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‘You Can’t Fake an Experience’: Odeal Talks His New EP, Gatekeeping, and the Importance of Traveling [Exclusive]

Odeal speaks with Noisey about his latest EP ‘For a Good Time’, house music, the importance of traveling, and why he’s against gatekeeping.

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Traveling plays a key part in understanding Odeal and his approach as an artist. The Nigerian singer/songwriter was born in Germany and lived in Spain, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. He adds stamps to his passport at every possible opportunity. At every stop in his journey, he takes a crumb of its culture and appreciates its wholly distinct beauty.

In this sense, he’s music’s Anthony Bourdain. Odeal’s mission statement is to take in the culture of each destination he reaches and attempt to distill its essence in his art. “You can’t fake an experience, y’know what I mean? You were either there, or you weren’t there; you either get it or you don’t,” Odeal told Noisey.

“Traveling to different places allows me to connect with different people and cultures and understand where they’re coming from. Now when I’m making art, I’m making it from a place of my experience, and it doesn’t feel like a gimmick. It’s real, and it’s coming from a certain place. It also gives me confidence to know people understand you.”

This was the mindset on his latest EP For a Good Time. The record was made in the thick of winter for Westerners, but he went out of his way to pursue warmer climates. He describes how January is essentially summer in Nigeria due to its geographical location. Ditto for Brazil and Colombia. Records like “Bluey Vitton” and “Coming Home” were designed for sunsets painting our skin and warm, humid evenings filled with dancing and romance.

Odeal Dishes on His Latest EP ‘For a Good Time’

However, there’s an extremely fine line between........

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