From her 2007 nature-inspired, hope-themed song Greenland and other hits to a career in photography and activism, Toyin Sokefun-Bello, professionally known as TY Bello, has established herself as a force to reckon with in the Nigerian music industry, with the singer often dabbling in gospel music. Despite having a relatively modest career, her talent and resilience remain non-negotiable. Her debut solo album Greenland, released in 2008, put her in the spotlight and earned her two awards. Since then, she has amassed more accolades for her artistic pursuits, including Most Creative Personality of the Year at SRAF Awards in 2018 and a nomination for the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Awards in 2017.
With the latest inclusion in her musical oeuvre titled Heaven Has Come, TY Bello proves she is still very much on course with her gospel music career. She goes all out blazing hot with teamwork from Anendlessocean, Gogo Majin, Greatman Takit, Sinmidele, Tomi Favoured, Grace Omosebi, 121Selah, Ko’rale, Tope Alabi, Angeloh, Gaise Baba, Sunmisola Agbebi, Isi Igenegba, Johnny Drille, Nosa, Outgun Onkar, Dunsin Oyekan, Esther Benyeogo, Jo Deep, Theophilus Sunday, Folabi Nuel, Nosa, Chingtok Ishaku, Ighiwiyisi Jacobs, and Abbey Ojomu. With such immense vocal support, TY Bellow delivers a predominantly praise-and-worship-themed testament in recognition of the omniscience of her creator. Each track in the album offers appreciation and highlights the virtue of full submission to the divine deity. This is done without unnecessary exaggeration, thanks to the lyrical considerations of the vocalists.
Produced by TY Bello, under exclusive license to Energize Music, and out on May 17, 2023, Heaven Has Come comprises twenty songs. The album comes after TY Bello’s Africa-themed album Africa Awake released two years ago. In Heaven Has Come, the first track For Life points out the everlasting love of God, as the singers pledge their unflagging loyalty to this being. Part of the chorus goes “nothing can separate me from you/nothing can come between us/nothing can separate me from you for life”. The lines are arguably a genuine expression of love, as opposed to romantic advances that are usually superficial and superfluously expressed. Next comes He Fights For Me, in which the supreme being takes on the images of an advocate for the helpless and a soldier ever prepared to defend his own. In the third track Fill Us, there is a keen sense of human subservience to the spiritual realm, as the theme of the song is centered on being filled with the Holy Spirit, a being considered the third person in the Trinity.
The fourth song Oh Jesu features renowned gospel artiste Tope Alabi who wraps up the song with her verse rendered in Yoruba. This is followed by That’s My Name, in which the love of God is reiterated, the Soul-ful Closer Than Close which touches on the ubiquity of God, and Loved By You which reprises the theme of love. Ire, assisted by Dunsin Oyekan, is another toast to the blessed experience of the supreme being. As the album progresses, the only songs in which TY Bello produces soloist impressions are the ninth, fifteenth and eighteenth tracks, which are Come Afresh, Shift and Better Than Time respectively. Of the three, Shift is perhaps the most lyrically exciting, as the songstress shows an increased need for divine encounters than ever before. It is the kind of song that befits the so-called backsliders in Christendom who have just re-traced their way back in Christ.
In the all-praise Hosanna We Hail You, the distinctive choral backdrop shines. This is succeeded by the Torrents, in which the images of rainfall are tapped to appreciate the deeds of the Almighty. Just as it is common for Christians to associate showers with divinely inspired blessings, the Jo Deep-powered song exploits this metaphorical potential. Odun Ayo reminds one of the aura of New Year’s Day, while Baptize Me has a similar purport as Fill Us, as both TY Bello and Anendlessocean thirst for possession of the Holy Spirit.
The title track Heaven Has Come takes on a groovy rhythm with a slow-rap verse, with “heaven” being used as a metonymy for the majestic presence of God. Deeper Still is an account of unquenchable aspiration for a more Christ-like, resplendent existence. My Body is inspired by the Biblical verse of Roman chapter 12 vs 1 as the song encourages total bodily sacrifice to the divine being. The last two songs of the album, Because You Are God and Kabiyesi, are yet again another pair of reverential offerings.
Throughout the album, TY Bello’s vocals are piercing, soulful and capable of provoking meditation. Her style draws comparisons with Waje, another soulful singer who has juggled gospel and secular music. With her album Heaven Has Come enriched with instrumentals and percussions, just as it thrives on a heavy-duty collaborative itinerary, TY Bello presents herself as a courageous master and explorer of diverse but wholesome sounds, one which, in spite of genre prejudice, is capable of being received and enjoyed for sheer musicality.
Rating= 7/10
Sample the album here: