For his third undertaking, Nigerian singer Seyi Vibez locations his ambitions entrance and middle, and the album’s 11 tracks function a prophetic manifestation of his subsequent huge objective. “It’s telling the world I’m residing a dream,” he tells Apple Music. “I don’t have the billion {dollars} but in my account, however I feel speaking all this stuff into existence will certainly make it actual. As a result of there was this time I wanted to drive quick vehicles. I needed truly to dwell in the costliest a part of Lagos—and I’m already there. So, I simply really feel like the subsequent factor I’m going to do is make a billion. I wish to be a billionaire musician. Any time I possess one thing that I wish to do, I simply put it out, and later, I see that it [becomes] actual. So, me saying, ‘Billion greenback,’ I’m talking it into existence—from my sort of sound and my manner of placing it out.”
Together with representing his homeland, the Ikorodu-bred artist incorporates cross-continental sounds all through Billion Greenback Child. “I’m from Lagos, however South Africa’s sound has had some affect on me,” he explains. “Lots of songs on the album have a combination of some amapiano, pop, and Afrobeats. So, it’s Afro-soul.” Under, Seyi Vibez (Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi) talks by way of the undertaking, monitor by monitor.
“BD Child”
“The monitor is just like the calling to the album. It’s like a road motive, I’d say that. It’s like a road motive, like each time the road pay attention, it’ll be like, ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s it.’”
“Darling” (feat. Simi)
“I simply needed to ship ‘Darling’ to Simi. I wanted a feminine voice on it. It’s a love tune.”
“Ife”
“‘Ife’ means ‘love.’ Ife is like an historical love combined with some hustler feeling—like a hustler making an attempt to succeed and [taking care of] his household and his spouse, his youngsters. It’s a heavenly love tune.”
“Saro”
“That is majorly for the road. [With] ‘Darling’ and ‘Ife,’ I’m singing it for the women. However ‘Saro,’ I’m actually singing for the motive of the ditch, of the ghetto. ‘Saro’ means ‘troubles.’ Like, ‘Let’s go. By no means lose your religion. It’s important to simply preserve shifting.’”
“Likelihood (Na Ham)”
“I recorded this tune at 2 am. I used to be uneasy that day. I simply wakened, then I received my guys to comply with me to the studio. The vibe got here simple ’trigger I used to be in a distinct frame of mind at that interval. The beat simply got here, and I used it to console myself. Listening to the beat first made me relaxed and never fear myself with what I used to be dealing with at the moment. It’s a playful street-motive sound and a really relatable and significant dancehall tune. I’ve fairly a flexible music style. Dibs produced. It was our first time assembly, and it was a straight hit.”
“Billion Greenback”
“The tune inspiration got here with [the sample of “Pass the Dutchie” by Musical Youth]. [The producer] TBM was taking part in some samples, and mistakenly he simply performed that: ‘This technology guidelines the nation.’ I like that as a result of Nigeria as an entire is harsh on the youth, and the one manner we might communicate up is thru our songs. So, in case you truly up there, such as you’re well-known and other people can truly take heed to your tune, that’s the one manner you’ll be able to truly deliver up issues. I can keep in mind when the #EndSARS factor got here up—Wizkid and different artists got here up with the concept. So, [these movements] truly come from the artists as a result of we’re the one ones [who] can truly communicate for the youth. [The chorus translates to] ‘It’s been written that I’ll truly achieve success, and nothing will truly take that away from me. And I’m working day-after-day. Give me the sort of cash, like billion greenback cash.’”
“Bullion Van”
“This has some cash motives additionally. I used to be taking part in with melodies and a few amapiano log drum. Everyone seems to be utilizing TikTok in Nigeria. [In one video], this girl was on [the courtroom reality TV series] Justice Court docket, and she or he was so unhappy. Her husband had, like, 10 to fifteen ladies in the home, and she or he caught him. They have been making an attempt to settle the case, and she or he was telling the choose what occurred. She was like, ‘I’m emotionally harassed. I’m emotionally downcast. I’m so confused.’ The video went viral on TikTok, so individuals began utilizing the sound. The day I heard the sound was the day I used to be truly recording ‘Bullion Van.’ So, I’m like, ‘What? I like that.’ And we used it to open the tune.”
“Gangsta”
“Gangsta sounds gangsta, nevertheless it’s like a love tune for the women. It’s gangster love. It calms the center.”
“+234”
“Yeah, that’s my amapiano dance tune. I like the tune. I like the vitality. At any time when I am going to live performance, just like the membership or wherever. 234 is the nation code to Nigeria, so it talks in regards to the atmosphere and what’s taking place in society—what the boys are doing, what the women are doing.”
“Ten” (feat. Mayorkun)
“It’s the oldest tune within the album. One yr in the past, I recorded a tune with Mayor. After which, later, he referred to as me that, ‘OK, Seyi, I would really like you to drop the tune as a result of, yeah, I want to drop it.’ It has this sort of poppy feeling, a membership feeling—each feeling. There’s additionally a message of gratefulness. It’s important to preserve thanking God in each state of affairs you’re at.”
“Financial institution of America”
“It’s a playful tune. It’s a playful tune, and on the similar time, I’m making an attempt to talk in my sort of Seyi manner. I’m speaking in regards to the angels. I’d say that, maybe, 80 p.c of the Nigerian youth wish to go to America—they simply wish to go in another country. I wouldn’t say for artists as a result of we’re used to the approach to life. However I’m speaking about regular residents. As a result of [Nigeria] is in a tough situation. There’s this understanding within the tune—it’s not simply based mostly on America; that’s simply the way in which I wish to [elevate] in my coronary heart. I take advantage of my start title [in the lyrics]—Oluwaloseyi, which implies ‘God did.’ So, I’m utilizing ‘Financial institution of America’ to spherical up the album, and I like the sensation it’s at all times given to me.”
