The Brother's Keeper is the second studio album by Nigerian singer-songwriter Chike.[1] It was released on 25 August 2022 by Brothers record and distributed by ONErpm.[2][3] The album features guest appearances from Flavour, Ycee and Azana.[4][5] The 16-track album combines elements from Highlife, R&B, and Afropop with a percussive rhythms.[6][7]nThe Brother's Keeper received favourable reviews from critics, as Adeayo Adebiyi for Pulse Nigeria said that "is a bold declaration of Chike's ambitions".[8]
| The Brother's Keeper | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 August 2022 (2022-08-25) | |||
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| Length | 49:00 | |||
| Producer |
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| Chike chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Brother's Keeper | ||||
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The album was predicted to be released in 2021 as it made one of the most anticipated Nigerian albums of 2021.[9]
Chike exclusively disclosed to Pulse Nigeria on 24 August 2021 that his second album would be released on 28 January 2022.[10][11]
On 28 January 2022, He dropped a high-life-pop single titled "Nwoke Oma" which Pulse Nigeria predicted to be the lead single off The Brother's Keeper where he acknowledges the struggle to be recognized without the societally-approved norms of success.[12]
In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, he revealed that his album would be called The Brother's Keeper.[13]
On 15 July 2022, Chike collaborated with Nigerian highlife singer Flavour on the track titled "Hard To Find" which serves as the lead single off the project.[14]
On 22 July 2022, Chike unveiled the tracklist for his sophomore album.[15][16]
The singer had to convey his narrative with his heart on his sleeve while travelling, dealing with pressure from within and from society, and finishing the album in July 2022. The oldest song on the set was written roughly 4 years ago, and the last song was completed in July 2022. Chike enlisted producers DeeYasso, Tee-Y Mix, Killertunes, Echo the Guru, Louddaaa, Sagzy Afroshii, Lord Sky, and Masterkraft to A&R the album in addition to Ogaga Sakpaide once more.[17][18]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pulse Nigeria | 7.9/10 |
| AfroCritik | 8/10[19] |
The Brother's Keeper received mixed reviews from music critics. In a review for Pulse Nigeria, Adeayo Adebiyi said "As he seeks widespread popularity and makes an effort to present himself to a bigger audience, Chike explores the various dimensions of love in his sophomore album".[20] Emmanuel Daraloye of AfroCritik noted that "The A&R of the project makes for a seamless storytelling and articulation of Chike's efforts."[19]
Credits adapted from Spotify.[21]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "On The Moon" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | DeeYasso | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Tell Am" |
| Killertunes | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Spell" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | DeeYasso | 2:53 |
| 4. | "My Africa" (featuring Azana) |
| DeeYasso | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Hard To Find" (featuring Flavour) |
| DeeYasso | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Winner" |
| Killertunes | 3:08 |
| 7. | "Bad" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | Saszy | 2:41 |
| 8. | "Zamo" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | Lord Sky | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Pour Me a Drink" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | Tee-Y Mix | 2:48 |
| 10. | "You Deserve" (featuring Ycee) |
| Lord Sky | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Enough" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | DeeYasso | 2:29 |
| 12. | "Moving On" |
| Killertunes | 3:02 |
| 13. | "Good Things" |
| Killertunes | 3:23 |
| 14. | "God Only Knows" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | Echo the Guru | 3:17 |
| 15. | "Nothing Less, Nothing More" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | DeeYasso | 3:30 |
| 16. | "Please" | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | Louddaaa | 2:55 |
| Total length: | 49:00 | |||
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 25 August 2022 | CD, digital download | Standard |
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[22] |