Boy Alone is a vulnerable project that has earned Omah Lay the “sad boy” tag. Fans have gone even further to describe his current sound as “Afro-depression.” While some may view it as triggering and unnecessary, many deeply resonate with it. One can also easily associate him with the purple color in the music space. His obvious consistency with it as his brand color over the years cannot be missed.
The realization that we have been dancing to the pain and struggles of the young man came to light when listeners began paying closer attention to the lyrics on this project. While “I’m a mess” is quite straightforward in expressing his emotions, “Soso” wasn’t that straightforward in his expression due to his infusion of Port Harcourt slang on the track. “Temptations” is an appraisal of a supportive figure in his life which could be a human or supernatural being. Interestingly, from the lyrics, it seems to be one of his vices –“ouid”. Read the Soot Africa review of Boy Alone here.
Boy Alone Deluxe Review
On the 15th of June 2023, Omah Lay released the deluxe version of Boy Alone. He made an addition of 6 new tracks to the project. They include: “Reason”, “Come closer”, “Imagine” ft Aitch, “It’s yours”, “Joanna”, and previously released “Soso” remix featuring Ozuna.
Earlier released, “Soso” is a cry for help to a higher being to help take his pain away. He teams up with Ozuna to amplify this plea which I think Soso must have hearkened to as we see a different version of Omah Lay.
Omah Lay opens the project with the track- “Reason”. He talks about recognizing the challenges he’s facing, amid conflicts and how he’s still bravely fighting despite the danger (“Army is opening heavy fire. I’m unsafe but I’m still out here – fighting”). He goes on to reveal that he’s chosen to let go of his weapons and embrace peace, singing, “I surrender myself, myself. My hands are in the air.” In another part of the song, he sits in the therapist’s chair and asks a thought-provoking question, “What is the reason you do not have your own peace of mind? Are you having fun or doing this thing to survive?”
He bared his heart out to an insecure partner on “Come closer”. He speaks like a healed counterpart who is willing to journey with their significant other on the path to conquering their own challenges but is met with resistance. “Your mind dey here, your body dey there. E gats be united”. Is Omah Lay talking about absent-mindedness or mind wandering? He advises that their body and mind have to be united to feel better.
In “It’s Yours,” Omah Lay takes on the role of a supportive friend but also sounds like a hurt partner who has made the painful decision to move on. He stresses that “in the long run, maybe it will find you if you let go.” Truly sometimes, the best way to find what’s yours is to let go of what you currently have. Omah Lay’s lyrics in “Come Closer” convey his desire for a deep emotional connection with his insecure partner. He emphasizes letting go and moving on in “It’s Yours”.
We finally experience him obviously accepting his fate as he sings about his ex-lover moving on from him if she finds someone better on “Imagine” ft Aitch. The duo accept responsibility for their actions, wishing they had one more night with their lovers. In a quick twist of fate, the singer passionately calls out to “Joanna,” who appears to have his heart in a chokehold. It seems our sad boy is in a better place and ready to love again.
Conclusion
Some friendship groups have that therapy buddy who has been in the valley of depression and back. They always come back with the intentionality to heal and drag their friends as well to do better. This project spans beyond the context of a relationship for me while listening. It is a call to a deliberate step to becoming better and healing from deep emotional wounds. The additional songs to this project are evidence that the singer is in a better place mentally and emotionally. He even made this known on Joanna when he said, “I’m doing better, oh my bebe”. He sounds like he is now trying to convince us to be vulnerable and walk the path to healing.
One interesting thing about the “Afro-depression” sound is that it often features thought-provoking lyrics layered over upbeat production. However, if you are a listener who primarily focuses on instrumentals and production before lyrics, it may take some time to fully grasp the meaning of the lyrics. This is one hack Omah Lay has used on this project which is why we were dancing vigorously to “Soso” at parties before realizing it was a call for help.
The project as a whole deserves applause for its thematic expressions, arrangement, and storytelling. It is a complete and cohesive body of work.
Give it a listen- Boy Alone: Deluxe Edition (fanlink.to)
Love this review of Boy Alone (Deluxe)? You should also read Soot Africa review of Anger Management