‘WDWHI’ — A New Single by Tunde Olaniran
What if Charli XCX collaborated with Robyn? What if Stevie Wonder collaborated with 100 Gecs? Somehow, Tunde Olaniran delivers a track that could only have been written in 2020 — with roots in Motown Soul, Swedish pop, and PC Music.
WDWHI is the first of four singles from Tunde’s forthcoming full-length album to be released during their Digital Artist Residency with UMS.
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WDWHI stands for the anthemic acronym (“WE DON’T WANNA HEAR IT”) in the hook. It was the first phrase Olaniran wrote while freestyling over the main chord progression in the track.
A song written about what he describes as “the seduction of relying on apathy and consumption as a response to what can feel like an overwhelming wave of personal life challenges and concern over local and global crises,” Tunde uses subtle, intimate vocals and lilting verse melodies to deliver eye-opening lyrics (“think you’re safer when you quiet and do your best/one emergency between you and homelessness”).
The lighter touch in the verse gives way to a boisterous and gleaming chorus, featuring aggressive synths that ricochet against a wall of vocal pop harmonies. Towards the end of the track, Tunde achieves his most hyperpop moment: “We wanted to really deconstruct the melody and drums and play in a new context without creating a completely new song.”
Celebrate the release of WDWHI with a special live stream conversation, POP BREAKDOWN, Friday, November 13 at 5:30 pm ET.
Join Tunde Olaniran, Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond), Siena Liggins, and Olly Alexander (Years & Years) for a talk about social, racial, and cultural intersections of pop music.
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Sign up for UMS’s Digital Presentations & Live Events email for a reminder and notifications of upcoming events.
