Odeal interview: ‘I can literally paint a picture in someone’s mind and let them think of what they want’

Frontline’s Blessing Borode speaks to British-Nigerian Alté star Odeal about the intention behind his creative process, the vivid images created in his songwriting, and how his understanding of music fans helps him to connect with each of them individually.

Over a bed of steady, self-produced Afroswing rhythms, enchanting melodies, and down-to-earth lyricism, Odeal’s vibrant individuality has allowed him to push a fresh sound he refers to as Alté R&B. Whether he’s depicting an intense love affair, or painting a picture of a woman who’s been driven over the edge by a man, the doors of interpretation are left slightly open for fans to decipher his art. It’s one of the reasons he’s been able to carve out a lane that’s likely to lead to stardom. 

Following the surprise double release of singles Karma and You Or Me, Odeal joins our zoomline, explaining that the intention behind the drop was to provide for his fans and to remain connected. ‘Usually as an artist grows, they may lose the connection with their core fanbase because they now have an audience that probably take a liking to a certain type of music… it’s just the music business’. 

Pulsing with supple harmonies and his signature smooth vocals, the bass-heavy tracks are the work of a self-assured artist. From his production skills – which pull from his Nigerian heritage – to his ability to piece together vivid narratives through his songwriting, Odeal tries to let his creativity speak for itself. When asked about the process behind each track, he expands on the dual personalities that appear. ‘Karma is actually me sober,’ he explains. ‘And You Or Me is me intoxicated, just saying what I feel to my love interest‘.

In the spirit of consistency, Karma and You Or Me were followed by the release of Mr Workerman – an Afropop track, produced by GG and YKKUB, which sees Odeal enveloped in infatuation. 

The South Londoner likes the idea of maintaining a level of mystery with his music, and it’s been a crucial part of his rise and has allowed room for a creative connection between him and his supporters. He elaborates, ‘I can literally paint a picture in someone’s mind and let them think of what they want’.

‘I normally get my supporters hit me up like “Was this song about this?”, or “Was it about this?”, or “Does it mean this?”… It’s like “Rah, how did you get there?” and imagine the inspiration it gives me’.

Growing up, there were moments in his early life – spent in Nigeria, Spain, Germany and the UK – that Odeal realised his connection to music was far deeper than his love for playful singalongs. Through his mother’s diverse collection of CDs, he unintentionally began rooting himself in sounds that would later influence his music. Names like the Nigerian Afro-pop duo P-Square, Timaya, 9ice and even Michael Jackson were part of his daily rotation. 

The influence of Nigerian music is ever-present in the Western world, but while the UK played catch up with the early Afrobeats finally making its way overseas, African artists were already experimenting with the possibilities of a new sound. On the cusp of the emergence of Afroswing, Odeal found himself right where it all began when he went back to Nigeria aged thirteen. ‘In the UK it was just grime, and the Afroswing culture hadn’t really kicked in. So, when I got to Nigeria, I was hearing fresh sounds that no one had even heard in Europe yet… it definitely gave me a head start’. 

Packing the inspirations soaked up in Nigeria in his back pocket for later use, his return to the UK is where his recording experience began, initially with Afroswing group TMG. Despite recording and releasing music on Soundcloud, Odeal felt the confines of a recording booth restricted him from uncovering the many layers of his sound. ‘I didn’t have enough time to really understand my sound and go into depth with the things I was doing,’ he shares. ‘There’s only so many times someone can press record and go again because you don’t like a take’.

His solution was to go back to basics, saving up from small shows every other weekend and a part time job, before rearranging his recording setup with just a laptop and Apple headphones. It was during this season of at-home studio recordings and dissecting the influences of UK music, that Odeal discovered his distinct fusion of Afro-R&B or alternative Afrobeats.

Describing his methods, he says ‘I trust my instincts enough to know that the first couple things I lay down is the mood, tone or the subject matter of what I should go for. I really just let the beat run and just start doing melodies on it, and then I put lyrics to it based on what I can hear myself saying and also what mood the beat has got me in. That’s how it starts’.

While balancing his studies, Odeal continued to push his pen to release tune after tune with a meticulous amount of attention paid to the quality and detail of his music. After he’d begun developing a strong catalogue of music, along came the tracks Vicious Cycle (Policeman) and Composure 2 in 2019. For some fans, these were the moments Odeal was placed under the spotlight. Incorporating a blend of dancehall melodies, he took those tracks on a test drive through overcrowded university raves, where he claims people weren’t wanting to ‘differentiate themselves with narratives and being deep’.

During early breakout moments, Odeal was called on by notable rappers like Abra Cadabra – who recruited him to feature on his the bedroom banger On & On – and Nines – who collaborated with Odeal and Headie One on his track Ringaling, which appears on his multidimensional album, Crabs In A Bucket.

Lending his seductive vocals and versatile songwriting abilities to be a part of some monumental moments in UK music, Odeal admits there’s a quiet doubt most creatives experience when entering new spaces, but his self-belief always trumps the uncertainty. ‘I feel like, with every feature, or at the start of working with people, the main thing is just believe in yourself and know that you being the way that you are is why they’ve come to you for this feature so just do your ting’.

While Odeal continues to create intimate narratives around experimental soundscapes, more and more people are paying attention to what the South Londoner has to offer, but after falling severely ill in November 2017, the possibility of his music not being heard gave him the motivation to shift his craft from a pastime to an absolute necessity. He then named his collective OVMBR, with an intention to release as much music as he could throughout the month.

Last year’s release OVMBR:Roses is a mature exploration of romanticism. Stylistic yet simple, the project sews together textures of old school soul, R&B and his refined take on the Alté genre. The eight-track EP includes arrestingly rich tracks like Benzimma, Drain Me, and the heavenly 24/48, where he dissects the fleeting moments of intense romance, deceit and betrayal. 

Over the years, OVMBR has grown to be a movement for a community, serving as an acronym for the phrase ‘Our Variances Make Us Bold and Relentless’. It’s a consistent reminder to lean into the things that set us apart as individuals – for Odeal it spans across his music, fashion and overall expression.

In the final moments of our conversation, he shares a vision of the spaces he wants to take his music, through his comprehension of various cultures. ‘I know where different people’s hearts lie with certain sounds, but I really want to make the connection between different worlds on a larger scale… especially with my music and doing music that people wouldn’t even think of’.

Words: Blessing Borode

Stream Karma and You or Me below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1LKp2QTO5E0oEAj6Y5FkcG?si=zVCYCG17S7Wthdu9rAEV5g&dl_branch=1