Why leaving YBNL was a good move for Adekunle Gold

What we did not know was when, and under what circumstance it would happen. It has finally happened and it is good that both parties are at ease with it.

The exit of Adekunle Gold from YBNL is in line with the policy of the label, which appears to be; sign on musical talents, establish them in the industry while also raking in money, and after a period of time, release them to chart their own course. This is how it was in the case of Lil Kesh, Viktor, and so, the case of Adekunle Gold is not strange.

For 'Mr Gold', the time to explore new levels of musical creativity has come. After striking a chord in the heart of many Nigerians with his song Sade, then partnering with YBNL to successfully sell more of the folk/highlife sound, it is now time to give his music a new direction. This new assignment has led him to set-up a band he named, '79th Element', to give him the necessary prop.

In his time with YBNL, Adekunle Gold made a habit of telling beautiful stories in different ways; today he is telling a story about Orente, the lover that stood with him through straits and success, tomorrow, he is singing to God to answer his call to heaven.

He went on to release an entire album telling different stories in the wisdom and style of a raconteur. Because everyone could find one or two of his stories to relate with, his music transcended the border lines of listenership and so people of all classes found it appealing; the old and young, 'ajepako' and 'ajebutter'.

But despite all of these successes, there still was a hidden beauty in the music of Mr Gold. It was as if Adekunle Gold wowed us with some good music all these while, but the best part of it still hadn't manifested. Most of what we heard from him was an experimentation of his folk music with elements of the pop genre. I believe we did not get to listen to his sound in its purest form. Perhaps because of the environment he found himself, and the influences of his former bosses.

Now, Adekunle Gold has his own canvass, which he can choose to paint in whatever way he wants. He now has an open space to create and experiment in ways that he feels would help him make the best kind of music. While this could have caused his fans to be unsure about the new direction of his music, the announcement of a support band comprised of some exciting music talents is enough reason to be excited.

It gives a clear picture of what to expect from Adekunle Gold now that there is no holds barred. To share in my excitement about what is to come from Mr Gold, I recommend that you read Abiola Solanke's article titled, "Meet singer's band, The 79th Element." This would help you understand the composition of the group and the balance that it has.

One of the things to expect with the new formation of Adekunle Gold's production team is professional live performances. This would be wonderful to witness and pleasurable to enjoy, as there has been a lot of discussion among music experts in the industry and fans, about the necessary evolution of on stage artistry and the preference of live performances over the lip syncing act that most Nigerian artistes have operated with for so long.

With the introduction of the 79th element, Adekunle Gold would be joining the wave of artistes like Brymo, Asa, that have made conscious effort at treating their fans to special live performances rather than coming up on stage to guide their audiences to listen to music playing from CD.

Conclusively, Adekunle Gold has been known to be talented in many areas; even asides music. With this move, he now has the freedom to explore the fullness of his creative sides. His music would get the most benefit from this move, as it is set-up to improve the quality of his sound and enable him take his performances to a new level.

In the famous words of Jing Yun Wong, the best performers have the strongest foundation. With this move, Adekunle Gold would be placing his music on solid ground and from there, the fullness of his music is set to manifest.Written By Ibironke Oluwatobi