LV & ATTN: Lojay & Sarz Combine to make Magic

LV & ATTN excels on the depth of Lojay’s emotive songwriting & Sarz’s ear-piercing production

Lojay is having one of those moments I enjoy seeing artists have. When they’ve slowly been on the come-up, and suddenly they begin to receive mainstream attention. The day-1 one fans who made their ‘best-kept-secret artist feel proud they believed in your craft early enough. He might be a bit late to the party, but for a prolific hitmaker like SARZ to create a full-length project with Lojay, it says something about his talent. At this point Sarz’s versatility is unquestionable. He’s orchestrated hits with Niniola, Reminisce, Wizkid & Flash, to name a few. He recently unlocked a new level in his collaborative streak when he joined forces with WurlD for their stellar I LOVE GIRLS WITH TROUBLE EP (2019).

Lojay is no new comer. It feels like the years in the trenches have led him to this very moment. The shift from having a handful of people listening to you, to being heard in different cities in the world is something not many artists get to enjoy. But he’s currently experiencing an uptrend. To give some context; within a week of the release of the project’s lead single Tonongo back in April, his Spotify Monthly Listenership increased from 180 to 19,672. At the time of writing this, that figure now sits at 135,234. Prior to this link-up with SARZ for LV & ATTN, mans been putting in the work. Asides from releasing few loosies and making guest appearances on songs like Funk Flex, he has a solo EP; his 2017 debut, Midnight Vibes.

On Park O x3, Sarz’s instrumentation is cut from the same fabric that made successful songs like MAD & EGO. A part of me wishes I could hear what it will sound like if WurlD took a stab at writing to this beat. This trend reemerges on the penultimate track, Panty! as Sarz draws elements from his production playbook for his artistic exploration with WurlD. On both songs, Lojay’s blend of Yoruba & pidgin English in his songwriting is bolstered by his high-pitched vocals which make for decent cuts on the EP.

Eponymously titled track, LV & ATTN featuring WizKid is quite addictive. The hook’s simplicity and Lojay’s vocal dexterity make for an undeniably replayable cut. Lojay’s relaxed delivery on his verses is complemented by a stellar WizKid verse. Wiz’s verse begins with a fast-paced melody capable of sending a rush of dopamine to the brain.

On lead single, Tonongo, Lojay alludes that his love interest is ahead of the pack with a football awards reference that instantly gets the point across, “you win the ass cheek Ballon Do’r. Anyone who successfully uses football lingo to describe an admiration for women deserves a bottle of Henny. The last word of every line hits the beat drops nicely, which highlights Lojay’s writing skill as much as it shows Sarz’s ability to match & stretch the sonic preference of his collaborators. Monalisa’, an instant fan-favorite buzzing with feel-good vibes and a repetitive hook that’s easily memorized. Lojay paces himself with his delivery over a shiny Sarz production. sung in the Yourba language, “Ma jo Monalisa” sees Lojay requesting his love interest dances to his music all night.

LV & ATTN is created with a dark & moody palette, that excels on the depth of Lojay’s emotive songwriting & Sarz’s ear-piercing production. It is a project that both talents are deserving of. Commercially, it’s the sort of boost many talented acts out there can only dream of. But Lojay’s having his moment, and I hope he builds momentum from here on. None of us wants to be remembered as the guy that had just one moment. Eager to see what happens for Lojay after this. Exciting talent!