O.L.A fuses high-spirited South African amapiano elements with mainstream house music
groove and with some original Nigerian afrobeat idioms in his latest release which he titles
“Shade.” Exhilarating live guitar, kicky log drums, and groovy house music keys, synths, and
percussions all come together to create more than just a ‘dancefloor vibe,’ but also a perfect
medium for O.L.A to express his admiration for “Shade.”
Sung partly in the Yoruba language and the Nigerian pidgin English, “Shade” by O.L.A retains
original house and electronic music intricacies while also being culturally authentic. This makes
it more than just a perfect groove for the West African dance floors but also a potential rave for a
much wider musical demography – “Shade” is that one song you can’t just help but vibe to
whenever it comes on, regardless of who or where you are.
Lyrically, O.L.A leans towards a rather simplistic approach in the song “Shade” as he uses short
verses, repetitions, and a very catchy chorus to pass his message of ‘dance and love’ across.
The instrumental motifs are quite groovy and just catchy enough to capture even the attention of
the most passive listeners. Overall, “Shade” is a solid, cohesive, and groovy house vibe that will
keep the party moving either loudly or subtly.
