D’banj – Stress Free, Chapter One

D’Banj has released his much-anticipated new album, “Stress Free”, on Friday, October 1 – a fresh, new body of work from the Afrobeats super star.

While embodying a successful career, “Stress Free” shows a polished artist who is not only experimenting but having fun, along with slick production values (featuring the spectacular skills of music producer Rexxie).

“I went back to legacy – which is why I got Egypt 80 (led by Seun Kuti) on all seven tracks – and then eased into a realm of zero anxiety after the turbulent period that the world has been through. We had a lot of fun in the studio and hopefully this all shows up on the record!” says D’Banj.

On “Stress Free”, D’banj slips into Afrobeats innovation mode, visible in the multi-layered fusion of horns, saxophones and futuristic synths across tracks. The Egypt 80 brings the horns on the Afrobeat fusion, “Zombie”, and the Afro-meringue mix of “Welcome To Lagos” as well as the free-wheeling “Stress Free” and “Banga”.

“Ikebe”, meanwhile, is a gentle, uplifting prayer while “Big Vibe” incorporates the Amapiano sound into a pan-Continental dance special and “Avocado” – featuring Burna Boy – leads you into a glorious sense of Afrobeats utopia.

Listen below;