 2019, not many would have envisaged the success that would come on the back of that project. The effervescent record Love Nwatiti enjoyed widespread acceptance in Nigeria, even attaining hit record status in the process. The success did not stop there. Two years later, the song caught fire on TikTok, becoming a massive viral success and the most-used TikTok sound in 2021. The 8x platinum record would serve as a launchpad for CKay’s career, as the super-talented artist would go on to score other international hits, including 2022’s Emiliana and Watawi featuring Davido and Focalistic.
His debut album, Sad Romance, was an in-depth exploration of love, sex and pain as CKay consolidated his international success, unfortunately alienating the home base in the process. The album preference for emotional depth and global sounds over local resonance distanced CKay from the average Nigerian listener as he leaned heavily into his Emo Afrobeats sound. Despite his employment of Igbo and Pidgin, his artistic choices felt tailored for a sophisticated foreign audience and lacked the simplicity to retain the attention of the average Nigerian listener, despite their quality.
His sophomore album, Emotions, was an unmemorable effort. The album was a rehash of familiar themes and sounds and failed to offer a compelling record. Even a standout such as The Cavemen-assisted Addicted failed to grab any sort of mainstream attention. On his latest release, CKay The Second, he attempts to banish the ghosts of his sophomore album while retaining his signature Emo Afrobeats sound.
The six-track EP opens with Tey Tey, a sultry Afropop and R&B fusion laced with chords and riffs while he employs his voice like an instrument, delivering heartfelt and flirtatious lyrics. My girl is fine, pass. Queen Amina, he sings, likening himself and his love interest to Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Don’t go away; I need more of your loving. He pleads in the chorus before revealing his longstanding love for her. “Oh, tey-tey, I love you; tey-tey, I value you; tey-tey, value you; tey-tey, Tey-tey” sings repeatedly on the hook.
The EP seamlessly flows into the heartfelt Forever, a deeply genuine and compelling record where he sings words of sweet nothings to his lover as he declares their partnership is a forever thing. He employs familiar yet soothing and infectious melodies to drive home his message. It’s the most memorable record on the EP.
The groovy Permit Me injects some pace into the EP, where he requests permission to blow her mind. The record is littered with flirtatious and provocative lines like “Vous voulez coucher avec moi ce soir?” (French for “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?”). It’s a good song that’s easily reconcilable with his melody-led, laid-back approach to music. But if he wants to capture the dance floors, he will have to deliver something more vibrant than this. Say No More retains a similar trope, only more direct. He doesn’t mince his words, diving into explicit territory with lines like, “Shey you like the thing rough or you like the thing soft?”. He goes on to reveal he doesn’t care about his partner’s body count. “Na who cum first, who come first,” he sings as he delivers with a laid-back flow, almost like pillow talk.
Sabrina Claudio and Bella Shmurda prove to be competent dance partners on this EP. The head-nodder Again is a sensual yet emotionally complex duet where CKay desires a shot at redemption.
Over a smooth, mid-tempo beat that borrows R&B and Afrobeats elements, CKay confesses to repeatedly making the same mistakes, especially around infidelity. “You hit me when I give other girls my number; I tell you sorry that I do it over,” he croons before vulnerably admitting, “I want to be better for you, for you.” Sabrina Claudio’s velvety vocals deepen the intimacy of the song as she beautifully wraps them around the beat.
The introspective Nothing Spoil closes the EP. “I’m feeling good tonight, I thank God for life,” he sings, borrowing lines from Wizkid’s timeless hit Ojuelegba over a simple drum pattern and Latin guitars. The duo paint a picture of navigating the difficult parts of the human experience and escaping pain through alcohol and weed in a bid to embrace the moment and live in the now. “Nobody lives forever, nothing spoil, ma jaiye ori mi,“ CKay sings in acceptance.
It’s a befitting closer to a very solid project. At only 17 minutes, the replay value of the project is very high. The EP is not markedly different from CKay’s previous offerings and doesn’t do much in terms of pushing sonic or topical boundaries. The Ckay The Second EP retains core elements of his music and continues his exploration of his Emo Afrobeats sound and revolves around themes of love, sex, complicated relationships and life, themes CKay has tackled extensively across his discography.
However, it’s a simple and easily digestible project. CKay drives home his message in simple terms over production that employs scarce and familiar instruments and elements but serves their purpose to a tee. It’s a simple project to listen to and enjoy, and at only 16 minutes, it’s possible to spin this joint multiple times over without realising.
It’s a suitable soft landing point for an artist whose momentum seems to have slowed down in the last year. His exit from Warner Music Group South Africa ended a defining era for the Kaduna-born superstar, and this EP is hopefully the start of another successful era for Africa’s Boyfriend.
Now he needs a hit song.
