Sam Smith’s latest single ‘My Oasis’ featuring Nigerian artist Burna Boy stands by its title; it is the perfect representation of the emotional ‘oasis’ that is found in the wake of love. Sam Smith’s voice is one of the most impassioned in the industry — moody, light, yet aching with emotion.

They manage to fill this piece up with as much desperation and vulnerability as they have in previous compositions. What complements their voice is the instrumentation sounding off in the background; serene, thoughtful, and immensely complex, the solid percussion and the swift riff on the synth will send you to a calm and contemplative headspace. Smith’s vocal overlaps also help tremendously in strengthening the mood and hitting the listener with a number of sensations. 

Chief of which is a sense of painful longing, something Smith has touched upon time and again in their tunes. Many would consider them as yet another version of ‘Adele’ in the UK as they’ve got profound vocals to match the warmth of their production. This time around, the artist pairs up with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, who takes over the second verse with ease and aplomb. What’s particularly pleasant about Burna Boy’s verse is that his voice and style is drastically different than that of Smith’s. Together, their vocals form a wonderful contrast, with Smith bringing the passion and Burna Boy infusing the proceedings with his signature verve. 

But the biggest kudos must be given to the ones responsible for the production of ‘My Oasis’. It’s crisp, it’s striking, it really establishes an atmosphere appropriate for the subject matter. The synth keeps moving in the background with intent, grounding the piece with its mystical and dreamy spirit. There’s also occasional touches of the harp and the celesta that further heightens the magical poignance on display here. 

Speaking on the pandemic and how it’s helped him get his creative works in order, Burna Boy said, “The lockdown has given me so much appreciation towards things that I used to normally do and then almost get tired to do, because I did so much, you know, like touring. I’ll be indifferent homes, countries, overnight, every night. It kind of gets tiring but then times like this made me appreciate that and want to go back to touring.”

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Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.