Following on from the success of his last two singles ‘Farmhouse’ and ‘Sunrise’, which garnered support from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Earmilk and FUBAR Radio, among others, and birthed a sold-out UK tour, hotly tipped West London-based British Nigerian singer, songwriter and musician AZU YECHÉ returns with his brand new single titled ‘Black Market’.
Taken from his forthcoming EP, which is due to be released later this year, ‘Black Market’ is a defiant love song, which sees Azu Yeché collaborating with producer Peter Lyons (Jodie Abacus, Peter & Kerry, LA Salami), to deliver the perfect song for the summer (and beyond), and a strong display of Azu’s talents as a singer and songwriter, in equal measure.
Listen to “Black Market” here.
Starting with a simple guitar arrangement and maintaining a minimalist musical backdrop throughout, ‘Black Market’ gives Azu’s voice the room it needs to tell a story of a love that’s forbidden but still blossoms in secret, with the weight of its subject matter juxtaposed against a breezy melody and a hopeful, uplifting and emotionally resonant vocal performance from Azu Yeché.
Peter Lyon’s production wisely keeps things relatively simple, allowing for the story to shine, especially when it gets to the glorious coda, where a host of voices are singing ‘oh black market’. Topical without being preachy, and poignant without being tedious, ‘Black Market’ reveals itself as defiant, liberating and uplifting with each listen.
Speaking about the inspiration for ‘Black Market’, Azu Yeché says, “Coming from a religious and traditional background, anything outside the norm was frowned upon. Interracial relationships, inter-tribal relationships, and having a different set of values, were all problematic. In essence, it is a story about a love exercising and asserting its right to exist, albeit on the sidelines”.
Digging much deeper, Yeché adds that, “On some level, most people live a part of their lives on the black market and in my own little way, this song is peeling away the shame people might feel by simply being themselves. I’ve seen so many friends and family members struggle mentally because they’ve had to hide their true selves to fit what they feel is expected of them”.