Nothing like a little bit of twee-tale electro-pop to get your Friday off to a good start. Well, Janie Bay’s freshly dropped album isn’t exactly twee-tale, but Majozi’s sweet little English injection in the earworm of an opener, “My Lief” does kick things off on a high note.
The SAMA-nominated Afrikaans pop princess – yes, that’s the phrase that really suits her best at this point – brings life back into Afrikaans music with a diverse collection of catchy hooks and dreamy phrases in Prisma – whose not-so-fleeting seven tracks richly explore themes of loss, passion, encouragement and love through a varying assemblage of genre.
While opener “My Lief” elists the talents of both Majozi and Easy B to lift the otherwise quintessential love song at the edges, she flexes pitching falsettos in “Babylon” (chiming minimalism flipping into a dance beat part way through). “Kalmeer” is anything but calm, pairing dramatic synth with a driving bassline beat as she gets real about the unpredictability of this world, before “Ek Glo Nog In Jou” comes a crooning, emotional ballad, countered by the honey-toned injections of Danie Reënwolf.
Minimalism is really her game here – juxtaposed against driving anthemic choruses, which dial back as quickly as they come. “Tevrede” is a breathless rendition of the Fokofpolisiekar original, while “Lewens” incorporates an exploding synth middleground. “Sweef” keeps the good things coming as it wraps up the album on a decidedly Taylor Swift-esque note – cheeky, chiming and suitably catchy.
Feature image provided by artist.
