Born in Africa’s Ivory Coast before coming to the U.S. with his mom at the age of five, snny has announced his new Otitọ EP due out May 8. With pulsing synths, deliciously rubbery production touches, and snny’s elegant and elastic R&B vocals anchoring everything around him, the collection pushes the boundaries of modern pop music while exploring universal themes of love, family, and identity—a balm for the soul as well as body-moving music that’s perfectly and equally suited for raucous parties and moments of deep introspection.
Otitọ is a bold new leap for the 29-year-old musician, embracing his origins as well as the journey he’s made to date. The propulsive drums of lead single “Somewhere in Brooklyn” represent snny’s desire to, in his words, “Make a sad song that people could dance to. It’s about a summer fling coming to an end. There’s a sense of freedom that comes with heartbreak, but it’s wrapped up in nostalgia.” That nostalgic element is cinematically displayed with the “Somewhere in Brooklyn” lyric video released today. “This lyric video is comprised of archival IPhone + super 8 footage from friends and me,” shares Sunny. “An homage to all the moments, places, and people we miss and love.”
It’s that sense of looking forward while recalling your past—of pursuing your passions regardless of what the world looks like or has in store for you—that streaks Otitọ’s melodic, emotive framework. “I want people to listen to something that I create and feel they can create something too, no matter what world they’re in,” snny explains. “Especially kids that are immigrants and feel marginalized. For me, to try to empower kids in any sense is important.”
As he dove into the arts, his mother encouraged him to move forward with creative writing and his artistic side in general—an essential source of support early in his career: “A lot of African and immigrant families don’t push you to pursue something creative, because they want you to focus on a more reliable career path due to the sacrifices they’ve made—but she did, which was really cool.” A musically omnivorous spirit, snny’s influences range from the full-throated new wave of Future Islands and Kid Cudi to Sam Cooke, Jimi Hendrix, and Erykah Badu—but above else, the work of Bob Dylan stands as a substantial wealth of inspiration.