Posted by Smooth sax entwined with a sophisticated exploration of lo-fi sound and beats, Masego has hit the ball running once more with this new EP ‘Studying Abroad’. Traversing the peaks and troughs of a relationship, the concept piece not only demonstrates his expansion in terms of collaborations and production choices but presents yet another side to this multifaceted artist.
Previously released ‘Passport’ and ‘Silver Tongue Devil’ (ft. Sheensea) feature on the six track EP. Their success is telling of the potential that ‘Studying Abroad’ holds. And with the latter’s video being an exploration of black beauty, filmed in the stunningly romantic Jamaica, we fall deeper into the fantasy of love that the EP’s tale twists.
Not all of the tracks hold such beauty, as without hardship, the concept would not be the cohesive piece that it is. ‘Sides of Me’ captures the almost meme-like culture surrounding relationship breakdown predictability. The humour of the familiarity of phrases like, “I just think it’s funny how”, is charming yet cruel. We’ve all been there, heard those words or said them, and do we regret them? Most definitely. Such condescending statements are attributed to a side that many don’t like to lay claim to. But here Masego openly mocks the shameful.
The accessibility of his work is ingenious. With his TikTok-trending track ‘Tadow’ (released earlier this year) having already been featured on over half a billion videos, it is clear that his methods work.
And with ‘Bye Felicia’ being yet another example of how he is utilising popular culture references to create humorous and accessible tracks within the confines of a concept EP, we’re sure to see more of the same success here.
8/10
Words: Megan Walder
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