Perth-based indie pop artist Timi Afilaka celebrates the bright side of life on “Chemistry,” a sun-soaked song brimming with infectious optimism and electric energy.
Stream: “Chemistry” – Timi Afilaka
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Life is a roller-coaster ride: It’s going to rock you and roll you, and sometimes the best you can do is to strap yourself in, close your eyes, and hold on tight. You’re going to rise up and you’re going to fall back down time and again – and while those lows can all too often feel discouraging and disenchanting, they shouldn’t keep us from seeing the good in every day. Perth-based indie pop artist Timi Afilaka celebrates the bright side of life on “Chemistry,” a sun-soaked song brimming with infectious optimism and electric energy.
I wanna get right down
And kick my feet up above the ground
I don’t get by, I live it like I should
It took a second look, only took a second look yeah
This ride is like a roller coaster
I fantasise, how you sh** your way up
Electric vibe, I only dream of bigger plans
I figured why, I like to kick it in the sand
Laid back, I feel the chemistry
Magnetic you keep on pulling me
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Chemisty,” Timi Afilaka’s first single of 2022. Following last year’s All These Colours EP and the standalone single “4 a Friend,” “Chemistry” marks a resounding return for the Johannesburg, South Africa-born, Perth-based multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter. Produced by Griggs (Internet Girl), “Chemistry” sees Afilaka reveling in a space full of irresistible passion, inspired confidence, and pure sonic warmth. “I wanna get right down and kick my feet up above the ground,” he sings from the start, his charismatic voice resting unapologetic atop cool synth chords, fat bass notes, and the hard slap of in-your-face drums.
The song’s chorus is a space of unadulterated celebration in and for the moment: “Laid back, I feel the chemistry, magnetic you keep on pulling me,” Afilaka repeats, each time a little bit stronger than the last. It’s an invitation for us to pause our daily grinds and step out of whatever fog we might currently be under; at the risk of sounding extraordinarily hyperbolic, Afilaka’s music breaks through the clouds and shines a ray of light on our days.
Read between the lines
But you won’t play it by the book
Ooh you got me hooked
I think about the way
I mix things up
The thing you used to say
You said it’s never too much
Positive you see, enough for me to relax
Negativity, back then I had better luck
Polarity, I’m taking off of a cliff
You make it look easy
I’ve buckled my seat
We’re always where we should be and
“I wrote this song with my good friend, Griggs, the same week we met for the first time,” the artist tells Atwood Magazine. “He is the producer, mixer, and mastering engineer behind this track. We hit it off on Instagram and collaborated on a few songs prior to this meet-up. He was living in Cape Town, and I was living in Johannesburg. We eventually planned to meet up in person; he took a flight to Johannesburg and stayed at my place for a week.”
“We made a song for five days out of that week, and ‘Chemistry’ is one of my favourite songs that came out of it. While Griggs was producing the instrumental, I began writing the lyrics. The song is essentially about embracing the good and bad moments in life but keeping an optimistic mindset through it all. I didn’t think about it that way, but subconsciously I called it ‘Chemistry’ because that’s exactly what Griggs and I had.”
This ride is like a roller coaster
I fantasise, how you shit your way up
Electric vibe, I only dream of bigger plans
I figured why, I like to kick it in the sand
Together, Afilaka and Griggs have delivered a reason for all to smile. Whatever time of year you find yourself in, this song effortlessly channels those intoxicating summer vibes that energize and invigorate us: They remind us why we keep trying every day, why we keep pushing ourselves, and why we keep giving our all to this thing called life.
“Electric word, life,” a legend one said. “It means forever, and that’s a mighty long time…“
Stream “Chemistry” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
Laid back, I feel the chemistry
Magnetic you keep on pulling me
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Stream: “Chemistry” – Timi Afilaka
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