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Asake Plays It Safe on New M$NEY Album, Critics Say

July 1, 2026 By BeatzHive Editorial 3 min read

Asake Delivers a Comfortable but Creatively Cautious Fourth Album With M$NEY

Nigerian Afropop star Asake has released M$NEY, his fourth studio album and his debut project under his own independent imprint, Giran Republic. The project arrives at a pivotal moment in the artist’s career — one that critics suggest marks a shift from hungry ascent to settled consolidation. Reviews of the album indicate that while the music is competent and at times engaging, it rarely pushes beyond the boundaries Asake has already drawn for himself.

A Star Coasting on Familiar Ground

Since emerging through Olamide’s YBNL platform in 2022, Asake has moved with remarkable speed, releasing three albums — Mr. Money With The Vibe, Work of Art, and Lungu Boy — that collectively helped steer the current wave of Afropop. His signature blend of Fuji-influenced textures, log drum-driven production, streetwise wordplay, and gospel-tinged choral hooks carved out a lane that felt distinctly his own. That identity, however, is precisely what M$NEY leans on most heavily, rather than expanding it.

The pre-release campaign reportedly suggested something bolder was coming. A visual rollout featuring new hairstyles and military-inspired aesthetics, a track titled “Military,” collaborations including “Badman Gangster” with Tiakola, and a high-profile live performance of “Worship” alongside DJ Snake all pointed toward reinvention. The finished album, according to reviews, does not fully deliver on that promise.

Highs, Lows, and a Recurring Weakness

The album opens with an intro built on isiZulu-inspired chants and layered atmospheric vocals — a sequence that reaches for something transcendent but reportedly lands as more ceremonial than captivating. That devotional tone carries into “Worship,” where Asake’s familiar gratitude-driven themes resurface, anchored by the repeated refrain Alhamdulillah. “Gratitude,” another log-drum-led track, extends that spiritual thread and is noted as one of the moments where Asake sounds most genuinely connected.

The album reportedly finds its most sonically alive moments when it ventures into amapiano territory. “Rora,” produced by Magicsticks, is described as fluid and textured, with shakers, saxophone passages, and an electronic pulse making it one of the project’s standout productions — though critics note the songwriting does not quite match the arrangement’s ambition. “Amen” follows a similar path, its lyrics circling themes of money and focus in ways that feel direct but occasionally thin.

Mid-album cuts “Wa” and “MCBH” (short for “Money Can’t Buy Happiness”) are singled out as stronger moments, with the latter reportedly recapturing the elastic cadences, natural slang, and effortless hooks that made earlier Asake material so compelling. Overall, reviews suggest that M$NEY is the work of an artist who has mastered his own formula — but who has not yet decided what comes after it.

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