TYLA +

the take

When I reviewed the original version of Tyla's self-titled debut, I thought it was good enough to get by, but nothing really too impressive. Part of the reason why is because I wasn't really all into the afrobeats subgenre that's seen a huge explosion in popularity the last few years or so. With the deluxe adding three extra tracks, it's only right to not only review the new material, but also revisit the original album's songs as well. Starting with the bonus tracks, the first is "SHAKE AH", which isn't terrible by any means. All of the artists' performances on there is solid, but what kinda made me lose my appeal for it is the somewhat soft kick drums and the long length time. The reason for the former may be due to my SkullCandy earphones that may or may not do it justice, but then again, I played it in my car and was left somewhat disappointed. On top of that, for it to last longer than it had to was underwhelming. I can see why people would enjoy it, but it's not exactly my cup of tea. Still respect the song's existence, though. Now we're getting to two of my favorite songs on the entire deluxe, those being "PUSH 2 START" and "BACK to YOU". These two songs got me in a chokehold when I first listened to them, especially the former. These bring out nothing but good vibes, and because they're so good, a part of me kinda wanted these two to be longer than what they are. Both songs are definitely a vibe. Plus, it helps that I've grown to the afrobeats subgenre now to where I can fully appreciate it.