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With two viral party anthems to her name (‘Come We Bill Eh’ and the Tik-Tok favourite ‘Party With A Jagaban’), south London’s Midas The Jagaban has made hay in an otherwise rubbish year. She’s nearing the top of the UK’s shiny new Afrobeats chart and has become somewhat of a leading lady in the new Afroswing talent pool, all the while proudly showing off her Nigerian heritage. Despite remaining anonymous with her signature bally, Midas sets herself up as a recognisable new star on this seven-track EP, her first body of work.
Named after her signature tag (“Midas touch, I got the rightest touch”), Midas proves that she’s stuck gold when it comes to making high-energy tracks to shake away any negativity through the soon-to-be cold nights. The opening track ‘Cloud 9’ is a testament to that; instantly shaking shoulders, and setting up a smoother version of her signature hits. With the infectious motif running through (“If your mama gave you, shake it, break it / If you feel the vibes, baby shake it, break it”), ‘Cloud 9’ is a global dancefloor filler, should your lockdown guidelines allow it.
‘Step 2 Me’ is a throwback sound to the previous decade’s slightly ambiguous time when Afroswing wasn’t widely called Afroswing yet – a sparkly track full of glittery synths and chimes aside her cutesy vocals. With her androgynous image often having fans misgendering the “queen of Lambeth” – as she coronates herself in ‘Cloud 9’ – highlight ‘Step 2 Me’ is the first track Midas has utilised that embraces her sultriness. Her ability to puff out her chest with such a timid vocal performance is something only a seasoned artist could do, as she tells people “step to me if you dare, I’d like to see you try”. Midas may seem a baby-faced assassin in the music game; sweet at first encounter, but dig deeper and she’s really quite greasy.
After a knockout 2020, Midas The Jagaban has been a testament to talent trumping all adversity. Stepping into the new year with support from all of the UK scene, she has proved with ‘Midas Touch’ why fans are dazzled by her golden delivery. Sweet but deadly, 2021 should be the year for a Jagaban like her.
Details
- Release date: December 18
- Record label: Jagaban Music
The post Midas The Jagaban – ‘Midas Touch’ EP review: UK Afroswing’s new leading lady strikes gold appeared first on NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News.
