Ekene’s “ISSUES” Is the Soundtrack to a Velvet Revolution

Step into the room. The light is low, the air thick with mystery, and somewhere between the sway of candle flames and the glint of a gold bracelet, Ekene begins to sing.

Her debut single, “ISSUES,” doesn’t ask for your attention - it owns it. From the very first downbeat, you know you’re in for something that doesn’t quite sound like anything else out there. It’s rich. It’s cinematic. It’s got the kind of polish and precision you expect from a Bond film opener - but it’s grittier, earthier, and more alive.

Ekene, the Nigerian-born, genre-blending artist behind the magic, isn’t here to play by the rules. And thank God for that.

“ISSUES” opens with traditional live drums that feel like they’re being played in real time right in front of you - raw, thunderous, alive. They echo like ancestral ghosts in a marble ballroom, setting the stage for what quickly becomes a lush swirl of bluesy strings, noir horns, and something that feels like a storm rolling in on vinyl. It’s eccentric, yes, but incredibly well-composed - each piece fitting into the next like a hand-tailored glove.

Ekene's voice? It doesn’t just sing. It curves.

There's a kind of vintage glamour in her tone, that smoky, slow-burn style that belongs in the back booth of a 70s jazz club or a smoky montage scene where the femme fatale pulls the trigger in slow motion. It’s both sultry and self-assured, carrying weight without shouting. She doesn’t need volume to command attention - she whispers, and you lean in.

Lyrically, “ISSUES” dives into emotional terrain with poetic clarity. It's about tension, dissonance, and the quiet unraveling of something complicated. But instead of laying it out in plain sight, Ekene paints with suggestion. She doesn't hand you the story - she lets you feel it. It’s that kind of sonic storytelling that sneaks under your skin and stays there long after the last note fades.

For a debut, this song is fearless. It’s not chasing streams - it’s building worlds. And if this is Ekene just getting started, we’re looking at a future where boundary-breaking isn’t the exception, it’s the standard.

More than a song, “ISSUES” is an experience. A luxe, dimly-lit, jazz-kissed experience that invites you to sit with your emotions, maybe swirl a glass of something strong, and let the music do the talking.

Ekene’s here - and she brought the vibe with her.

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