It’s clear Odeal has a lot to say right now. Back in July, the British-Nigerian musician ushered in summer properly when he dropped his acclaimed EP The Summer That Saved Me.
The seven-track, almost fully solo endeavor from the budding artist, revelled in, what Odeal refers to as more “selfish” feelings, while spanning the full sonic spectrum of R&B. As the cold front comes in, the musician is shedding his summer skin with The Summer That Saved Me‘s, alter ego, if you will. His new EP, The Fall That Saved Us, is sort of a follow-up to July’s EP, but more so, it’s an fully independent body of work, rooted in an entirely new range of cathartic feelings, anecdotes, and memories that come after the summer smoke clears.
“Our feelings and perspective can change quicker than seasons do,” he shared with Hypebeast. “Releasing in real time allows me to stay as connected to my audience as possible.”
The Fall That Saved Us takes a noticeably more introspective angle than its Lustropolis predecessor – the true-to-self narrative world Odeal has envisioned in which all of his projects exist. The EP title is also a double entendre – but I’ll let Odeal himself tell you the rest.
Just over 24 hours before the project dropped, he gave us a bit more inside intel on the inspirations behind The Fall That Saved Us. Read the full conversation below.
Elaina: How would you describe this EP in just one sentence?
Odeal: As we grow, we begin to understand the complexities of love and mirror them, and this world, Lustropolis, reflects those truths back at us in all their honesty.
Elaina: What about just three words?
Odeal: Honest. Introspective. Soulful
Elaina: The Fall That Saved Us has a more somber, vulnerable tone as opposed to The Summer That Saved Me – tell me more about the duality and juxtaposition between these two projects?
Odeal: The Summer That Saved Me was about rediscovery through movement and freedom; The Fall That Saved Us is what happens when the warmth fades and you’re forced to sit with the parts of yourself you avoided.
Elaina: Why was it important to release them so close to one another?
Odeal: Our feelings and perspective can change quicker than seasons do. Releasing in real time allows me to stay as connected to my audience as possible.
Elaina: Could you elaborate on the title, The Fall That Saved Us, and how that connects back to The Summer That Saved Me?
Odeal: A lot of the time, summers are selfish. It is a time for us to put ourselves first and have fun but when the smoke clears and days get shorter and it gets colder we find safety where love is, hence, “the Fall that saved us.” The fall that saved us is not just about the season; it is also about how we fall out of love as a result of falling into temptation or out of trust and back in love as a result of the scars that keep us together.
Elaina: Are there any key stories, moments, or points of inspiration that directly inspired the creation of this album?
Odeal: I’ll keep it simple. My life experiences and the life experiences of people I speak to.
Elaina: How did the creative process/ideation stage of the album look in comparison to The Summer That Saved Me?
Odeal: Living out the summer that saved me only brought out the topics that I touched on the ‘The fall that saved us’. The creative process was the same but the perspective was totally shifted.
Elaina: How does this project mark an evolution or a continuation of both your sound and narrative arc?
Odeal: I intend to grow emotionally and sonically along with my fanbase. I made the world of Lustropolis to bring awareness to the topics that we as young people don’t talk about, as it pertains to love and growing up. Each project I’ve made being tied to the entry or exit of Lustropolis, allows my listeners to visualise that growth in real time.
Elaina: How do you want people to listen to this album?
Odeal: Top to bottom, no skips.
Elaina: What do you want them to take away from it?
Odeal: There are so many different topics which are coded in beautiful melodies. I really want the listeners to find what speaks to them. Disclaimer: It may change with every listen.
Stream Odeal’s The Fall That Saved Us – out on all streaming platforms now.
