Fast rising act, Vhené takes us through the different phases of love on her debut EP, “Sounds of Vhené”
Vhené, born Vivian Chidinma Desmond is a young and fast-rising Nigerian Afro-fusion singer & songwriter, known for her sultry voice and versatile songwriting. At the age of nine, she spent significant time helping out at her older sister’s beer parlor to raise money for her family. During this period, she became consistently exposed to different sounds like Afrobeats, Highlife, Fuji, Apala, and other beautiful West African genres, typically played at African bars. From then on, she developed a profound love for music, with the exposure leading the singer to develop her special sound—a unique blend of folk and African rhythms.
On her debut project, “Sounds of Vhené, she takes us through her journey of love, peace and emotion. She begins the EP with “Hello,” which carries a strong and emotional appeal. The track is heralded by a guitar that rivals flowing streams, as she sings passionately and intensely, matching the airy and light-hearted ambience.
“Hello” perfectly encapsulates its message, highlighting the dreamy, angelic feeling of love. It’s the sort of track that says I want to love you to every edge of the world, “to every corner and area of the room.” A stage of love where you can’t help but feel like everything is right, the timing is right, so much so that you’re consumed and blown away by this love. This strong feeling flows into something deeper, meaningful, intense and more profound in the next song; “Close to You.”
The second track on the EP, this heartfelt piece has a more somber nature, but the feelings here are much stronger, bare and raw, reflecting a storytelling thread. Vhené journeys with listeners on another wave and dimension of love, as she sings about the pure desire to be close to her lover, truly capturing the essence of that warm, particular feeling.
“Radar” comes next, and is essentially as smooth as sparkling wine. This super sultry Afrobeats/R&B song, with its strong and striking piano keys, adds a whole new vibe and charm to the project. It truly captures the feeling of waiting on that one phone call, while being in your element, and possibly losing track of time in a light and wholesome way; wondering, yet relaxed in expectation.
“Serious Relationship” rears its head as the fourth track on the EP, and here, her music style is truly ethereal and deeply passionate. She gets listeners to feel every pain and strong emotion with every line, as her saccharine vocals pierce with intentionality, bleeding through the lyrics.
On the fifth and final track, “When Will You be Here,” Vhené gets extremely vulnerable and earnest, even admitting to ovulating while penning down the sensual approach to the second verse. One of the best tracks on the EP, this record sees the singer persisting with her style of mixing Yoruba with English, consistently curating a tone that’s a mixture of culture and languages, holding the catalyst of her genre.
The honesty you feel in her music is what makes Vhené stand out as an artiste. “Sounds of Vhené” is a true masterpiece, over flowing with gems you do not want to miss out on. So dive in right now and experience the magic in Vhene’s artistry.
————————————————————————
We got the opportunity to speak with Vhené about her debut project and the real inspiration behind it. Watch it all below!
Link to Listen: https://tinyurl.com/2bb9byhb
Follow Vhené on Instagram and X: @vhenebo