15th March, 2024
By Kunle Ajayi
Dr Soul, the Nigerian-born US-based singer, songwriter, and performer, inspired by the likes of The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, Tiwa Savage and Giveon, started his musical journey by singing on the streets of Nigeria.
He came into the music scene professionally in 2019 with his single “Lucid Dreams”. Dr Soul was born in the eastern part of Nigeria where he hails from. His medical qualification earned him the suffix in his moniker “Dr”. He has appeared on American Idol, Chicago Fashion Week, AY Live e.t.c.
In this review, we will delve into three of his singles, with a particular focus on “Love in the 90’s,” released in February, “Lucid Dreams” and “Soul Fire” and explore the storytelling, emotions and musical prowess that Dr Soul brings to the table.
The song “Love in the 90’s” by Dr Soul is his recent project. A testament to his musical growth and ability to showcase his storytelling through his music. He paints an image of an old school love and how sweet it was, as he confesses in the song and makes open confessions with his accompanied falsettos. The piano used as the background adds an intimacy that brings out the honesty behind Dr Soul’s words.
In addition, all over the song, he looks back on his moments romantically creating a strong and nostalgic ambiance. Therefore, a mixture of outstanding falsettos and riffs performance from Dr Soul’s with piano soundscape in “Love in the 90’s” serves as an emotional journey through the artist’s amorous affection.
“Lucid Dreams” is a musical love story that take listeners to an intimate yet sensual level of romance. By doing so, Dr Soul maintains passion without losing sight of romance throughout the track. In particular, the catchy verse adds another layer of musical depth to it hence proving how well-aligned Dr Soul is when it comes to singing. It is through exploring this sensuality while still maintaining an underlying romantic tone that Dr Soul demonstrates his capabilities as a songwriter who can delve into various themes of love and romance but still maintain his essence as a soul singer, songwriter, and performer.
Dr Soul takes a different narrative approach in “Soul Fire,” proving that he is a true lover boy indeed. He made open confessions to a mystery lady while praising her. Soul fire is like an interesting storytelling session and Dr Soul’s fans are given a sneak peek into his love life. The chorus, delivered with Dr Soul’s powerful vocals adds a layer of catchiness to the song.
This dynamic vocals and interplay further heightened the listening experience. He can tell a story of his love life that will hold an audience spellbound; this is true for Dr Soul when he’s narrating “Soul Fire”. Beyond just being a record about his relationship with women, “Soul Fire” points out his purpose for sharing real stories through music-making.
Dr Soul’s musical journey is one of emotion, sensuality, and storytelling. He has shown himself to be an artist who can tell so many stories while still staying true to his art through the singles “Love in the 90’s”, “Lucid Dreams” “Soul Fire” amongst others.
At each stage, there is something that makes Dr Soul’s artistic identity more prominent for every song in this trilogy leaving the listeners longing to see more on his rise to the top.