Akwaboah’s new album is out, and he is telling fans exactly what it means. The Akwaboah Spirit album arrived on Wednesday, and in the early hours he posted videos for its first four songs on his YouTube channel, each with a short note explaining the track.
He calls Spirit his fifth musical project and describes it as “an intimate reflection of an artist navigating life’s crossroads, seeking purpose, and asking a higher authority for direction”. It is also a tribute to his father, the highlife musician Kwadwo Akwaboah, and to his grandfather, and to “the authentic highlife tradition they helped establish”.
Akwaboah’s Spirit album: the songs and the guests
Seven songs carry a guest, which Akwaboah says represents “the diversity and creative energy of Ghana’s music industry”. The gospel singer Minister OJ joins him on the title track, which opens the record.
“Man No Be God” follows, with no guest.
The third track, “Mmoa”, features Fameye. “Mmoa means ‘Help’, and the word itself captures an important human experience,” Akwaboah wrote. “Sometimes, strength lies not in pretending to have everything figured out but in acknowledging that we need others and God’s guidance.” He picked Fameye, he said, for “his ability to connect with listeners through relatable storytelling”.
Wendy Shay appears on “Me Pe”, and he says she “brings her distinctive energy” to the song.
The other guests are Efya, who sings on “Lonely”, Cina Soul on “Officially Yours” and Lyrical Joe on “Cuddle”.
Two singles that were already out
Fans have had two of the songs for months. “Work Before You Marry”, released in July with a message advising young people to work before they marry, has passed 350,000 views on YouTube.
“Odo Ankasa”, his October reunion with Kwesi Arthur, closes the album.
Akwaboah built his name as a writer before he was a star, winning Songwriter of the Year at the 2010 Ghana Music Awards for Becca’s “Daa Ke Daa” and later co-writing much of Sarkodie’s album Mary. Spirit is his first album since Lighthouse in 2023. Earlier this week he unveiled the cover and tracklist: Akwaboah announces “Spirit”, an album for his father and grandfather.
