boyBlandi – Collect

Collect is one of those words that carries different weight depending on who says it. To a landlord it means rent. To a friend it means that money you lent last year. To a lover it can mean take your portion of the affection and keep quiet. In Nigeria, “collect” is also a word of challenge, as in come and collect it if you think you can. That range is what makes the title interesting, because one word can lead to a love story, a hustle story or a boast.

That is the first thing worth noticing about the record. A title this short leaves the listener to fill in the situation, and every person will fill it in with their own life. Someone who just got paid will hear one thing, while someone owed money will hear something else entirely. The writer of the song may have a clear meaning in mind, but the word is wide enough to hold many.

There is also something typically Nigerian about building a whole song around a single everyday word. Our conversations are full of short commands and instant replies, and the best records often come from those exact moments, the kind of line you hear at a bus stop or in a shop and carry around for days. If you were to ask ten people what they think of when they see Collect on a tracklist, you would probably get ten different answers, and that is a good sign for any title.

For anyone who has ever been told to take what belongs to them, whether it was a debt, a reward or a lesson, this one speaks a familiar language. It is the sort of record you can place at a hangout, in traffic or on a quiet evening when your mind is on what you are owed.

Listen, download and share your thoughts in the comments.