The last time Falz dropped an album, we hadn鈥檛 experienced a panini or the life-changing #EndSARS protests. It was 2019, Miss 鈥楻ona was still preparing for her tour, and all was relatively alright with the world. Back with a six-pack, Falz is ready to make a surprising statement with his new album, Bahd.
Considering 2019鈥檚 Moral Instruction and the significant role Falz played during the protests, you鈥檇 immediately think Bahd would be drenched in social justice anthems. Choosing the soft life instead, this album finds Falz in his most chill era yet, avoiding stress and being a baby boy. While we鈥檙e here for his obvious sonic growth and much-needed dive into escapism, we鈥檙e not sure everything slaps.
The Breakdown
Bahd opens with the smooth and simple Another Me. Carried by a super seductive bass guitar, we鈥檙e also introduced to Falz doing his best impersonation (spoiler alert: it works). Another Me kicks things off early on, on a positive note, managing to blend both the nostalgia of 90s baby-making R&B and the mumble rap that kids on TikTok fuck with these days. Listening to the past and the future in one song is always welcome experience.
Falz does well to deploy some of the album鈥檚 best tracks to the front in a five-song stretch. Another me is followed by All Night, the album鈥檚 first potential radio hit and a romantic bop that needs its video like yesterday. Tiwa Savage lends her in-demand vocals to Beautiful Sunflower, the album鈥檚 third track and first collaboration. It鈥檚 a cute song, but there isn鈥檛 a lot of meat on the track, which is slightly disappointing considering what both stars are capable of.
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Parampe is the second standout track on the album and an obvious nod to the work of the Kutis, but without the gragra of a certain African Giant. It borrows from these icons without drowning out Falz鈥 identity in the process. Knee Down marks the first collaboration to make a statement, with Chike deep in his Nollywood 鈥淚 will die for you鈥 lover boy bag on the track鈥檚 chorus.
These songs are unfortunately followed by the uninteresting Pull Up, which sounds like a 2017 Runtown or Mr. Eazi bonus track, and Gentleman, where Falz frustratingly does his best to make a song out of every rhyming word in the dictionary.
Highlife brothers, The Cavemen, help Falz find his groove again on Woman, before we鈥檙e introduced to Tender Love, which packs a tender punch. The last three songs are features, with Timaya and new Mavin signee Boy Spice making an appearance on the Duktor Sett-produced, Inside 鈥 a highlife 鈥渓et鈥檚 groove鈥 banger that works on it鈥檚 own, but fails to tie in with the overall production vibe of the album.
L.A.X and BNXN round up the album with Roger Milla and Ice Cream respectively. Roger Milla feels like an album filler, and for someone who鈥檚 last album had just nine tracks, this feels unnecessary. BNXN continues his winning streak with the infectious line, 鈥淚 scream, you scream, we scream for ice cream.鈥 What do you all know about being a lyricist?
Our Verdict
Falz has built a reputation for making digestible rap with a pendulum that鈥檚 swung between conscious and overly playful. But with Bahd, we see the rapper leave both identities behind for something more laidback. He鈥檚 not out to make a major statement with this album, but we can鈥檛 complain. Not all the songs on Bahd are winners, but the ones that hit? They really hit.
Highs: Another Me, All Night, Parampe, Knee Down, Woman, Inside and Ice Cream
Lows: Pull Up, Gentleman and Roger Milla
We don鈥檛 know: Beautiful Sunflower and Tender Love
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