PARASITISM Intensifies SGM’s Focus of Literature in Afrobeats
Sam George Mac’s first release in 2024, PARASITISM, continues his authenticity. PARASITISM which is loved for the rare theme it preoccupies as an Afrobeats tune, is more quintessential in the artiste’s entire discography, far beyond the overwhelming love it sprouts for the artiste from his spanning fans. SGM, in the interview with News Bulletin, likens PARASITISM to an ultimate piece in a big puzzle. He admits his style of Afrobeats is developing and the pro-symbiotic piece is crucial to this development.
Termed Afrolit for its concoction of Afrobeats with lyrically figurative expressions, SGM’s sound is noted for an ego that will not give in to mediocrity lyrically. The Best Songwriter From Africa as he proudly names himself, thrives largely on comparisons, philosophy and abstract ideas mostly buttressing such realities as time, the human selfishness, the struggle to break free, life itself as a whole, love, hedonism and on. This is what he also most recently referred to as Litmus or Literary Music.
This pride to be different first manifested in his song titles. Controversial, fellow artiste who has also been his producer for almost two years, acknowledges how it is easy to miss the intentionality in his song titles. SGM defies the culture of titling songs in the layman’s language. Perhaps, this is his fondness for Literature manifesting again. He always announces to fans that he was a writer of poetry and drama long before he chose a path in music.
SGM makes expressions easy to break by simply buttressing his inference. To him on PARASITISM, many humans want from others things they are never willing to reciprocate, describing this kind of relationship, he sings “dangerously like a dynamite”; the short nature of man’s life on earth is likened to a “mushroom” on PALM WINE FLOW; the speed of time is a running “thief” on Capless; the kind of confidence needed to have a successful life is that of the Moroccan team at the 2022 World Cup on the song MOROCCO; the hopelessness in his surrounding explained as a dried “bread” on Tu T’appelle. In all of this, he sometimes documents his life briefly with music. With this, he falls into oddFelix’s umbrella for music pieces that record the experiences of an artist, Autobiomusic.
“Many uprising Afrobeats acts need to have a template strictly based on intentionality,” SGM said of his approach to being original as a rising musician in an industry as loose as Afrobeats, “Any artist, whether of paintings, sculpture or even movies, does not fit into an already existing box. Art is limitless and you need to create your own unique identity like a fingerprint from that endless musicality,” he added.
Delving into his relationship with Controversial Success, his producer, Sam George Mac explains it as a sort of symbiosis beneficial to everyone involved. SGM underscores how Controversial has helped quickened his growth technically, a move mandated by some of the negative criticisms that followed the release of his debut album, Music is a Therapy. To ultimately substantiate this revelation, the songster also discussed the prospect of a joint extended playlist titled The Placebo Effect with Controversial Success.
Further from his style of music, SGM revealed 2024 will be the busiest year for him so far. The singer described the rigorous task working on his second album exemplifies. The sophomore, IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS MAD, is predicted to reach fruition by October 2024, nevertheless. The 20-track project houses the four lead singles, MOROCCO, PARASITISM, MAHATMA and KÚTÚPÀ — he noted.
