What has changed about singer's music since 2015?

In 2015 when Skales dropped his debut album “Man of The Year,” he was on a wave. The singer built momentum with ‘Shake body’, and the recording deal with Baseline Music.

His EME career didn't fulfill his great potential. Moving on, fortune smiled on him and the rapper/singer turned out 'Shake Body' which became one of the biggest songs in Nigeria in 2015. Many people cheered as Skales' career finally started showing bright signs. Even though the follow up singles didn't pop like 'Shake Body' many held on to the belief that his debut album would be dope.

The funding was on point, the music was generating the buzz, and everyone could not get their hands off Skales and his music. He rode that wave right, created a project to mark that time, and began promotion.

But the album got panned by critics. Pulse reviewed the project, and scored it low, with the verdict. : “'Man of the Year' has cracked the myth around Skales, and shredded the layer of hope surrounding him. With this debut album, it is hard to see Skales become one of the leaders of the new school.

With 21 tracks, Skales lacks the assurance of a man confident in the power of his talent. His gropes and searches for a hit, while abandoning substance and a strong theme on his album. Sadly he fails to deliver what most Nigerian artistes search for 'a banger'. He loses on both fronts.”

And true to the review, none of the songs on the album became bonafide hits. But Skales persisted. He pushed videos out, and marketed in various African countries, generating value everywhere he could find it.

And here we are, Skales is set to drop a new album titled "The Never Say Never Guy," and the lead up to it has been interesting to follow.

What has changed this time about Skales?

In all honesty, not much.

Skales is still chasing pop hits by dropping potential bangers. And when you follow that strategy, you either hit, miss or find the sweet spot between the two to exist. Skales has had to go through all these, and some of those songs make up the bonus part of his forthcoming album.

But what we find in Skales is adaptability and grit. The guy never gives up, and no matter whether he wins or fails, he is still going to keep moving, learning, and moving. All he has done since his previous album has shown very little artistic development, but he has been consistently working in these streets.

It is his adaptability that has given him his most recent hit – ‘Temper’, and the remix with Burna Boy.

Featuring mellow drum arrangements, and a vacant rhythm, Skales plays with the spaces on ‘Temper’ to provide a minimalist delivery backed by sneaking horns, and syncopation. Inspiration from this comes from root Afrobeat, with echoes of Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba’ mixed with ‘Pana’ on the instrumentation. This sonic overlap is what instantly opens up the listener to this one, and sinks in at first listen.

And then there was ‘Temper’ remix, a dynamic record which Burna Boy reimagined the sound by adding direct elements of Fela's records. This expanded the acceptance for the record and provided a hit song to push the new project. Skales has also worked with Tekno, Wande Coal, Phyno and Lil Kesh, to bring some strategic buzz and quality on to the project.

This is evolution. Skales evolved by adapting his music and going with the trends. Phyno and Wande Coal are hot, Tekno isn’t only hot, but he is leading the current soundscape of Nigeria. The ability to tap this into his album is a hallmark of his growth.

"The Never Say Never Guy" is an amalgamation of this growth into another project, and we can't wait.

Skales “The Never Say Never Guy” album will be out on Monday, May 29, 2016. It will be available on all digital stores including iTunes, Spotify and others worldwide.