Spotting mutual love for music and the inbred status of a creative, X3M Collective has delivered a culturally robust project that is the product of the multiple hours, diverse ideas and a stimulating work environment, labeling it “The Xperiment”. It is a first of its kind in Africa, as it features the versatility of X3M Ideas to explore more than the aesthetically pleasing parts of life and build on the sound, choosing to present relatable stories through music.
The Xperiment proved quite the Xperience, because deviating from the norm, X3M Ideas showcases both the formerly hidden and the not-so-hidden musical prowess of its staff – The X3M Collective, who as a tribute to the 10th year anniversary of the creative agency, explored the common ground between their sounds and their unrelenting workmanship. Interestingly, the project became the first experience for some of these creatives in a real-life recording studio.
Enlisting easy flows and feel-good rhythm in a fast tempo song is the way the X3M collective decides to “Flex” on us. This is the perfect intro song as it sets the tone for the album, with the confidence the team exudes. With witty wordplay, Flex gives off a movie soundtrack vibe of characters on a high-stakes mission.
Telling the story of how scary love is from the standpoint of a bad boy, “Soco” finds a home in the smooth blend of African sounds and hip hop instrumentals, fused with trilingual lyrics in Yoruba, English and Pidgin English. You find solace in the simplicity of the lines when you’re in the company of somebody with good vibes and you both hit it off on the dance floor.
“Tanana”, the song of the dreamers and the wishful thinkers, reimagines the average Nigerian dream. Between the terrible electricity state, corrupt police officers, traffic jams and bad roads, X3M manages to paint the picture of the ideal Nigeria. The X3M collective, while naming their project as one that speaks about life, love and everything in between, finds the “Balance” in their fourth track, listing it as the sweet spot of the project.
“Broken No More”, the RnB track fused with rap talks about the good, the bad and the misfits. The ones that are grossly misunderstood, that have had to put themselves back together on their own and are daring enough to take the world by storm.
“N.H.B- Never Holding Back”, sequel to “Broken No More”, is a soul-reaching track that understands the beauty in all this noise and whatever may lay ahead. It declared that there’s never a good reason to hold back.
Dedicated to the life we only get to live once, “Jaiye Jaiye” basically offers a one-way ticket to indulge in whatever you classify as living life to the fullest. “X-Cypher”, a mix of the coldest flows cutting across topics with sniper’s precision, leaving us the audience to get a kick out of deciphering the thought process behind the dynamic flows.
As with any well rounded projects, X3M Collective understood that creating a masterpiece takes time, and so devoted a year and eleven months to see this project reach its befitting climax. During the time, the 12 member X3M Collective explored more layers of their capabilities, both on the individual and collective note, creating a perfect synergy of their respective sounds despite having different backgrounds, whilst blurring the lines of work and fun, and ultimately becoming one.
In a world where nothing seems original and ideas are built on existing ones, “The Xperiment” by X3M Ideas’ “X3M Collective” delivers innovation and ingenuity, bringing together individuals from different areas of life. Despite the time limitations and conflicts of interest, X3M Collective adhered strictly to the principles by which the assembly was founded upon and delivered a project that is set to be timeless and take the world by storm.
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