Angelique Kidjo - Hope!!

On Hope!! (note the two exclamation points), Angélique Kidjo brandishes positivity like a sword, celebrating life's vibrancy through community and collaboration. After a spate of tribute albums and eclectic detours, the Beninese icon's 2022 collection, Mother Nature, felt like a sort of comeback album, and was justly greeted with critical praise and a Grammy Award. It boasted a healthy guest list of younger stars, mostly showcasing the African continent. Hope!! expands and amplifies this formula, leaning more heavily into global pop fusion with collaborations from around the world. 

Co-producer Pharrell Williams makes sure the American contingent is well-represented, pairing Kidjo with a multi-generational set of artists including Quavo and PJ Morton along with soul/R&B legends like Nile Rodgers and Charlie Wilson. On the other end are a host of high-profile Nigerian stars ranging from the album's other co-producer, Shizzi, to Davido, Diamond Platnumz, and the Cavemen. Add in Brazil's IZA, the Soweto Gospel Choir, and Frenchman Florent Pagny, and things can feel a little crowded, but for Kidjo, that's the point. Hope!! is a bustling party spilling out into the street, offering its invitation to anyone who passes by. Opener "Bando" exemplifies the album's pop-driven tone, bearing Williams' stamp and some nimble verses from Quavo. 

The defiant "Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back?)" with Ayra Starr is irresistibly rhythmic, a trait shared by many other danceable tracks like "No Stopping Us," "Oyaya," and "Nadi Balance." Of the 16 songs, only four lack a credited featured artist, the most poignant being "You Can," a stripped-down cut which serves as a reminder of Kidjo's inherent power to captivate. Hope!! may be bursting at the seams, but its communal power is also life-giving. AllMusicGuide