REVIEW: Edem’s “Mood Swings” is an emotional roller coaster

EP: Mood Swings

Genre: Afrobeats, afro-dancehall, hip-hop

No. of Tracks: 6

Label: Volta Regime Music Group (VRMG)

The year 2020 has ravaged every business, including the music business. But that doesn’t stop the creative thinking of musicians, including Edem.

In the mid of business shutdowns and a big hit on every economy around the world, the VRMG label owner finds his creativity in his mood swings. Whatever life throws at him drives his creative thinking.

Whenever something unusual hits him, his callow-self hits the recording booth. That was the birth of “Mood Swings” EP – a 6-track masterpiece which depicts his creative thinking and perspective of life.

It is avowed in the EP preview video. “It took me a very long time to understand myself as a creative and an artist,” he said. “‘Mood Swings’ is this project where I fully come out of my shell to accept that I’m not like everybody else.”

Just like everyone, Edem has mood swings too – a ruthless drive behind his creative skills and his ability to churn out creative, inspirational masterpieces even with his eyes closed.

“I can’t be a hip-hop artiste every day; I can’t be a reggae artiste every day; I can’t be a dancehall artiste every day, but what I can be is that I have creative mood swings and whatever I feel like doing at every point in time, I head out and do it.”

He intends to demonstrate his mood swings in an artistic tone to his fans and discerning listeners.

“So, the intent of this project is to show people all the different mood swings I have as an artiste and hope that they get to understand and accept me for being outside the box that they put everybody in.”

Whatever your mood is, this project connects your soul to a symbol that vocalises and fights for your balance.

The EP opens up with broken-heart.

On “Love You” featuring Darkovibes and Kelvyn Boy, broken-hearted Edem, who feels undervalued by someone he could take his life for, howls and pours out every pain in his heart. “Couple of your friends wey me know no dey like me/Pretend say dem friends with me but dem fight me/I dey live just for you but you no see/Now I dey see say your mind no dey for me…No matter what you do now I still go dey call you my boo…Wey I go dey hold you down, forever and ever,” Edem sings with passion and grief in his heart. Edem defines ‘love’ as everlasting support and affection for a partner, no matter the circumstance. Nothing can stop true love.

They say ‘fake till you make it’ but that phrase doesn’t exist in Edem’s dictionary. If you want to make it in life, you’ve got to be real. Never fake – even if that will not bring you success. “You dey yob for street say you be champion/Meli kpo meli kpo meli kpo kpo/Don’t believe the hype, believe the action,” Edem sings over a sweet afrobeats sound “Kpo”.

He drops major hustlers’ success key on track 3 (Money). His only trick for making real money – not a fake one – is waking up every day and psyching yourself for money. He spurs people from a poor background and goes blunt that the only way they can wipe off their bad background is to wake up every day and hustle for the money. “Where we dey come from money no dey/You for dey work for dey work for dey work to get that pay…Kpefu and make millions, kpefu and make billions/Show them what you really on, dem fit know what you really on,” he sings. To get rich, you shouldn’t fake it and then you should ‘kpefu’ (suffer) for the money.

He switches things up on the 4th track (Efo Kojo, part 2). This is based on a true story and it teaches a big lesson about life, particularly about arrogance and pride. Arrogance and pride can ruin a lot of opportunities in life. The slow-tempo jam unveils a rich man who respected nobody when things were moving smoothly in his life, but ended up with HIV/AIDs and became a pauper. “When the money gone, when the money gone/What you ah go do, what you ah go do” Edem asks. Money has wings, and when you are lucky to be rich, be humble, save for the future and support others.

He moved from morality to culture on “In Ghana” featuring Efya. This portion is expressly important because it teaches foreigners about the Ghanaian culture. From greetings to common everyday phrases, Edem and Efya translate different local jargons to foreign listeners.

Edem wraps up with a little ego. Yeah, EGO. As a rapper who has been consistent for over a decade in the music industry and still dominates the airwaves, he finds it fitting to re-echo his place in the rap fraternity. It’s almost impossible to reign for that long in Ghana music, primarily in the rap fraternity, but he has done it. So, why not brag a little? And don’t forget, it’s a mood swing project – he might have done this accidentally.

Whatever your mood is, Edem tailored content that caters to every situation you find yourself in. From broken heart and neglection in relationships to money-making rules, culture and morality, brace yourself for an emotional roller coaster.

RATING

3 out of 5

Stream the full EP below.

Pulse Editor's Opinion is the opinion of an editor of Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the organization Pulse.