Jai Eric’s “Agatha” Expresses Sensuality & Uncertainty on a Mellow Beat

By Emmanuel Daraloye

Love has a fetter that ties the heart so tight that at some points, it has no choice than for it to beat for only one reason, and for one person. This is the charm the girl, Agatha has on her prey. Jai Eric on his single, “Agatha,” expresses self and feelings: from pure love, sensuality to uncertainty.

“Agatha,” another Jai’s Afrobeats single rests on a mid-tempo rhythm, clamping emotional outburst even while the artist’s emotions overflow, but prioritising composition and tone. So, instead of saying too much, Jai says a few words, watches his choice of words, keeps at his melodic delivery, and also employs repetition.

The artist, Jai Eric, a singer, but for this musical art turns temporarily a lead songwriter. His focuses are shown in his structure of the song, careful delivery and voice theatrics; even though his voice splutters some colours on the single. With this intentionality, and style, Jai is a part of other Afrobeats UK-influenced artists. Judging from the use of this style, the listeners find immersed values in its build from the beginning to the end, instead of the vibes and adrenaline of a short time.

“Agatha,” a duo-production by Ade James and Oliwakemi Agoyi gently saunters, yet sturdy in its movement with a no-overcrowded-percussion record. The best ties together the composition and the vocals, granting them the freedom to flow comely on the song with no altercations. His clean rhythmic foundations laid bare the listener’s attitude to the song, and his bold use of space makes listeners expectant; longing for the next. Again, reiterating the record’s connectedness, the mixes, mastering and production in general.

Apart from Jai Eric’s vocals, the beat, especially the sound of the kick, and bass hold together energy, one so mellow but deep. However, there should have been the expression of intensity using the vocals at some intervals. In the transition at the 0:29 mark, there is a rattle-roll sound on the snare and the bass turns deeper with some added layers, but the vocals fail to express such emotions at that moment. The modulation at about 0:58 mark, “See your your body na ko ko ko ko” to its denouement at about 1:08 mark would keep the listener’s heart overpumping if the vocals were intensified at that moment.

The hook serves its cause, which is to hang the listener’s mind to the track, which it did. It is void of complexities and also aids memorability. Its clarity is loved by listeners and it enables the artist, Jai, to avoid and leave out words that are void of essence on the track. However, while this is a current pattern in modern Afrobeats, Jai should have added more pinches of dynamism.

“Agatha” by Jai Eric is another Afrobeats release that exposes feelings with a gentle temperance. It doesn’t fight its tide and rush of emotions, it lets out gradually with ease. With some improvements in its intense pushes at some marks of transition, dynamism in progression, among others, the track would have touched down on a grand spot. However, the songwriting, the mixes, mastering and general production keeps the song dear to a listener’s ears.