Nigerian alternative music duo, Kidsfrmbaghdad, continues to show no signs of employing the dominant genre of the Nigerian music scene: Afro-Pop, but have instead opted to absolve more alternatively grounded sounds and themes for their latest project, Ballads. In an implicitly expressed rebellion against the mainstream Nigerian sound, the duo continues to display sonic rarity and versatility, using different genres to achieve their ploy. According to them, “every genre is just a brush so the variance of brushes, strokes, and colors make a perfectly vivid art“.
After encountering a wild carousel of sample clearance/legal issues which led to the eventual take-down of their earlier released EP, For Rag3rs Only, they dig their feet further in, with Ballads, a more solemn and noir take on youthful travails ranging from issues of self-doubt, love, rejection and other interrelated topics.
The focus of this project, ballads, remains unperturbed and we see the theme characteristically embodied by the unique blend of acoustic instruments such as guitars, pianos, saxophones, and also synthesizers, overlayed by poignant and solemn lyrics that are as gripping as can be.
Kidsfrmbaghdad tags the project as ‘poetic meds’, having that sour taste and feel but being necessary for the body to fight harmful emotions and disorders.