Her voice is distinctive and her sound unique. With every album, German born, Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer, Ayo (Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin) keeps evolving and pushing the boundaries. Her third album, Billie-Eve, named after her daughter is testament of a woman, who sees the world through multiple lenses. From the opening track, How Many People, which questions our ability to stay true to ourselves and values to the more personal, It’s late and the catchy dance number, I’m Gonna Dance. Ayo weaves a tapestry of songs stringed together by human emotions. This is an album that sees Ayo move towards the external factors of life by taking on social, cultural and political issues in comparison to her previous albums which explored her childhood and Afro-European heritage. An album of growth, it maintains her musical diversity with a combination of soulful and rhythmical ballads and demonstrates an evolution with her lyrics. Billie-Eve succeeds in its ability to fuse different cultural sounds with a cosmopolitan feel and Ayo’s shift to electric guitar from her trademark acoustic sound is bound to stay with you long after you are done listening.
Read my Interview with Ayo: Music is My Therapy
