Joe El Flip-Flops In Timeless Launch Out

Uzo Chikere

Of issue in his career presently is whether he is Tu-Face Idiba’s look-alike or not. What matters now, is the offering of his musical work and its artistic value. After quite a number of years under the stewardship of industry veterans Keke Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye, Joe El Amadi has put forward a body of work.

This has been a long time coming for the pop singer who has had difficulty gaining acceptance as a stand-alone music entity. Through fate and a complicit twist of genetics, he was born into earth as a physical look-alike of celebrated artiste, Tu-Face Idibia. So striking is this similarity that it traverses certain aspects of his craft down to the most primary organ of his music; his vocal chords. For many years has he had to deal with being ‘the guy who looks like Tu-Face.’ He has fought that, with statements and a refusal to be that guy.

In 2014, Joe El got a revelation. He embraced the persona, and began work with Tu-Face Idibia. He exuded a certain calm and peace, and let his artistry flow. ‘Oya now’ was born. Then came ‘Hold on’, with Tu-Face Idibia, and now, an album. This rapid change of views and events have put Joe El on the rise. "Timeless" album showed a creative flaw by being too similar to Sunny Neji’s 2012 ‘Timeless’ album. Even the album sleeve design looks like a modern version of its predecessor. There is also no mention of creative inspiration from Sunny Neji. This could some sort of copyright infringement .

The album kicks off with two singles that have made the man visible on the radar. Joe El and Tu-Face Idibia-created ‘Hold on’ for inspiration, and it flew. Then follow’s the Afrobeat OritseFemi collaboration ‘Oya now’. These songs which are awesome, have been milked beyond any listening value, hence appearing first on the album, robs the listener some chance to get to the new stuff. This is wrong.

Away from these two songs, an ardent listener may be hard pressed to find more good material. The entire album is a disjointed blend of sounds that only presents a mere compilation from someone who has had a breakout year. 19 tracks long, with no character and imagination, this album sounds like a drawn-out ode to Tu-Face Idibia. With a title such as ‘Timeless’, the last thing on your mind as you filter through this work is to preserve it for a later time. Such is its lack of melodious power.

The act’s attempts to seduce pop culture with the club single ‘Ileke’, is seen for what it is. Joe El makes it too glaring that the song is meaningless, with no attempt at creativity on the lyrics. No twist, but plenty of sexually suggestive lyrics which make the man too ordinary. “We and my guys we get am for plenty money to spend…in the first place, see your Ileke dey cause case.” This track is not a new addition to the prevalent ‘bum and butt’ music that Nigerian artistes find so attractive.

A bland production, no clear direction, and distasteful music composition are the creative-reversal triplets that combine to make this album a job to listen to. Sneak in the mediocre attempt at embracing the ways of 2face Idibia, and this album becomes a flop. Listening to ‘You are love’ will give you a throwback to an upcoming 2face Idibia.

‘Chukwudi’ with Iyanya sounds like a track from indigenous Pentecoastal Christianity, played out over a regular DJ Coublon beat. “We are serving a living God, Chukwudi e, that is why we no dey fall, Chukwu di e.’ It belongs in an Enugu Gospel album. Not a Timeless piece.” Just after this comes another Gospel song, with the disruptive bells of Terry G, taking you on another run at basic lyrics. “If no be God O, me for die o, me for die o, me for die o, owey, owey”

Joe El embraces romance on this album, with urban highlife, retro beats, R&B infusions, and a nod at Soul. But in all, he finds creative ways to make the listener cringe at love. ‘Love song’ is a weak freestyle, ‘Onye’ is a drawn out Nigerian sound, ‘Blown out’ makes music a chore, and ‘We are in love’ just rolls by.Hip-hop finally comes on into the mix, with Phyno guesting on the wrong track. ‘Fade away’, a conscious effort, with lacklustre lyrics is given to him, and he is limited. Move down the album, to ‘No Yawa’, and you will find a creative fit for a man of his talents. 

And why did ‘Hold on’ get an international version that is exactly like its original? This move is an embodiment of the poor direction and creative misses on the LP. Production on this album is scattered amongst a posse of producers, who are all to blame for the lame quality of this album. OJB covers himself with a little glory for ‘Oya now’, but fails to extend that genius to his other tracks. DJ Coublon is still working with his singular beat, and happily hands it out to Joe El. This will be the poorest Masterkraft credits that will ever roll in to him. Others just fall in line for this work.

‘Timeless’ fails to realise the potential and deliver on the promise that Joe El displayed and flaunted in 2014. Nothing is timeless on this album. If anything, ‘One time’ would happily describe these 19 tracks. Let’s hope he gets it right on his second LP attempt.