Monologues

Top Track: Envy

The coolness of autumn last year brought with it a desire to listen to a lot of warm sound profiles. Rich instrumentation, melt-in-your-ear vocals accompanying it, and most tunes resulting in a bit of a stank-face, or a rhythmic head bop. I cycled through jazz and funk on Spotify’s Discover Weekly and Radio, which is when I stumbled upon Envy by American-Nigerian artist, Ogi. Within the first 5 seconds of the track, the rising piano motif dropped into a deliciously tight bass and drum groove - a hook that immediately piqued my interest.

Seeking a consistent listening experience regardless of ambience, I trialled this song through different systems - headphones, earphones, and speakers. As predicted, the song held up in each method, highlighting high production quality. Ogi’s clean and technical runs in Envy were hardly enough, leading me straight into the rest of the 6-track EP. 21 minutes later, I was an avid Ogi fan.

Each track, exploring slightly different elements of the R&B genre, flowed naturally from one into the next. The combination of close harmonies, skilful piano interjections, and rhythmic interplay kept me engaged from start to finish, only wishing the track list was a little longer.

Beyond personal enjoyment, Ogi demonstrates a clear potential for growth. The sound fits both intimate live venues, and larger festival stages like Cross the Tracks. Stylistically, the music aligns with contemporary R&B and funk, and I could see collaborations with artists such as Daniel Caesar or PJ Morton expanding reach. This early-stage cohesion and versatility suggest that Ogi is positioned for both artistic and commercial development.