Korede Bello might be young, but he’s collected a lifetime’s worth of experience in a career that has seen him go from guitar-thrumming Afropop golden child to an unmissable, rounded performer across a decade of triumph and deft reinvention. Each entry into his discography has played a part in swelling the mythos of the singer: 2017’s Belloved was an irresistible genre-bending showcase propped up by the success of the gospel-tinged “Godwin”, while 2020’s sultry Table for Two presented a fuller version of the stirring, neo-R&B sound that Bello experimented with on Belloved-era favourites like “Oh Baybe (Hermosa)” and “If You Smile”. The release of Beauty & Bliss in 2023 placed Bello at a crossroads as he sought to balance the emotional acuity of his delivery with instrumentation marked, in parts, by his pop background. With Koreday, the singer leans wholeheartedly into his soulful impulses, delicately stitching together a story of the cycle of life from his perspective over chill, midtempo beats. Released barely a month after Bello turned 28, Koreday presents a panoramic portrait of a young man dealing with an ever-revolving cast of human emotions while maintaining his zest for life. Across 26 songs, Bello emits warmth, investigates desire, confronts heartbreak and finds joy at different turns. As Belloved was a tribute to the rapidly changing landscape of his life in the wake of superstardom, Koreday is a testament to the future and all the wonders it might hold. The singer serenades himself with a cheerful birthday ditty on “Happy Birthday to Me (Interlude)”, marking a rare moment of self-indulgence. He experiments with horns and trumpets on “Sisi”, a pseudo-tribute to a love interest, while he dips into the Yoruba panegyrical tradition on “Akorede (Interlude)”. As with all Korede Bello projects, there are hints of romantic bliss in songs like “Complete (Naked)” and the guitar-led “Yoruba Girl”. Beyond the slippery ballads and midtempo tearjerkers on Koreday, the singer is intently focused on his journey and controlling his narrative as his heart-tugging Don Jazzy collab, “Minding My Business”, and the cathartic “Moving Mad” prove.