With new music on the way, here's why Segun Aniyi's 'All In' is worth your attention

If there is one thing clear from Segun Aniyi's debut EP 'All In', it is that he genuinely enjoys singing. Every note, melody, and vocal run emphasises this point. Even as he effortlessly floats between pop and R&B, his yearning melodies shape each record and carry the voice of a musician who appears to be singing not for fame, but for pleasure, comfort, and personal satisfaction.

With new material on the way, now is the perfect time to revisit the EP with which he announced himself and through which new listeners can acquaint themselves with his talent. Across four tracks, he leans into a vulnerability that runs through every melody and is decidedly present in the writing.

On the R&B opener 'Pain and Pleasure', he sings about the consuming pull of a mentally and emotionally draining romance through melodies that echo the inner turmoil he is describing, supported by carefully chosen production that keeps his vocals firmly in the spotlight.

The project transitions smoothly into the cool pop of 'Addicted', where his already established lover-boy persona finds expression through infectious melodies and relatable writing wrapped in a groovy mid-tempo delivery. He manages to hold his own against what is the most distinctive production on the EP, with his writing and delivery drawing clear influence from stellar Afropop vocalists like WurlD.

His pop instincts come fully to the fore on the third track, 'Available', featuring Pillz The Energizer. The two combine to deliver a message of burning desire through feel-good Afrobeats writing and melodies laid over a party-starting Amapiano production. It is the most outwardly fun moment on the record, and it works.

He closes the EP with 'Risky', a sultry, late-night record on which he sounds most technically assured. Subtle vocal inflexions across the track reveal both his range and his growing versatility as a performer.

Writing about romantic complexity is deeply personal, and while Aniyi deploys relatable, easily digestible writing throughout, he occasionally struggles to bring enough originality to fully separate his story from other polished pop records. Despite this, 'All In' is an enjoyable debut that highlights his talents as a versatile vocalist with the range to craft compelling R&B and pop records alike.

With new music on the horizon, this EP reads as a statement of intent from an artist who has both the cultural grounding to write Afropop and the skill to deliver affecting R&B. One hopes he demands more of himself going forward, because his talent deserves no less.