Fally Ipupa – Alikey

Congolese rumba star Fally Ipupa drops a new cut from the third disk of his huge “XX: Délirium” project with “Alikey.” This one only adds to the overwhelming enormity of what is already a 51-track project.

Fally’s been working on this triple album since the release of “Formule 7” in 2022 and the breadth of it really begins to reveal itself by the time you reach disk three.

“Alikey” continues that diversity with romance, sadness, celebration and introspection experienced throughout the project. To tackle this much material on one release shows true ambition and this track is just another piece of that puzzle.”

The production is in his wheelhouse, expressive rumba Instrumentation that leaves room for his voice to take the lead. No matter where you are on the tracklist, there’s nothing here that feels like filler.

Fally is in top form with his typical smooth seasoned delivery, that same distinctive tone that has carried him through albums since “Droit Chemin.” His vocals are strong throughout, comfortable in whatever mood this particular cut asks for. He sounds totally interested even thus far into a large undertaking, not just going through the motions.

There isn’t a lot of detail out yet on what exactly “Alikey” is about lyrically, but knowing Fally’s catalog it probably hits on the same emotional territory running through the rest of disk three. He rarely phones it in, even on tracks that may get lost in a tracklist this long.

“Alikey” works because it stands alone within a truly huge body of work. It doesn’t feel like a throwaway clip.