After a stunning debut by way of a self-titled EP, Nigerian singer-songwriter Winny is back with Take Me, featuring Brooklyn-based Nigerian-American artist Thotmose.
Benue state native Winny recorded her debut EP in 2019 during lockdown. The 7-song offering of just under 20 minutes is a multi-genre exploration of her inner world. She sings about desire for a love interest, the environment that fosters her dreams and ambitions, and even unconditional love of self. WINNY peaked at #1 on the Apple Music R&B Album, accumulated over 3 million streams across all platforms and charted in 19 countries.
Her debut project, WINNY, firmly situated her as one to watch. In the hit track Don’t Leave, the singer-songwriter shows us why. With a rich, heavy texture to her voice- heavy like it’s bearing the weight of all the emotions she sings of- Winny’s delivery is arresting. “I recorded that song in 30 minutes,” she says of the hit track, “I heard the beat and immediately knew what I wanted to do with it.” The beat, a John Pininen production, is a simple percussive instrumental on a loop with an organ-sounding melody looming in the background to add depth. The lyrics: a plea to her lover, with no pretence or pride. The Nigerian artist takes pride in her impassioned and vulnerable songwriting. “I just love writing,” Winny starts before adding, “I believe that songwriting is an experience where you just allow yourself to float. To float and drown at the same time. I don't know how that works but it does.”
Like in Don’t Leave, the production on the rest of WINNY features genre-amalgams; a hallmark of contemporary afrobeats. The production on the EP is infused with afrobeat, R&B and reggae that come together to form a sound that doesn’t quite fit into a specific genre. Reggae in particular, is a pronounced addition that she often finds herself gravitating towards. Winny shares; “I grew up listening to a lot of reggae in the house. My dad, may God rest his soul, used to play reggae cassettes all day at home so the music has become a part of me, it’s imprinted on me now.”
In another standout track off the EP, Pretty, Winny sings; “Me and myself in a one-man gang/I guess it’s best if ‘alone, I stand’/Only the best of me, I desire.” Winny’s expression, even beyond her music, communicates a singularity. Her maximal style choices in particular set her apart from her peers. But she is careful to credit it all to herself; “I grew up in the Northern side of Nigeria around muslims who wore lots of jewellery, like they really jam packed their bangles and earrings and I always found it so beautiful. It is a part of the culture I saw around me that I have added into my style.” Another way she honours the culture around her shows in her visual sensibilities. In her music videos and visualisers (or short films, as she calls them), you will see the ocean and the artful draping of fabric over herself, both a staple of her home Benue state.
But in her recently dropped single Take Me, the Benue state native swaps the open and airy visuals for an indoor visualiser that sees her in her private space. Although the content of the song aligns with her previously released music, the production slightly veers away from her discography. The song is a nod to the afro-pop-piano sound sweeping the global music landscape and Thutmose’s feature mirrors the global connection that the sound has fostered.
The mid-tempo dance number is the first single from Winny’s sophomore project. “The next project will be like Nigerian jollof: it has a little bit of everything,” she responds when I ask if the recently dropped single is an insight into what’s to come. She follows up excitedly with; “it’s going to feel like a breath of fresh air. And there’s one more feature, a surprise!”
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