LB is a promising artist with a lot in his arsenal, and his latest single, “Matter,” perfectly sums up why this is an artist worth keeping an eye on. On what is only the second official single of his music career, he displayed the poise and calm of a seasoned veteran, riding the groovy Afrobeat instrumental with ease to create a really good song. But it’s the second phase of his career – and with lessons learnt from the first phase – LB looks set to make a mark this time.
LB – short for Leo Beats – was born Leonard Eze Onwuka in August 1997. He recalls falling in love with music about 10 years after that, inspired by the careers of D’Banj, Sean Kingston, Wande Coal, and Tuface Idibia. He would spend a chunk of his spare time mimicking performances of his favourite artists and ultimately writing his own songs.
By the age of 15 years, he made the bold decision to embark on a professional career as a musician. He released “I’m in Love” as his first single but soon learnt about the unforgiving nature of the Nigerian music industry. He took time off to improve his game and gave it another go four years later. But life as an independent, upcoming artist is tough, and realized the need to back up skill with strategy. Now older and wiser, LB is ready to go for gold on his return.
The young artist prides himself in the relatability of his music. Like many artists, LB pours his life experiences into his songwriting. Love and romance are recurring themes in all his works, and he speaks his truth in a way that listeners can easily connect to. So, his simple lyrics, calm delivery, and ability to let the instrumental guide his singing melodies make for a pleasurable listening experience. All those good qualities are very well represented on his 2021 single “My Number One” and potentiated on the more recent release, “Matter.”
He already checks many of the boxes. Perhaps what’s left for LB now is consistency. With a good run of singles and an EP, this talented Afrobeats singer and songwriter should be able to warm his way into more hearts. He certainly will warm his way into yours once you give “My Number One” and “Matter” a spin on your favourite streaming platform.