Ebili Martins Chiadikaobi, artistically known as Martins Luv, steps up to the plate with his debut album called, “Lions Heart”, which is released via the Sufferings & Offerings Music label. You will be enamored with the electric chemistry between the artist and the beats, the Afrobeats rhythms, the production bells and whistles, the syrupy basslines and Martins Luv’s untouchable talent. I went into this album with high hopes, and was not disappointed. The whole album is packed with dazzlingly sharp production, and within the first 30 seconds of “Fear Nobody” you just know that Martins Luv is in his comfort zone. The soul on this track is leaking everywhere, and the melodic effect in the verses is a nice and smooth. Being such a natural talent, Luv soars all over the track with his crooning.
“My Way” creates a very clear border between Martins Luv’s methodical soul and his romantic lyrical ramblings. It all makes a precious and intimate love song, where the keys paired with the swaying beat and bassline create a musical illusion.
The production on this record just gets better and better from here, as “Where To Find You” incorporates some more soulful vocalizations on top of some throbbing percussion, which rises and falls in a cleverly constructed manner.
“Necessary” ft. DaviCherry speaks to Martins Luv’s ability to intimately craft his vocal work across all elements of the production process, which incorporates many instruments here, including horns.
“Fight For Love” offers a more inspired performance, but that extra bombast is needed to compete with the relentless rhythm. All across this album Martins Luv can be found twisting his sound into all sorts of shapes to fit modern pop trends. It reaches an apex on “Diana”.
Here on “Diana”, Martins Luv pushes his vocals into high rising sorties, which fit perfectly on the canvas of the playful bouncing beat. Martins Luv dancefloor Afrobeats sensibilities fully take over on “Chisom – Remix” ft. Mr Raw, and things start to ignite.
Where Luv succeeds is starting from the bottom-up to make a multi-layered rhythmic track that evokes a certain mood and vibe. This carries a groove that is present from start to finish.
Throughout this album, Martins Luv proves that his music is more than capable of pursuing modern trends, while sticking to his Afrobeats roots. It’s also easy to see why this recording works so well; albums will always win when the production compliments the performer.
On what inspired the album title, “Lions Heart”, the singer said, “The album title was created through my Igbo name, and it is for the strong at heart and those fighting for their lives, as well as those who are unwavering and undefeated in their faith.”
“Lions Heart” is another superbly produced album from the Sufferings & Offerings Music stable, satisfying listeners with a fresh style and tone, but also showcases Martins Luv’s talents and future potential. He certainly will be on the tip of plenty of tongues for his talent. And all of this attention will be well-deserved. This young man is quite the skilled performer.
Martins Luv’s debut project “Lions Heart” charted #1 on iTunes Nigeria, #6 on Boomplay Nigeria, and has gained over 300k+ streams in the first month of release.
Connect with Martins Luv:
IG: @MartinsLuv | Twitter: @MartinsLuv2 | https://linktr.ee/martinsluv
