Since he caught mainstream attention with his Ayra Starr-featuring 2022 hit “Love Don’t Cost a Dime (Re-Up)”, Magixx has elevated his inquiries into the configurations of modern romance and dating into something of an art form while establishing himself as one of Nigeria’s most well-regarded stars. But on his debut album, I Dream in Color, the singer mostly sidesteps those matters of the heart for an unvarnished glimpse into the uneven terrain of his life. “There have been ups and there have been downs, but I feel like the downs make you realise your purpose,” he tells Apple Music. “My own life is just one entity and I’ve been able to convert these experiences that I’ve been through into music.”
Primarily inspired by familial intrigue, paranoia induced by the looming spectre of betrayal, and an abiding search for wonder, I Dream in Color unfurls like an attestation to Magixx’s resilience as much as it is a summons for his listeners to never give in. “I want this album to be remembered as something that helped people through the course of their lives,” he says. “Something that gave people hope, something that changed people’s lives, something that made people go on in life and become something. I want them to look back at everything and be like, ‘Damn, this album is a testament.’ For me, it’s a testament to preaching positivity.”
Across the 13 songs of I Dream in Color, the singer (born Alexander Adelabu) stitches experiences together with the skilled precision of a collagist. “I made the album intending to make it sound the way it does,” he explains. “Every song on the album was intentional. I Dream in Color simply means I dream big. It means the things that I want for myself: the greater lights, the stadiums, the accolades, the reach, the global domination, everything, I see it and I’m coming for everything.” Read on, as Magixx talks us through key tracks from I Dream in Color.
“Consistency”
“Consistency is common amongst the winners. Everyone [who] has won, everybody that’s up there, there’s one thing they have in common and that is consistency. I believe that’s one thing I’ve always held onto and it has got me this far. When I was making the song, I was talking about my life, how I’ve been down and how I’ve been blessed too. I talked about my mom because the song was also partially inspired by my mom. So it’s a touching record and it’s a story of my life. It was produced by Sparrq.”
“Ori Mi”
“‘Ori Mi’ is the last song that was recorded on the album. I was just feeling prayerful and I was feeling good about the future. It’s also just normal Lagos boy talk where money is so important to everything that we’re doing. In the song, I’m just praying that my destiny or my head attracts more money, because I can’t say I’ve not been blessed, in my way or in God’s way of blessing me. I just felt like putting out a song for the hustlers, people who are actually on the grind, and people who want to win. That’s what the song is for.”
“With You”
“‘With You’ is a classic. It is one of those songs that when I recorded it, I kept playing the song almost every day for a straight year. It’s a special song to me. I also made the song about two years ago and it’s a beautiful song. It translates what I was going through at that time with a particular person—I was the one that was not serious. I just made it seem as if she was about to lose me based on my challenges, how toxic my life is, and how busy my life can get. But the story of the song is how much we can like somebody and we still have doubts of where it’s going but, at the end of the day, you genuinely really like that person.”
“Alchl”
“‘Alchl’ captures the feeling of rejection. We always have that fear of people using us. Ever since I got fame, some of the thoughts in my head, when I meet a girl, is that if I never had this, would you still be here for me? It applies to friendship, it applies to so many things as well, and that’s what inspired ‘Alchl’. During that time, I was going through a rough patch with family members and a few friends so it all came together for the song.”
“OKAY”
“‘OKAY’ is very much me talking about my life. This album is personal. Everything on the album is directed towards my struggle as a person and as a human being. It was also inspired by my mom, largely, because I also spoke about family resting on my shoulder. It’s a lot. It is almost unbearable. The experiences that we go through are a lot. Once you get in this position, everybody wants to get you to do something for them, and if you don’t do it for them, you’re a bad person. They just go on with their life, telling people crazy things about you. They don’t even know if you have the money to help them or support them. So people just come up with different agendas against you.”
“Eleven”
“The premise of the song is simple: it’s about the day you reach point A, and you feel like, ‘Is point B ever going to be attainable? Is it going to work? Is it going to happen?’ But I’ve come this far not to come this far and this song is an affirmation of that. When I finished school, I used to have anxiety. I used to have panic attacks about what was going to happen next for me. At some point, it felt almost like it was not going to happen, and then all of a sudden one night, I got a text. Although I was working through it, it was not as if I was just sitting down. I was posting a lot of videos. I was going to people. I was telling people about my music. I told my dad I was not going to do NYSC [the national year of service required of Nigerian youth] because I needed to chase my dream. I remember being sick in 2020, and whenever I woke up from the bed, I felt like I wanted to fall. That’s how crazy I was going through it. Then it happened for me, it just happened and that’s the inspiration for this song. I believe that a person who gets to point 10 will eventually get to point 11 if you keep going and keep believing.”
“Sexy Lady”
“‘Sexy Lady’ is a classic, man. I think people are going to love this one because it’s a retro sound that comes from back in the day. I’m talking back to the 2007 and 2008 classic kind of sound. It’s also something that you gyrate to. It’s just a feel-good record that we put in the project for people to enjoy themselves and have a good time with. I was talking about how this girl just plays hard to get, but they still want you at the end of the day. They’ll do those initial games, but they want you.”
“Konibaje”
“‘Konibaje’ means that ‘it shall be well’. When I made the song, I was in a dark place. I was going through it and the song was just my escape. It was my way of expressing that it shall be well. I wanted to remind myself that no matter what I was going through in my journey as a person, it would be well. I know this sounds selfish, but I still feel like there’s a vacuum in my chest that is so large, and I just wanted to pour some positivity into it. Life is a journey and I would not let anything mess with my energy. I believe that as long as my energy is up, it shall be well.”
“Voices”
“‘Voices’ is inspired by one time I went to my family meeting, and they were talking mad about me in my presence. They kept saying that I didn’t give money to anybody, that I’ve not been supporting anybody, that I’ve been trying to cut people off in the family. I’m like, ‘What are you people talking about?’ I had to show people that, ‘Look, I’m talking to your son, I’m talking to your daughter, and I’m talking to even you that’s saying I’ve not reached out to you.’ I sent money to every one of my family members that December, [so] going back home to see that, I felt bad. I also incorporated the fact that the people who are closest to me are the ones who are the quickest to switch up. It happens especially when people don’t have access to you daily, they start to make up or cook up stories about you. It was also inspired by my childhood friend. We had some disputes and it was also around that period. So, all of those emotions went into the song.
