Terri’s ‘In Transit’ is not a spectacular project [Pulse Album Review]

This follows his debut project, ‘Afro Series,’ which was released two years ago. Terri, a Lagos-born Edo state indigene, signed with Wizkid’s Starboy Records in 2018. Before finally meeting Wizkid, he had a meeting with Mut4y, Starboy’s head of music and one-half of Legendury Beatz.

Terri collaborated with Wizkid, Ceeza Milli, and Spotless for the global hit single ‘Soco‘ shortly after joining Starboy, just before his debut single ‘Bia‘ was released on August 31, 2018. ‘Bia‘ is a catchy mid-tempo afro-pop melody. It is one of the best debut singles in Nigerian music, with soulful melodies and relatable lyrics.

Two years later, he released ‘Afro Series,’ a seven-track debut extended play. The project resulted in ‘Ojoro,’ one of his hit songs, and ‘Kill Man,’ a slightly disappointing record that fell short of commercial expectations.

Since ‘Afro Series,’ Terri has released three singles including ‘Come Around,’ ‘Money,‘ which featured Bella Shmurda and Mohbad, and ‘Danger,’ the only single from his sophomore project. While we believe Terri has parted ways with Starboy because his last three singles, including the ‘In Transit’ EP, were all released under Terri/ONErpm, we have been informed that he still has a deal with Starboy records.

Terri enlisted the help of Mugeez, a Ghanaian singer and half of the R2Bees, for ‘In Transit.’ The six tracks project is a body of work that showcases Terri’s development as he continues his ascension to the top.

‘In Transit’ and its concept

Terri is fully aware, based on the EP’s title, that he is still not where most people want him to be. Terri should be far ahead of where he is at this point in his career as an artist discovered and nurtured by one of Africa’s most decorated artists. He is aware of this and has taken care not to let the pressure get to him. It’s no surprise he avoided a project with a lot of stars, as he continues to demonstrate his talent and versatility. ‘In Transit’ is simply his way of acknowledging that he is still on his way to the top.

Also, the project exposed he is yet to find his distinct sound. Most tracks in the projects sounds like a Wizkid record. ‘Wanna Know’ for example isn’t dissimilar to the records on Starboy’s ‘Soundman’.

Comparing ‘In Transit’ with ‘Afro Series’

Even though two projects are not meant to sound alike or have the same theme, we expect something better from his previous project. Terri’s talent is undeniable, but the selection of songs on the ‘In Transit’ EP is disappointing. Some of these songs should not have been included in this project, not because they are bad, but because Terri should have progressed beyond some of these sounds. ‘Afro Series’ was not a perfect project, but it had more solid records than ‘In Transit.’

The album sequencing is also subpar. It is professional to place the best records within the project rather than at the edges. This is most likely one of the reasons ‘Kill Man’ from his ‘Afro Series’ failed to live up to its full potential. ‘In Transit’ ran into similar problems. Songs like ‘Danger,’ ‘Chargie,’ and ‘No Lie’ should not be pushed to the margins of this project. This is simple; most people will stop listening to this project after track 3 or 4. These should have been the strongest records, like the foundation of the project, to keep the marathon running and bounce rates low.

Themes, Songwriting and Delivery: 1.2/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.0/2