Bittersweet by Herman $uede

BACKGROUND

Herman Suede (born Jason Bortei-Doku) is an amazing storyteller and lyricist who displays these qualities through beautiful melodies over solid production. Afro-fusion is a delicate language, and this young prodigy speaks it ever so fluently. Over the past few years, he has showcased insane amounts of talent on his singles and introductory EP, 'Hi, I'm Herman'. (Highly recommend you check it out after Bittersweet, Let loose is a personal favourite track). He is a budding artist with a lot to offer, and he does so perfectly with this sophomore extended playlist. 

Bittersweet

Bittersweet is more sweet than bitter, in my opinion. It's 14 minutes of pure bliss, exploring sweet love and one bitter breakup. I'm personally obsessed with the production on this playlist, although his smooth voice is a strong contender for my attention as well. He's mixed and mastered his very own Afrofusion recipe; a smooth western flow which he intersperses with beautiful tunes, beautiful Afro-pop production and sound, super sweet bars and a lover boy persona- and Bittersweet is a full serving of this.

Meant For You

The perfect opening to this bittersweet story.  The smooth guitar riffs on this track make it an enjoyable listen, and the drums set a very upbeat rhythm that sets the mood for this track; He's so happy in love. With his silky voice, he endears his love interest to come close and listen to a beautiful song, and like the name suggests, it's just meant for her. I'd give this a solid 8/10.

Let It Flow 

Let it flow is groovy and based. On this fluid track, he reminds us of just how good a lyricist he is, telling his love interest to let their love flow. I'm especially fond of the production on this track, the bass guitar does an amazing job, and in the last thirty seconds of the track, we get to fully enjoy how good the production is. There's no doubt that this song is a 9 out of 10.

Naa Kwarley

A personal favourite and, objectively speaking, the best song on the EP. The bass guitar and drums make a stellar return, more bold and upbeat than in previous performances. Truly the height of the sweetness of their love, Herman sings to Naa Kwarley as he reflects on the progression of their story. As a non-Ga speaking individual, I'm unable to fully experience the beauty of their story, but the passion in his voice makes it clear as day. Language isn't a barrier when it comes to appreciating this work of art. Naa Kwarley is a thief (Julor), and she's stolen his heart completely. The second verse makes use of interpolation; you'll notice very familiar lyrics if you're a true old-head when it comes to Ghanaian music. I'm comfortable giving this track a 9.8/10 (It should have been longer, in my opinion).

On My Own

Lyrically, this is a steep dive from the highs of love that the previous song allowed us to experience. Our lovebirds are so suddenly separated, and it seems to be Naa's fault. But instead of brooding on this track, Herman Suede seems to be happy and free. This track is relaxed and allows us to focus on the epilogue of their love story. Truly bittersweet if you ask me. 8.5/10.

One by One

One by One is a bonus track. Released as a single in the previous year, it still remains his most popular track. It's short and sweet, and our lover boy draws his love interest closer in this enjoyable track. It's a great listen overall. 8/10.

Summary

Bittersweet is simply amazing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone ready to listen to a sweet serving of Afrofusion. Just perfect, 9/10 overall. I recommend you check out more of his other releases, especially his debut EP. You wouldn't regret it.