Magixx – I Dream In Colours Album Review: Hesitant To Push Boundaries

In a Nigerian pop scene crying out for innovators, Magixx’s debut album, I Dream in Colours arrives with frustratingly understated ambition. Despite the 25-year-old’s undeniable talent, he plays it surprisingly safe, hesitating to push boundaries and delivering an album that whispers where it could roar.

Magixx’s musicality shines brightly on a standout record like Winter and Summer, where he effortlessly navigates woozy strings with his impressive vocal range. The record reflects on love, longing, and emotional turbulence as he captures the pain of distance and unreciprocated feelings tapping into his raw emotions confessing how deeply he misses her and the steps he takes to deal with the emptiness he feels. His lyrics are equally impressive, showcasing impeccable craftsmanship and hinting at a deeper artistic depth. The song showcases Magixx’s mastery, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the album as its crown jewel. 

Records like With You, Okay, Bad Decisions and Foreplay are genuinely compelling records that display his musicality at its peak and showcase the best of what we have come to expect from Magixx. Bad Decisions and Foreplay is a feel-good intimate record about love, attraction, and enjoying the moment with someone special as Magixx expresses his deep admiration and attraction for his love interest. He also explores the complexities that come with relationships on With You painting a picture of a relationship filled with ups and downs while resolving to remain unshaken. 

He spends significant time on the album introspecting and discussing the pressures of being a young breadwinner and his personal struggles. Records like Consistency, Ori Mi, Konibaje, Sempe, and Voices unveil the weight of familial responsibility, with Magixx making no secret of his reliance on drugs, alcohol, and words of affirmation to find strength.  Okay is a deeply introspective song that touches on the realities of struggle, loneliness, and perseverance as Magixx creates an emotionally charged narrative that speaks to the challenges of early adulthood, spending significant time introspecting about the pains and pressures he’s under.

Only your mama wants you bigger, and when me dey for my darkest times, nobody to check on me then he sings as he relates his experiences carrying responsibilities on his shoulders, and fighting through difficult times with no support. Regardless, Magixx believes it shall be well. This is the core message of Konibaje as he reveals that his success is destined, and no obstacles can deter him.

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For all his talent, the I dream in Colours album is disappointingly safe and linear. 

Even songs like Sexy Lady and Vibration featuring Jeriq, where he attempts to inject life into the album by tapping into the vibrancy and swagger delivery he once displayed on the unbelievably underrated Chocolate, the result feels muted despite branching into indigenous Yoruba folk music and Ogene. 

The Amapiano/House/Dance fusion of Alchi promises innovation but never quite reaches a zenith. The songs maintains a steady vibe without a defining high point as Magixx fails to push any boundaries emotionally or melodically. The production also lacks the dynamism needed to create a sense of build-up and release eventually resulting in a song that feels like a straight line.

Magixx is acutely aware of his abilities and alludes to them across the album but is seemingly afraid to fully unleash them. The album maintains a seamless flow and tempo as if not to offend the listener. This album feels more like an introduction and lacks the decisive statement that is typically expected from a debut album.

At 25, he’s clearly still trying to figure himself out, and he is trusting the process even though it hasn’t produced its most exciting fruits. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Magixx has immense potential that remains largely unexplored—he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he might become.

Magixx is undoubtedly talented—a work in progress with remarkable potential. But potential alone doesn’t make a groundbreaking album. To truly compete with the leaders of his generation, he’ll need to challenge himself, break out of his comfort zone, and dream in bolder, more adventurous colours.