CHARLES MAGANGA
New Member
- Dec 23, 2024
- 1
- 0
When Zuchu released her debut EP in the Covid-19-filled April of 2020, it was quite clear what she was aiming for.
The songs in I Am Zuchu, such as Wana, Raha, Kwaru, and Hakuna Kulala—which Zuchu has described as her best song she has written—alongside the Mbosso-assisted Ashua, positioned her as the new leader of Taarab and Baibuda music.
The songwriting in I Am Zuchu was ambitious, solid, and deeply emotional. It was evident that Zuchu was hungry for fame and she was not here to play.
After 4 years in the industry, Zuchu finally drops her debut album, Peace and Money. The 13-track project, while polished, falls short of the ambitious heights set by her earlier EP, I Am Zuchu.
Unlike I Am Zuchu, where her vision was crystal clear, Zuchu’s intentions in this album feel scattered. She seems caught between catering to her East African fanbase and chasing international recognition.
Tracks like Till I Die featuring Spyro, Lollipop with Yemi Alade, Lullaby featuring Nigeria’s Majeed, and Tinini with Heart The Band highlight her aspirations to expand her reach across Africa. However, these songs lack the depth and charisma needed to become true international hits
It’s highly likely that these songs will end up as underpromoted and mediocre as her earlier international-focused tracks, like Jaro and Love featuring Adekunle Gold.
So far, the only songs from the album resonating deeply with fans and gaining traction on digital platforms are her Bongo Flava love-themed single Mwizi, Makonzi which is Zuchu's diss track to fans who dubbed her King'ang'a and the Singeli smash hit Hujanizidi.
These tracks clearly demonstrate that Zuchu’s fanbase remains hungry for her authentic local sound that made her the star she is today.
Read Also: J Cole Kod: Album review
If there’s one thing this album has shown, it’s that fans want a more locally rooted, Bongo Flava-inspired Zuchu with deeper songwriting, the kind they experienced in I Am Zuchu.
On this album, fans were hoping to hear a more Singeli-based Zuchu, like the one in Nyumba Ndogo, or the lively Swahili Zuchu who took the world by storm with Sukari.
While having few hit songs such as Mwizi, Hujanizidi and Makonzi but Peace and Money feels like a Serena Hotel buffet, filled with foreign dishes that local consumers from Tandale and Mburahati can’t relate to and never asked for.
Fans were craving Ugali, Kachumbari, and Dagaa, but Zuchu served them a Japanese Sushi instead.
The songs in I Am Zuchu, such as Wana, Raha, Kwaru, and Hakuna Kulala—which Zuchu has described as her best song she has written—alongside the Mbosso-assisted Ashua, positioned her as the new leader of Taarab and Baibuda music.
The songwriting in I Am Zuchu was ambitious, solid, and deeply emotional. It was evident that Zuchu was hungry for fame and she was not here to play.
After 4 years in the industry, Zuchu finally drops her debut album, Peace and Money. The 13-track project, while polished, falls short of the ambitious heights set by her earlier EP, I Am Zuchu.
Unlike I Am Zuchu, where her vision was crystal clear, Zuchu’s intentions in this album feel scattered. She seems caught between catering to her East African fanbase and chasing international recognition.
Tracks like Till I Die featuring Spyro, Lollipop with Yemi Alade, Lullaby featuring Nigeria’s Majeed, and Tinini with Heart The Band highlight her aspirations to expand her reach across Africa. However, these songs lack the depth and charisma needed to become true international hits
It’s highly likely that these songs will end up as underpromoted and mediocre as her earlier international-focused tracks, like Jaro and Love featuring Adekunle Gold.
So far, the only songs from the album resonating deeply with fans and gaining traction on digital platforms are her Bongo Flava love-themed single Mwizi, Makonzi which is Zuchu's diss track to fans who dubbed her King'ang'a and the Singeli smash hit Hujanizidi.
These tracks clearly demonstrate that Zuchu’s fanbase remains hungry for her authentic local sound that made her the star she is today.
Read Also: J Cole Kod: Album review
If there’s one thing this album has shown, it’s that fans want a more locally rooted, Bongo Flava-inspired Zuchu with deeper songwriting, the kind they experienced in I Am Zuchu.
On this album, fans were hoping to hear a more Singeli-based Zuchu, like the one in Nyumba Ndogo, or the lively Swahili Zuchu who took the world by storm with Sukari.
While having few hit songs such as Mwizi, Hujanizidi and Makonzi but Peace and Money feels like a Serena Hotel buffet, filled with foreign dishes that local consumers from Tandale and Mburahati can’t relate to and never asked for.
Fans were craving Ugali, Kachumbari, and Dagaa, but Zuchu served them a Japanese Sushi instead.
