Bikôkô, with the help of Raül Refree and Sega Bodega, delves into jealousy and comparison in ‘JEALOUSY’, one of the singles from their latest EP, ‘A 1 IS BETTER THAN A 0’. The young Catalan artist mixes guitars, synths and detailed percussion to make another electronic R&B gem. It’s the Song of the Day.
Born in Barcelona and currently established in London, the singer and producer Neï Bikôkô has been breathing art all her life. His father is a Cameroonian musician, so R&B and African music run in the family. If you add elements of neo soul, hyperpop, electronica and jazz to this, the 22-year-old artist’s universe is complete.
She can do something Erykah Badu-esque to you as well as something closer to SZA, as she has already demonstrated in her work with the Cutemobb collective. ‘A 1 IS BETTER THAN A O’, situated somewhere between the sound universes of these two artists, follows the 2021 release of their debut, ‘Aura Aura’.
‘JEALOUSY’ has been produced in three parts over two years and draws on the artist’s own experiences. He says that the theme is about “excessive comparison” and how it can lead a person to “lose their sense of self and resent the world around them.” “I know she hasn’t done anything to me / But I hate her / I already hate her / Because of how my boyfriend looks at her,” she sings in the verses.
“Don’t feel bad if it happens to you / Just ask yourself: Why?” intones the Catalan in the last lines. The solution she proposes on the topic is to “reconnect with ourselves and our inner child” because although “it feels very real”, the feeling “only exists in our head.”
Bikôkô will present the EP live in Barcelona, Paris and London, on October 17, 24 and 30, respectively. As an international bet, it will be on November 4 at the Pitchfork music festival, also in Paris. Tickets are now available.
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