Album Review: Stubborn is Victony's Manifesto Against Life’s Troubles

The Nigerian act's debut LP buzzes with melodies and stories.

Last year, Victony made a daring feat with “Ohema,” an Afropop posse cut featuring 14 artists. Produced by Rexxie, Semzi and Blaisebeatz, the song combined the energies of all the artists—from Bella Shmurda to Crayon to Lojay to Rema to Bloody Civilian—to produce a cohesive romantic ballad. Earlier that year, the latter in the two-song pack of “My Darling” and “Angelus” offered a unique blend of highlife and pop, recalling the melodies of Nigerian music in the 70s and 80s.

Four years since his pivot into Afropop, Victony’s debut album Stubborn arrives. Before 2020’s Saturn, Victony was predominantly a rapper who released the 2017 mixtape The Outlaw King. While he has leant more toward singing than rapping, his tendencies for punchlines are sprinkled throughout the album. Take, for instance, “Oshaprapra” with Shorae Moore, where he sings, “Them girl call me, ‘Baby, baby, baby’/But me no Justin Bieber.” Or “Kolo (Kolomental II),” where he raps, “Jobless people dey find wetin do/Ogbeni, get the fuck out my LinkedIn.” Even “Everything” samples American rappers and singers Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower.”

The song “Stubborn” with Asake is Victony’s mantra for the album. After overcoming the injuries from a car accident that kept him in a wheelchair in 2021, Victony turned to music for healing and closure. The two-song EP Dark Times documented his fears, doubts, and belief in a better future. After that, there was no stopping Victony: he was the star of the show on Mayorkun’s “Holy Father,” appeared on Burna Boy’s 2022 album (Love, Damni) and sizzled on Outlaw, spurning hits like “Apollo,” “Jolene,” “Soweto” and “Kolomental.” On the album Stubborn, Victony tells of the doggedness that has made him one of the exciting artist in modern Afrobeats.

“Them fit reach like one billi, one billion/But I be the one in a one zilli, one zillion/My oil e dey where e no finish, e no finish, oh ah,” he sings, boasting of his uniqueness and greatness on “Oshaprapra.” There’s a vulnerability that surrounds Victony and Shorae Moore deliveries of the song. On “History,” Victony is more upbeat as he narrates stories of himself and the people he knew in his early days as a child growing up in Lagos. On “Stubborn,” he and Asake dole out stories of both their struggles and wins.

Production duo Ktizo (Hoodini and DJ Notorious) have significantly influenced Victony’s sound. For Victony, the choice of sonics varies from spacy and ethereal to percussion-laden. Their input is heavy on Stubborn, even on both their productions and those they share with other producers. “Everything” with Blaisebeatz combines the airy feel of backing vocals with percussive knocks; on “Pier 46” with FritzThaProducer and Harry, lo-fi elements join forces with highlife for a stunning performance (the quartet also work magic on “Street Affair”); on the songs they solely produce—like “Oshaprapra” and “History”—Ktizo continue to affirm their prowess behind the board. However, one producer that deserves special mention on Stubborn is P.Priime for his mesmeric fusion of R&B, pop and Afrobeats on “Risk.” The song is a sonic risk that pays off bountifully.

While Victony uses Stubborn to address manoeuvring through life’s obstacles, he also gives thought to another concept: relationships, romantic and sexual. “Tiny Apartment” with SAINt JHN is a fantastic collaboration about the dysfunction in a broken-down relationship. Victony and SAINt JHN rap-sing, narrating tales of how they and their lovers grew apart. “In my tiny apartment, I loved your body often/And I don’t even know when you’re coming home/In our beautiful fortress, I still see where your heart lives,” goes SAINt JHN, then Victony returns the baton with “In my tiny apartment/As you say make I park well/Girl na my blankie I use hold body, oh.” On the groovy, P2J-produced “Sunday School,” Victony questions the loyalties of a lover and the uncertainties he feels about their situation, singing, “If you want to change your ways, I carry you go Sunday school/‘Cause they asking in my family, they don't know what happen to you.”

On songs like “Pier 46,” “Anita,” and “Ludo” with Shallipopi, Victony regales his love interest with praise – both for her anatomy and the mushy feelings she elicits in him. “Pier 46,” in particular, is a tender reassurance to his lover about his commitment despite the distance that separates them. It is a beautiful track of dreamy moments. For the singalong chorus of “Anita,” Victony engagingly employs wordplay. He and Shallipopi find common ground on “Ludo,” just as he does with other featured guests on the album. American singer Teezee Touchdown does excellently on the smooth jam “Slow Down,” where they unearth romantic/sexual meanings. Every featured act on Stubborn sounds like they belong there, ensuring Victony’s vision never falls apart.

As a brand, Victony is constantly evolving his visual style and identity. Before, it was the 70s/80s-inspired clothing, carried with a polished demeanour. For Stubborn, he likens himself to a knight of medieval times, steely in the face of battle. Among the current stars of Afropop, Victony is one of its most intentional, moving with detailed precision and marrying the music to the image he leaves in the minds of his audience. His otherworldly universe, Outlawville, where his alter ego Tredax resides, is a place of ambitious daringness and fulfilled dreams.

On Stubborn, Victony is most potent when he turns the view onto himself about surmounting fears and pursuing his dreams. He is scathing on “Ba$tard, Don’t Be Silly,” warning off anyone seeking to toy with his money. On “Kolo (Kolomental II),” a remake of “Kolomental” from Outlaw, he swats off the distractions aimed at him by energy suckers. For “Street Affair,” braggadocio and vulnerability sit side by side as he lets in the listener on his deepest wishes—“Make my family meeting no turn to street affair oh”—and calls on the leans on the spiritual to guide his steps.

For a debut album, Stubborn meets the requirements of a solid collection of songs that offers insight into the artist and their motivations and delivers excellent replay value. There is a care and attention about Stubborn that shows throughout the album. For Victony, his trajectory can only be the ascendancy from here.

Go HERE to stream Stubborn.

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