Toward the end of 2021, NorthSideBenji returned to solo releases with one of the most highly anticipated projects in the city’s history, The Extravagant Collection – and he overdelivered on our expectations. Leading up to that project’s release, he was actively collaborating with artists from the city, as well as internationally, and living up to his promises of releasing music more frequently.
In 2022 though, despite teasing that new music was coming, he was relatively quiet. That was until he dropped another highly anticipated banger, “One in The Chamber,” which featured UK and grime legend, Unknown T. The success of that single was followed up with another incredible release, but this time a solo track titled “Way Too Much Love.” So, although he didn’t release much last year, Benji still made sure his presence was felt. So much so actually, that he was an easy choice for one of our top Canadian artists of last year.
Right now, we’re in the middle of February 2023, and Benji seems to be gearing up for another exciting year. Only this time, it doesn’t feel like a comeback, it feels like a breakthrough.
He has been teasing a project called Misery Loves Company ever since the release of his last one, but out of no where last week, he dropped another bomb on us. Just a few days after announcing that he felt like he wanted to drop a short before his next full length one, Benji dropped visuals to the single “5am in London” before dropping the five-track EP that it would be on, titled Prophecy, later that night.
With this release, Benji has made it clear that he has definitely has a lot of good music ready for his fans. The Prophecy EP feels like an overflow of songs, that were necessary to make in order to get his next project ready, but still the project acts as an impressive addition to his catalogue.
In total, the new project has a run time of 11 and a half minutes, but still, that’s all Benji and the producers on the project need to fully absorb you into a sonic world that only Benji and these producers can create. The project doesn’t feel nearly as short as it is, and that’s because the music is so dense with high quality production, powerful and reflective lyrical content, and of course, the instinctively catchy melodies and flows that Benji has become known for.
All five tracks have distinct energies, which keeps things interesting and fresh throughout, but the project itself feels so cohesive that it can easily be enjoyed from top to bottom without feeling like one long song.
The project starts and ends with the slower and more emotive tracks “Green Light” and “Blue Jay,” while the three other tracks go up and then back down in between – with our favourite “Here We Go” feeling like the figurative and literal peak.
NorthSideBenji and his team have only provided fans with high quality music throughout his career, and this project is no different. If the upcoming Misery Loves Company is the meal that is meant to satisfy hungry and excited fans, then Prophecy is the appetizer that lets them know that things are only going to get better.
What are your thoughts on the project? And what do you hope to hear from Beji next? Let us know in comments and stay tuned for more new music and updates from NorthSideBenji.
