EP Review: Amaeya Blossoms on Like a Flower
A perfect debut, proving the singer’s talent and expertise.
Relatively a newcomer, Amaeya is no stranger to the art of music-making. Last year, she debuted her first single, “On My Own,” introducing audiences to her variety of soul-stirring R&B/Soul music and, with the song, powering through the pain of a broken relationship and rediscovering her individuality. In 2021, she was a contestant in the third season of the music talent competition The Voice Nigeria, performing for audiences and the competition’s coaches, which include Waje, Yemi Alade, Darey and Falz. She has done backing vocals for artists such as Tems, Ric Hassani, Tiwa Savage, and Show Dem Camp, among others.
Amaeya—born Peace Chidinma Amaefula—makes her grand entrance with her debut EP, Like A Flower. She considers her journey as that of a flower—sowing seeds into her art and tending to it as it germinates and grows. The project’s title is also symbolic of the themes Amaeya pursues in the EP. On the opener, “Element,” she fiercely holds on to the possibilities of romantic connection despite acknowledging her flaws, with “Loving me is such a chore/I got pain inside that I won’t let go.” With the track, she reassures her love interest of the safety of pursuing a romance with her, singing, “Like a villain in a drama, I’ma try not to destroy ya/I’m like currents on the water/You can surf, I'm bein’ honest.”
She continues her reassurance on “Pressure,” where a love interest shows uncertainty about commitment. “After your hide and seek, you’ll come back to me/If it’s meant to be, baby, best believe,” she sings. There’s a charm about her carriage on the song—in line with the song’s theme: she’s sure of her attractiveness and wears a smirk as she waits for her love interest to come to their senses. In May, Amaeya released “Too Much,” and it appears on Like A Flower, replacing Amaeya’s smirk with anguish as she laments unrequited love at the hands of her lover. “I think I'm drowning, drowning in my tears/Why can’t you see me? Somebody save me,” she wails.
Given Amaeya’s sultry vocals and delivery, a comparison with global Nigerian act Tems is not off the cards. But while being compared to Tems is a compliment, Amaeya is no soulless clone. Her personality and desires shine through in her music—a constant cue that we are witnessing the blooming of a gifted musical act. For all her solid singing, the music producers on Like A Flower inject Amaeya’s lyrics with lively productions. “Too Much” and “Sweet Escape,” produced by Mr Soul and Damie, respectively, add the African influences to the R&B/Soul-controlled world of Amaeya.
On “Worth It,” Amaeya questions her lover’s loyalty and wonders if the relationship is worth the pain and heartache it brings with it. “Baby, if I want you, want you/Can you give me what it is I’m looking for, missing inside me,” she asks. On “I Decide,” produced by the Precious Divine, GCL3F and Retrro, Amaeya is at a crossroads as she comes to an understanding about herself and the relationship that she is in. On “Sweet Escape,” she seeks a return to an old lover who knows her better than she knows herself, singing, “Under the moon and the stars/There will never be no one like you again/You were my sweet escape.” While “Sweet Escape” has a romantic context, this love may be the kind reserved for self, where Amaeya is choosing herself over any other connection that will hurt and disintegrate her self-esteem.
The previously released “On My Own” serves as the finale for Like A Flower. “I was on my own when you walked in and called me the one/I was on my own when you said you'll show me the world/I was on my own, I knew I didn't want to fall in love/I was on my own, now I’m on my own,” she sings. The track carries a bittersweet tang: bye-bye to the past, hello to the future. Like a flower, Amaeya leaves the earth’s dark crevices for sunlight, seeking nourishment and energisation—warts, flaws, and all. The EP is a perfect debut for Amaeya, proving her talent and expertise.
Go HERE to stream Like A Flower.
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