Okay all, I’m going to need you to hurry up and hop on board to the Jidenna train. Signed to Wondaland Records under the multi-talented Janelle Monáe, Jidenna has been crafting tuneZ for a couple of years now.
You may recognize him from 2015’s “Classic Man,” which sounds a bit like Iggy Azalea’s 2014 mega smash “Fancy” (as it sampled it). Riding high off this success, he dropped “Yoga,” his joint track with frequent collaborator Janelle Monáe with an equally impressive visual. “Yoga” landed a coveted spot in the top ten of Time Magazine’s best songs of 2015.
Jidenna’s ever evolving sound and dapper style is the product of his eclectic tastes and upbringing. Although born in the U.S., Jidenna spent part of his childhood in Nigeria, where his father worked as a professor, before ultimately moving back to the states. He cites his sound as “swank” and seeks to create this as a new genre, mixing hip hop, Highlife, trap, and R&B among other sounds. If you’re not sure how that would sound, let’s move on to his latest (hopefully) smash, “Bambi.”
Here, Jidenna croons over a retro Highlife, trap-laced beat while incorporating elements of seductive, future soul. Highlife, retro and future soul? What is life?! Whichever catch phrase you’re utilizing, be it “lit,” “fresh” or for you late folks, maybe “epic” is still a thing..you choose the idiom, as it DOES INDEED apply here. Perhaps we should just call it swank and be done with it.
With its clever lyricism, “Bambi” tells the story of his regretful indiscretions while his would-have-been bride has moved on to a seemingly monogamous relationship.
“The fork in the road where I cannot run,
Between loving many and loving one,
I got the wedding invitation Bambi,
I’m happy that he wants to make a family,
But I cannot promise I won’t run up in the church there screamin’ your name Bambi.”
♫ Never mind, she’ll find someone like you ♪, apparently! A commonplace story of modern day relationships, Jidenna and go-to producer, Grammy nominated Nana Kwabena Tuffuor, crafted something special with “Bambi.” Jidenna’s “swank” is the perfect sound for programming in our Hot R&B and Concrete Beats Core programs. Out-of-the-box thinkers like Jidenna continue to stimulate the music industry by supplying creative new sounds and engaging content. Get into him and support his debut album, The Chief, out now on Epic Records.
– Submitted by Tristan Bolden, Music Design