Ọlá – Back to Harmony (2022)
The world is full of inequalities that impact almost every aspect of life. Drawing on his own experiences and his personal journey to the reclaiming of his name, Ọlá uses his latest single ‘Back to Harmony’ to highlight some of these inequalities. While he looks at this problem, he also calls for us to address them now to help build a better world for everyone.
While this is his first release under his real name, Ọlá is no newcomer to the music world, having released singles under various monikers since 2018. After reclaiming his true name, he has taken the skills he honed under his monikers, and crafted an avant-garde RnB sound. Addressing traumas that many can connect with, he infuses the understanding that you need to make yourself a priority, while still helping others.
‘Back To Harmony’ grabs your attention with some seriously avant-garde tones. There is a warp to the electronic tones that bounce off a smooth neo-soul sliding beat. It is a wonderfully unique soundscape that is rich and keeps you hooked to the alternative movement. While there is an avant-garde movement to the music, this is countered by a slick slide that makes you want to sway to the rhythm. The richness of the soulful tones and the toe-tapping beat come together for a solid arrangement that has you sliding through the soundscape.
While the melody draws you in and keeps you moving through the single, how it combines with the vocals is what really makes the single. The vocals have a layered feeling to them that enhances the lush feeling of the track. There is a bounce to the delivery that is propelled off the melodic beats, while the backing vocals slide up behind you. These backing vocals create a soft space for you to sink into, while the main vocal line flows over you. The chorus has a mantra feeling to it as the lyrics repeat and fill you with a sense of inner peace that helps you help other people. As you feel the peace of the chorus, the verses touch on the inequalities of the world and call for all of us to free the world of them.
Ọlá blends his vocals with the avant-garde movement of the melody in ‘Back to Harmony’ to call out inequality and find inner peace. The music layers electronic warps over neo-soul flows for a rich soundscape that slides through your senses. His vocals have a light bounce that adds to the mantra feeling of the chorus.
Find out more about Ọlá on his website, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
