“The Fool” is the latest affirmation of a step into new territory from the London-based singer-songwriter Steven Bamidele, a shining, jazz edge of a collaboration with the New York architect Sly5thAve. It’s the type of track that sneaks up on you, full of introspection and thoroughness while somehow delivering a universal message that reaches straight to the nucleus of your heart.
This is Bamidele’s first single of the year, and, strikingly, his first collaboration with Sly5thAve, a producer well-known for crafting genre-blurring soundscapes. They’ve created a track that sounds good and necessary. “The Fool” examines the emotional toll of pursuing ambition at the expense of connection. Bamidele conjures the image of a person who has finally made it, except when they look around, no one is still there to share the moment. The track seems to whisper with each chord change and judiciously placed lyric.
The track is a tightrope, warm, atmospheric, and beautifully haunting. Dave Bryce, who co-wrote and produced it, contributes his touch on the piano, providing an easy, near-meditative undercurrent. Ollie Foreman’s drums are understated and expressive, and James Smyth, a longtime friend of Bamidele, adds grounding depth with his bass.
Bamidele himself concedes that the song was not an easy birth. “The Fool” had so many different versions, and it just sat there wrong for a long time. The sections and major changes were all conflicting at one stage, but it felt like a breakthrough in the end.
“The Fool” comes off as a quiet triumph, the sound of an artist knowing that art takes time and coming out the other end with something deeply personal and widely relatable. It’s not a cry for help but a contemplative shrug at the emotional toll of ambition. With “The Fool,” Steven Bamidele is holding a mirror up to those who have ever gotten to the top and wondered whether it’s worth it when you enjoy it alone.
Follow Steven Bamidele on Spotify
Follow Sly5thAve on Spotify
