NW3

The end of my 2018, and the start of my 2019, was soundtracked by one project. It was raucous and gentle, freewheeling and well-presented, catchy and authentic. Bakar’s Badkid, his breakthrough mixtape, was a genreless speedwalk through Camden High Street. A subsequent EP and a recent string of singles then painted Bakar into the world of Rick Rubin studio sessions and Louis Vuitton runways. Now gearing up to release his debut album, Nobody’s Home, Bakar shares the third single NW3.

The song longs after two things - a person and a postcode. Bakar’s mindset seems to be on making himself and his significant other comfortable - cooking for them, teaching each other things, moving in together. It almost seems this new place - a new home - is a fresh start for the both of them. The ‘place’ is often internal, too - ‘think I found a place for you too, think I found a place for your mood swings’. Maybe it’s a remedy to relationship problems, or a plea to attempt to recreate the vision in the North London singer’s head.

The song’s arranged beautifully, swinging back and forth and sticking to Bakar’s honeyed melodies. Producer Zach Nahome keeps it simple and dynamic, giving Bakar space to create an earworm reminiscent of what can be found on Badkid. It feels closer to this older work, but with the sheen of production which brought Hell N Back to life. Like a Sunday afternoon gig in a pub garden, but with the best sound system and light show you’ve ever seen.