By Dennis Asiimwe
The fact that Sheebah has a song out there called YOLO seems somehow appropriate; few people live life as large as she seems to, truth be told.
And yet YOLO seems like a missed opportunity. It just doesn’t have the melodic zip or oomph of her usual songs, and while this song will get loads of airplay, it will be mostly because you can feel her energy coming through the song and dragging it over the finishing line.
And yet, despite the fact that Sheebah is singing about a world famous acronym that she captures easily with her vivacious lifestyle, YOLO doesn’t pack the same punch like the songs Nakyuka, Silwana or Boy Fire.
The song has the same lyrical poise as her usual singles, but just lacks the same melodic heights as her usual material. Because of this, YOLO is barely memorable
The team behind Sheebah seem to have a working formula: they always pick a song that can be worked into her somewhat limited vocal range. They pick a melody that is particularly memorable, and lyrics that she has the charisma to sell. They throw this combination at a competent producer, and voila – she’s got something solid ready for public consumption.
On YOLO, this approach is abandoned. The song has the same lyrical poise as her usual singles, but just lacks the same melodic heights as her usual material. Because of this, YOLO is barely memorable.
You get the feeling that the song was never really meant to be the stand-alone medium for appreciating this song, and indeed, you really get to feel the impact of the song once you watch its music video, where Sheebah is about as salacious as you would expect her to be when she is singing about Living Only Once.
I will be the first to admit she sizzles in this video, and I hasten to add, I am not complaining. YOLO doesn’t really work as a song, but it works perfectly as an entertainment product, which may explain why the song is so darned short, clocking in at two minutes 40 seconds.
