"Aya Nakamura spent the years following her 2023 album DNK embroiled in national drama that had little to do with her music. The mere suggestion that the French Malian singer might perform at the 2024 Paris Olympics ignited an ugly backlash, fueling a racist opposition campaign and a pearl-clutching debate over who ought to represent France on its biggest international stage. Nakamura sang anyway, reminding the world why she remains one of the most popular Francophone singers working today."
"Destinée, her fifth album, meets the furor by leaning even harder into a sound only she can deliver. The production returns to her familiar melange of Afrobeats, zouk, pop, and R&B; features from Joé Dwèt Filé, JayO, and others add ripples of kompa, reggae, and Latin neo-soul. At 30, Nakamura sounds steelier, almost amused by her critics. In her writing, she doubles down on her signature braid of Parisian argot (slang) and Bambara, a wink to her fans and a cheeky taunt to the institutions that would prefer a more demure entertainer."
"These love songs are pressure cookers, simmering with threats and accusations. Some play coy, like "Alien," where she boasts about being insatiable, or the airy Kali Uchis collab "Baby boy," where flirtation doubles as a power play. But on "Dis-moi," Nakamura wonders if she's sleeping beside the devil, and Jamaican star Shenseea 's warning lands like a line from a thriller: "I'll hurt you if you hurt me." Most compelling is how Destinée reframes Nakamura's public narrative without stooping."
Aya Nakamura faced a racially charged public backlash after speculation about a 2024 Paris Olympics performance, yet she performed and sustained popular standing. Destinée, her fifth album, intensifies her signature fusion of Afrobeats, zouk, pop, and R&B while incorporating kompa, reggae, and Latin neo-soul through guest features. At 30, her vocal delivery and lyrics sound firmer and more amused by critics. The songwriting mixes Parisian argot and Bambara, signaling loyalty to fans and defiance toward institutions. The album's love songs register as scorned, threatening, and assertive, reframing her public narrative without moralizing.
Read at Pitchfork
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