Sam Xhri6: “Close To You” – a lush and layered record with a strong dancehall flavor
Samson Adebalogun popularly known by his stage name Sam Xhri6 (pronounced as Sam Chris) is a Pop and RnB singer, a songwriter and guitar player from West Africa (Nigeria). Sam is a fast rising talent who has received numerous accolades and has enjoyed a series of collaborations with some of Nigeria’s top artists. He achieved international recognition on releasing the track “Telephone” featuring American Rap act H.I.M. Sam Xhri6’s powers are on full display on his latest single “Close To You”.
There are only so many contemporary male performers who still confidently exhort: “You’re on my mind all day, you’re on my mind all night”, to the girls they love. As most modern urban artists are so stuck in their misogynist and hedonistic ways to even care.
That track might be the crown jewel of Sam Xhri6’s pop catalog – a lush and layered record with a strong dancehall flavor. It’s his ode to a woman he cares for dearly and wants to be close to. The various soft pillowy synths, shimmering piano plunks, and Sam’s lower register in the verses and melodious higher tones in the chorus all cohere into a song of seduction that straddles both devotion and confidence, capturing the track’s tight songwriting. At the same time, Sam’s crystalline enunciation will keep you looped in and listening.
“Close To You”, standing at a frills-free three minutes and thirty-nine seconds, is rigorously constructed and produced to one end: putting Sam Xhri6 in the spotlight. The vocalist stands front and center, whether supported by the enthusiastic chorus of backing vocals and punctuating ad libs, or the snappy percussion and hypnotic rhythm.
This carefully set stage would have been fruitless without a skilled performer to fill the space, and Sam is up to the challenge. He’s got the pipes and he’s willing to push his vocal nuances to capture the gist of the track.
The song’s warm, laid-back vibe feels like exactly what we need during a time when everything in the country feels scary and seriously confusing. Our world full of anxiety and stress and debate can be exhausting — and sometimes, at the end of the day, all you want to do is turn on a song that makes you feel good, and maybe puts you in a carefree dancing mood.
“Close To You” easily fits that playlist. It’s a resurgence of the kind of music we don’t get enough of anymore. The type of seductive songwriting that’s quickly becoming a lost art.
Obviously, “Close To You” tips its cap to its musical forefathers, but make no mistake – this isn’t some kind of stroll down memory lane. Instead, it’s catchy template that features elements of infectious past hits to reshape current pop and dancehall. It’s one of the few times where looking back actually moves you forward.
And “Close To You” puts Sam Xhri6 light-years ahead of the pack. Sam is using his skill to promote a feel-good brand of music that not only gets asses out of seats and on to the dance floor but it also offers something deeper than that.
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