Taves has released Popstar SIDE A, an eight-track project that moves between Afrobeats, R&B and alternative pop while taking stock of the last two years of his life. The Nigerian singer released the EP last month, following “Uche Jombo” and “Isn’t It Beautiful,” two singles that hinted at the range of what was coming.
“Uche Jombo” is the obvious standout. Built around a flip of Wizkid’s “Don’t Dull,” the track has an easy confidence to it, with Taves leaning into the song’s playful attraction rather than overworking the idea. Wizkid, credited as an additional composer, connects the record to a familiar piece of Nigerian pop history without making Taves sound like he’s simply revisiting it.
The rest of Popstar SIDE A is less concerned with keeping things uncomplicated. “Chaos” opens with Taves caught between a relationship and the pressure of work, while “Simone” follows a more reckless kind of attraction.
“Preaching” turns toward financial strain and faith; “Space” admits to the selfishness that helped cost him a relationship. By the time “Take Me Away” arrives, the possibility of going back to that relationship still hangs in the air.
Those shifts give the EP its personality. Taves allows himself to sound uncertain, hopeful, selfish and vulnerable without trying to tidy those contradictions up. It makes the project feel closer to a snapshot than a carefully packaged statement.
“Most of all I hope that people find something in there that they can connect with, that speaks to them,” Taves says. After the recognition surrounding his 2024 project Are You Listening?, Popstar SIDE A finds him with more room to follow his instincts, and he makes good use of it.
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