Man of the Year (album)
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| Man of the Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 18, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Genre | Afrobeats, Hip-Hop, Contemporary R&B | |||
| Length | 77:38 | |||
| Label | Baseline Music | |||
| Producer | Jay Pizzle, Spellz, Orbeat, DJ Coublon, Uhuru, Echo, Bobby Combz, Ganja Beatz, Drey Beatz, TK, Kenny Wonder | |||
| Skales chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Man of the Year | ||||
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Man of the Year is the debut studio album by Nigerian recording artist Skales. It was released on May 18, 2015, through Baseline Music. The album features a blend of Afrobeats, hip-hop, and contemporary R&B, showcasing Skales's versatility as a musician. Man of the Year includes guest appearances from various artists such as Davido, Burna Boy, Reekado Banks, Phyno, Ice Prince, Capital FEMI, Rotimi, Kenny Wonder, Olamide, Attitude, Victoria Kimani, Numerica. The production on the album was handled by a variety of producers, including Jay Pizzle, Spellz, Drey Beatz, Uhuru, Bobby Combz, DJ Coublon, Echo, TK, Ganja Beatz, and Kenny Wonder. The album was supported by six singles to promote the album.
Background and promotion
Skales began working on his debut studio album Man of the Year after signing with Baseline Music in 2014. The album's production took place over the course of several months, with Skales collaborating with various producers and guest artists to work on songs for the album. In anticipation of the album's release, Skales embarked on a promotional campaign that included the release of a documentary titled Road to MOTY. The documentary provided fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album, showcasing Skales's creative process, studio sessions, and interactions with other artists and producers. Road to MOTY was well-received and helped generate buzz and anticipation for the album.[1]
Singles
The album Man of the Year features six singles. The first single, "Shake Body", was released on May 6, 2014, and received widespread acclaim.[2] Because of that widespread acclaim, "Shake Body" has been considered as one of those songs that never gets old, as it was released in 2014. Singer Alicia Keys created a video of her dancing to the song in 2015. The music video for "Shake Body" was released on July 23, 2014 and directed by Stanz Visualz.[3] The second and third singles, "I Am For Real" and "Je Kan Mo", were both released on January 21, 2015.[4] The music video for "I Am For Real" was released on February 16, 2015.[5] The latter was released on February 24, 2015. "I Am For Real" was directed by Stanz Visualz, while "Je Kan Mo" was directed by Unlimited L.A. The fourth single, "Always", came out on May 13, 2015, followed by the fifth single, "Ijo Ayo", which was released on May 15, 2015. The music video for the former was directed by Adasa Cookey of Squareball Productions while the former was released on June 17, 2015 and directed by Stanz Visualz. The sixth and final single, "Lo Le", was released on September 11, 2015.
Critical reception
Man of the Year received mixed reviews from critics. Sho and Tunde from Should You Bump This praised tracks such as "I'm a Winner" and "Ijo Ayo" for their infectious beats and energetic performances, but they criticized Skales's lyrical depth and the album's length, noting filler tracks that diluted its impact.[6]
Emmanuel Daraloye, writing for Medium, commended Skales's transition to a more melodic style but criticized the album's lack of originality and its reliance on borrowed musical elements from other artists. He highlighted tracks like "Lo Le" and "Koyewon" for their party appeal but felt that the album failed to establish Skales as a unique musical force.[7]
Conversely, The Lagos Review was critical of Skales for not innovating enough and accused him of borrowing heavily from established musical trends without adding significant originality. While acknowledging Skales's vocal talent, the review lamented the album's lack of standout tracks that could have elevated it beyond mediocrity.[8]
Generally, Man of the Year received praise for its upbeat tracks and Skales's vocal performances but was criticized for its derivative nature, weak lyrical content, and overly long duration, suggesting that while Skales showed potential, the album fell short of achieving lasting impact in the music industry.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" (featuring Do2DTUN) | Oladotun Kayode | — | 0:55 |
| 2. | "I'm a Winner" (featuring Burna Boy) |
| 3:51 | |
| 3. | "Lo Le" | Njeng-Njeng | Uhuru | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Always" (featuring Davido) |
| Spellz | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Wonder" (featuring Reekado Banks) |
| Jay Pizzle | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Ijo Ayo" (featuring Olamide) |
| Spellz | 4:30 |
| 7. | "Koyewon" | Njeng-Njeng | 3:38 | |
| 8. | "What's Up" | Njeng-Njeng | DJ Coublon | 3:16 |
| 9. | "I Am For Real" | Njeng-Njeng | Orbeat | 3:27 |
| 10. | "OMG!" (featuring Victoria Kimani) |
| Bobby Combz | 3:38 |
| 11. | "Swagger Man" (featuring Ice Prince, Phyno) |
| Jay Pizzle | 4:03 |
| 12. | "No Condition" | Njeng-Njeng | Drey Beatz | 4:03 |
| 13. | "Fa Ra We Mi" (featuring Kenny Wonder) |
|
| 3:31 |
| 14. | "Happy" | Njeng-Njeng | Drey Beatz | 3:50 |
| 15. | "Your Body Hot" (featuring Attitude) |
| Fliptyce | 3:49 |
| 16. | "Naughty" | Njeng-Njeng | 2:50 | |
| 17. | "Je Kan Mo" | Njeng-Njeng | Jay Pizzle | 3:15 |
| 18. | "Another Round" | Njeng-Njeng | Jay Pizzle | 3:26 |
| 19. | "Turn You On" (featuring Capital FEMI, Rotimi) |
| DJ Coublon | 3:34 |
| 20. | "I Forget (Outro)" | Njeng-Njeng | 3:57 | |
| Total length: | 77:38 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21. | "Shake Body" | Njeng-Njeng | Jay Pizzle | 3:28 |
| 22. | "Shake Body (French Version)" (featuring Numerica) | Njeng-Njeng | Jay Pizzle | 3:28 |
- Notes
- "—" denotes a skit
- Samples
- "OMG!" samples "Someone Out of Town" by Yuna
Personnel
- Skales – primary artist
- Davido – featured artist
- Burna Boy – featured artist
- Ice Prince – featured artist
- Reekado Banks – featured artist
- Phyno – featured artist
- Capital FEMI – featured artist
- Rotimi - featured artist
- Olamide - featured artist
- Kenny Wonder - featured artist
- Olamide - featured artist
- Victoria Kimani - featured artist
- Numerica - featured artist
- Jay Pizzle – producer
- Drey Beatz – producer
- Kenny Wonder – producer
- Bobby Combz – producer
- Echo – producer
- TK – producer
- Spellz – producer
- Ganja Beatz – producer
- DJ Coublon - producer
- Orbeat - producer
- Uhuru - producer
- Unlimited L.A – video director
- Nathan Stanz – video director
- Fiokee - guitar
- Mikifa - guitar
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 18 May 2015 | CD, Digital download | Baseline Music |
References
- ^ "Skales "Road To M.O.T.Y" (Documentary)". Prodizzle. 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Skales - Shake Body". Oluwafemi Adebanjo. 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Skales Drops Music Video For His Single 'Shake Body'". Channels Television. 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Skales Drops Two New Singles; 'Je Ka Mo' & 'I Am for Real', Listen". BellaNaija.com. 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "New Video: Skales – I Am for Real". BellaNaija.com. 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Man of the Year – Skales (Album Review)". SYBTonline. 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "A Review Of Man Of The Year By Skales". Emmanuel Daraloye. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Skales Is Not Man of The Year". Emmanuel Daraloye. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2024-07-03.