Review: Olubunmi Adeyeye Spreads Liberation in “I Am Not The One”

By Tomide Marv

When you hear some songs, they instantly feel like a peek into the singer’s journal. In Olubunmi Adeyeye’s recent performance of “I Am Not The One,” the singer dishes out a charged soul record that pleads fealty to God’s divine fatherhood and guidance.

From its opening lines, the song establishes itself as a powerful narrative, one centered on a woman ready to pick up the cross of followership. It is a brilliant remix of the original Snarky Puppy’s “I am not the one” featuring Malika Tirolien, which borders on emotional exhaustion. It’s the kind of remix that reimagines a secular track wholly within the gaze of Christian devotion and artistry.

First, the writing feels very witty, intimate and convincing. Written to fit the Jazzy, Neo-soul, Bluesy soundscape that skeletons the music, Adeyeye explores repetition, puns, and melodic rhyme schemes that accentuate her singing, and, ultimately, her delivery. “You said I wasn’t ready to build a home / ’Cause I ain’t your servant, baby,” she sings early on, setting the tone with bluntness, just like the original rendition does.

The song’s arrangement gives her enough room to command the centre while still maintaining momentum around her voice. Her voice acts as a primary melodic voice, gliding through the percussion and chords with measured insistence. She sings with resonance and clarity; laying emphasis where the lyric suggests determination, like, “I have been loved/ I have been raised/ I have been set free/ Oh, you can put this all on me Oh Lord,” while switching to falsetto-cued softer vocal ranges where reflection enters the room: “Although I was living in sin, you loved me so much/ I just could not afford to lose my salvation.” Essentially, her lower register carries maturity and reflection, while her upper range carries hope and grit.

The band sync is another notable highlight of the recording. The instrumental responses feel well knotted to her phrasing, especially where the rhythms ease back to let the vocals breathe. It’s a sort of push and pull technique that elevates the song’s overall enjoyability. Overall, the song’s drama lies in the conversation between voice and groove.

Importantly, Adeyeye’s sonority in “I Am The One” is sure to induce goosebumps, thanks to its cathartic and cohesive feel. It’s very much a purge of emotions, especially as she lands most notes with heightened emotion. By the closing refrains in “I’m not the one,” one can experience a rounded voyage across deep sobriety, hope, excitement and resolution.

Ultimately, “I Am Not The One” presents Olubunmi Adeyeye as a vocalist who understands how to string technique with emotion within her delivery. She sings with command, writes with clarity, and carries the arrangement with confidence. The song stands as a resonant statement of faith and submission, and one of her most wholesome displays as an artist. It ranks at 8/10.