The NATIVE Sound System album is yet another way for us to recognize and champion the sounds of this side to the rest of the globe. This CD was created and produced in accordance with the meteorological and cultural seasons in our hometown of Lagos, Nigeria. It depicts the sounds that define a regular year in Nigeria. From the murky Hip-Hop beats that keep us energized during the rainy season to the Amapiano bangers that keep us going throughout the festive season; from the breezy bounces that accompany us on boat journeys to the beach to the dry season's interim pause. Seasons are characterized by climatic trends in meteorology. Seasons in our planet are determined by The SOUND.
The rainy season track "Runaway" began as a ballad by Lojay, weaved together in London, before passing through the hands of New World Ray and Sholz (Cordae, Kaycyy Pluto), before landing in Lagos, where Ayra Starr laid down her vocals. After extra tweaks from producers Lido (Chance The Rapper, Ariana Grande) and Adey, "Runaway" emerges as the lead single off this long-awaited debut release, more than a year after it was completed (Tems, Tiwa Savage).
Dafe Oboro of Black Is King directed the music video for "Runaway." The "Runaway" graphics are an aesthetic portrayal of the ardent and turbulent love tale described by Ayra Starr and Lojay on the record, created in collaboration with Bottega Venetta and including the work of African designers such as Kenneth Ize. "Runaway" strikes the perfect balance between the familiar and the new, combining two of 2021's most prolific breakout Afropop artists in what will be their first ever collaboration. The track marries two well-known artists in a pioneering sound that crosses Pop and Alternative tastes like never before heard, much as the video aligns the worlds of these separated childhood lovers.
