With his free-wheeling debut album from 2021, Hakuna Matata, Dotman takes a decisive move towards legacy-building after an excellent run in the second half of the 2010s as one of afropop’s emerging stars. On this album, he tempers his ability to create hits with a commitment to creating music to soundtrack all kinds of occasions. That gamble paid off throughout the album, as he sounded both familiar and refreshed, tunneling into feelings of desire, thanksgiving, and joy as he stepped away from his distinctive fervid tempo of street-pop sound.
Dotman continued in same experimental vein the next year, partnering with hit-making radio jockey and musician DJ Neptune on “Drunk In Love,” a dizzying statement of love defined by the agile flows that populated Hakuna Matata. Dotman blurred the boundary between street pop-powered feelings and pop extravaganza on “Say No More,” another duet with Peruzzi, as the singer informs his attraction that he’s down to satisfy all of her desires, no matter how impossible they may be.
Dotman’s latest track, “Sweet Melody,” is a full-throttle foray into the saccharic melodies that define the current afropop style. Dotman attributes his blessings to divine grace and hard labor, recounting aspects from his life with heightened precision. Nonetheless, the plot of “Sweet Melody” is about the benefits of living a fast life and enjoying the finest things in life while getting supernatural protection.
[embedded content]