Tino Moody Embarks On A Romantic Expedition in Debut Project “Moody Is Pacific”

When the Edo-bred Amanfoh Santelly, professionally called Tino Moody, set off as an Afrobeats artiste to watch out for, with the 2021 release of the single Confession, he did so feeling pleased with the opportunity to establish his musical territory. The inspiration behind that song had descended in the wee hours, as he had tried out some rhythms first before he got what he wanted. Following this initiation into the music industry, the artiste added to his sonic resumé as he dropped another hit, Dare Me, on April 14 this year.

With the recent release of his debut body of work, Mood is Pacific, Tino Moody is definitely consolidating on his previous artistic showoff. In this extended project, the singer-songwriter combines Afrobeats, R&B, and Soul, effusing versatility through five tracks, as he features Dumone and Kaey, with production credits going to SoLid Keyz and Papi Gunzo.

The album begins with Confession, in which the singer reveals himself about being lovestruck. Once described as a song in which the crooner’s delivery incites “nostalgic feelings similar to something Fireboy and Joeboy would deliver”, this opening track gives us a whiff of what to expect throughout. Emotional vulnerability, relationship,  physical intimacy, and recklessness are issues that titivate the entire album’s lyrics. Notwithstanding the thematic similarities of the songs, you cannot downplay Tino Moody’s mellifluous vocals and the album’s buttery instrumentals, both of which serve as his Unique Selling Point. Mamacita, the second track, appears to harbour the sweetest tweak of Tino Moody’s voice as the lead artiste teams up with Dumone.

In Dare Me, the artiste poeticizes the lovemaking process, coopting rattling metaphors and euphemisms such as “dog her”, “dare me”, “venomous” and “come shoot your shot”, which mitigate what could have otherwise been an unfettered lewd discourse on sex. When the artiste sings, “She say she like the riddim/My music in her system/She keep it wild and litty/Like the gang that ended biggy” he creates a double entendre that juggles images of sex and music. Interestingly, there’s a reference to late American hip-hop legend Notorious BIG, also known as “Biggie”, whose death in a drive-by shooting was believed to have been inspired by a gang-related feud. One wonders how the invocation of death enhances the knowledge of lust-driven romance. Yet it is antithetical reflexes like this one that gives Tino Moody extra points on the artistic scoreboard. The music video for Dare Me is out and directed by Olu The Wave. 

PLB, the fourth track, furthers the celebration of love, as the artiste refers to a cooperative female lover as Pretty Little Birdie. Afterwards, Tino Moody chooses to bow out of this EP with the galloping beats of  Reminders, as he engages Kaey in a love-driven dialogue. “Daytime reminds me of you/Sunshine reminds me of you/Daily, I’m reminded of you, reminded of you, reminded of you” goes Tino’s chorus, as if by repetition, a commandment of everlasting romance is formed. 

Released on April 28 2023, Moody is Pacific EP is available on music streaming platforms. Sample the project here: