Song You Need: Africaine doesn’t let temporary feelings dissuade her on “How Far”

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While she was working as a backup singer for a gospel artist, Chinanu Onuoha was motivated to pursue a career as a solo artist after crossing paths with a producer. She released her debut single as Chi, “Love for Free,” in 2019, but setbacks forced her to start from scratch in 2020, where she learned to record and produce on her own through YouTube tutorials and invested in equipment. As Africaine, Onuoha makes music that makes personal experience universal, combining her powerful vocals and background as a choir singer with Afropop’s alluring melodies and swaying drums. Premiering on The FADER today is her new single “How Far,” out now via Immaculate Taste.

“Love is temporary, but I need it now,” Africaine sweetly sings in the track’s opening lines. “Just need a shoulder to lay on when I’m feeling down.” She makes her request sound essential, as if she’d blow away in the wind if she didn’t have someone to confide in. She’s well aware it may be a short-lived high, but what’s life without taking risks? Heartbreak is temporary too. Gbeduboss’ lush and restrained production offers Africaine room to riff, coo, and belt over with freedom. She refuses to fade into the background. With every line, it feels like Africaine’s trying a new trick to capture your attention with her honeyed voice. She doesn’t turn the song into a gymnastics routine, but you can tell she’s hinting that she’s capable of more.

Below, read a statement from Africaine about “How Far.”

“When I wrote “How Far,” I channeled the carefree woman. I wanted this song to highlight embracing love and lust for a season, despite knowing it will end eventually,” Africaine tells The FADER. “The character in this story is a realist but determined to live in the present and face the consequences later. I love this song because I believe there’s a little of all of us in it. We all have been slaves to our guilty pleasures, despite all evidence of common sense. Being impulsive makes us human, and there is a beauty in it.”