Walter Banks
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Asake celebrated in impeccable style last year on his debut album, Mr. Money With the Vibe (The FADER’s 18th favorite album of 2022). But where that record was full of swagger and sophistication, his first single of the new year is a full 180. “Yoga” is a document of humility and simplicity, an effort to find balance after a year defined by unprecedented success but tinged with tragedy by a crowd crush that killed two fans during his December show at O2 Academy Brixton. “The song is about minding my business and guarding my peace so no one can disrupt it,” the 28-year-old Lagosian scene leader confirms.
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In keeping with its theme, the new song’s sound is much more rooted in tradition and repetition than in the cosmopolitan sleekness of Mr. Money. Drum machines disappear, replaced by hand-pounded percussion; synths and saxes are subbed out for sweetly bowed strings and a backing choir; and Asake leaves Auto-Tuned melismas behind in favor of direct, from-the-heart refrains. “I dey on my away hey / I dey maya / Make nobody kill my yoga,” he sings, praying for peace with the sincerity of a dedicated 12 stepper.
Despite the earnestness of the track’s message, “Yoga” is still a lush affair, and Asake’s love for textural decadence is reflected in its TG Omori-directed visual treatment, a rush of colors provided by the gorgeous beachscapes of Dakar, Senegal. Watch the clip below.
