Once Queen Asabia Cropper decides to hang up her crown, Florence Adooni would be a worthy successor. This Ghanaian Fra Fra soul sensation has just released her international debut, A.O.E.I.U., which is poised to be the next big thing in highlife music. A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) celebrates the notion that uniting with others is anything but ordinary. Working with longtime collaborator and Philophon Records founder Max Weissenfeldt, they deliver seven tracks demonstrating both the singer’s bright vocals and her happiness and energy.

Backed by a young generation of talented highlife musicians from the southern Ghanaian region of Kumasi, this album infuses a fresh wave of creativity into the genre. These young artists, steeped in the rich cultural heritage of highlife music, are preserving its traditional essence and reimagining it with their unique, contemporary flair. 

The album begins with “Mam Pe’ela Su’ure”, which unites complex Kumasi highlife guitar instrumentals with energetic rhythms and marching brass sections. The title track stretches to ten minutes, weaving rhythmic chants and developing musical arrangements. The standout and synth-filled dance groove in “Vocalize My Luv” sounds as fresh as when it first dropped in 2020. Elsewhere, the funky Uh-Ah Song adds a different flavour to the overall sound palette.

The songs combine raw and celebratory Fra Fra rhythms with contemporary highlife elements to produce a positive musical journey. Adooni moves between genres with absolute ease while her vocal power remains uplifting and pleasant to the ear. Throughout the album, Weissenfeldt demonstrates his skills in compositions drawing from their union, which has spanned ten years. Through its vibrant charm and sincere roots, the music in A.O.E.I.U makes Adooni stand as a future worldwide star.