Part of the Tobi Lou Troop
Might be a cohesive look at my obsession with Tobi Lou. It may not.
One of my favourite things to do is leave on “Autoplay” on Youtube whenever I’m listening to music. I’ve found some of my favourite songs and artists this way — especially through the Colors Channel. Of all the music I’ve come across, the most surprising and — life-changing as you’ll find out is this:
If anyone knows me (which you don’t .-.), you’ll know I love animation and illustrations of any kind. Though I do prefer it in short film formats mostly, I immediately recognized the Adventure Time style and I loved every second of this. My sister (a HUGE AT fan) also realized this was a remix of a song from the show which ++ points in my book. I remember watching this video an unhealthy amount of times before listening to the full version — and that’s when it happened.
For all the music I find on autoplay, I don’t often go deep into an artist’s backlog unless it’s playing next. But Tobi Lou was different! I went on to listen to Solange, TROOP, Just Keep Goin’, Game Ova, The Blue (an all-time fave), High Score, and Just Keep Goin’. Safe to say that to this day (and it’s been almost 7 months since I’ve discovered him) that I can’t help but blast his music daily, even as someone who gets tired of a song after 3 weeks.
This probably a good reason to tell you (hopefully without rambling) what I like about him. So, alas, in real blog fashion, here is a list!:
Aesthetics
From his album art to music video visuals you never lose the vibrancy that matches his music. While fun, the visuals always look intentional and the vibrancy (from the cover art) is extended to his videos and ultimately reflect his music well. Tobi’s love of nostalgia, cartoons and childhood as seen through his incorporation of animation and his animated alter-ego “Little Lou” is an artistic crossover that is relatable and digestible in this day and age of always “wanting to go back” and wanting a certain kind of freedom for yourself.
Even outside of music, Tobi stands out in a crowd. Whether it’s signature four-puff hairstyle or graphic-tees (most with his cartoons and face on them), his personality shines through on his Instagram.
“ Even the glittery plastic stars lou often wears at the corners of his eyes seem like remnants of a cartoon alter-ego transferred into the real world.”
- tobi lou: Live on Ice Review by Colin Lodewick
Even his interactions with his supporters show an authenticity that adds to his easy relatability.
“When Tobi Lou tells me that one day he dreams of having his own cartoon, it comes as little surprise. This is, after all, the Nigerian-born pop star who wears a shiny, holographic star under his right eye; who rocks purple, glitter-flecked shorts; who designs K-pop-inspired light sticks with his fans over Twitter. Tobi’s illustrated avatar, which graces his cover art and videos, is named “Little Lou.” He has a song named after Sailor Moon. He borrows unabashedly from the iconography of Graduation-era Kanye West, the playful sensibility of Korean pop groups, and the nostalgic haze of ’90s Nickelodeon cartoons. His musical and visual identity is a kaleidoscopic vision of everything he loves.”
Videos
This is just an excuse to put my favourite videos:
Music
I assure I am not a music review type of gal. I genuinely don’t think I have the prowess, or the vocabulary to accurately portray my true feelings towards art forms like music but here are some bits from a few reviews of Live On Ice:
“On his debut album Live on Ice, lou’s suspended reality manifests in songs about feeling caught in the middle: between youth and maturity, playfulness and sincerity, confidence and anxiety. He works from a toolkit of synthetic, ringing tones whose constancy counters the album’s unwieldy length. But across 21 tracks tinged with the diaristic influence of SoundCloud rap, his wavering sometimes devolves into ambivalence. When the occasional string swell or slow guitar strum emerges, the combination suggests pause music, the kind a video game avatar idles to while the player is away.”
- tobi lou: Live on Ice Review by Colin Lodewick
“The deeply-imaginative Tobi Lou is upon us with an extensive 21-song effort, which includes a surprise of a bonus cut at the very end. You can thank a recent awakening, as Tobi said himself in a press release (issued last week) — for the vulnerability that’s come upon him in recent months. Sure, Tobi Lou was never one to take the open road with overbearing guidelines. At 30 years of age, Tobi is deceivingly older than he appears at first sight. But that’s just it: his wiseness is enveloped in a series of punch love vignettes, in the mold of Joji, but far more rap-centric, and a whole lot more ethereal in focus. “
- Tobi Lou Opens Up His Dreambook On “Live on Ice” by Devin Ch
“After a busy 2018 where he released three projects at seven songs or less, Chicago rapper tobi lou stepped up in a big way to release a 21-track, 77-minute album Live On Ice.
Tobi lou brings the Chicago soul and swagger to this album. He switches flows periodically, mixing between earnest songwriting and some more up-tempo rapping that matches the bangers on this record. He dives into many of the issues that the modern youth of America grapple with like meaningless relationships, phone addiction and struggling with money. He addresses a modern, first world struggle, saying despondently on “Smiling On My Phone,” “I be spending too much time on my fucking phone.” If you are reading this on your phone, it is a problem starring you right in the face [cont’d]”
- TOBI LOU DROPS MOST EXPANSIVE AND DIVERSE PROJECT YET WITH ‘LIVE ON ICE’ by Ryan Middleton
Now! Was this a post to secretly convert you?
But! I hope you do give Tobi Lou a listen so we can be obsessed… together.
