If you haven’t heard of Bobby Nsenga, I apologise for gate keeping. You’ll understand why.
One evening in my university flat, I had sat down to light up, and chill out. My usual routine was to put on one of my jumbled Spotify playlists, and let myself immerse in a variety of sounds. Only this time, I had decided to venture out of routine and boy am I glad.
For this post, you’ll have to let me be dramatic. Music isn’t something I’ve ever taken lightly, and nor will that change. It’s the perfect remedy for anything life throws at you. Whether you’re down in the dumps, or on one of your best frequencies, there’ll always be a song to accompany you. The same rings true for a Bobby Nsenga playlist. Avid stans of Bobby can tell you that there is a playlist for every one of life’s moments. Without a doubt. So, discovering Bobby Nsenga was almost like finding a diamond in the recyclables. There’s not many that can curate a playlist with such ease and perfection like this. It took only a couple soundtracks and some incredible blends for me to fully realise what I had just unlocked.
One of my first thoughts upon finding this pioneer, was that we had to be apart of the same soul tribe. There was no way that every time he released a playlist, it was a spot-on match to whatever I was going through. I was in awe whenever I sat down to enjoy the vibes. His earlier playlists are more general titles of what the genre is. It was as he began to evolve, that his titles followed. “For Self-Care” is one of my top playlists. It starts off with “A Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James, and I can attest that this is the reason I play this song on repeat. Whenever I hear the smooth melody of Etta, I picture the calm vibes of Bobby sharing this playlist from his mysterious home.
As you may know, up until recently, Bobby was somewhat of a social media ghost. He shares every playlist with a video of him putting it together and vibing solo in his space. He might have coffee, or a water, but no matter what he is just exuding peace. His mysterious aura only added to the list of reasons as to why I like him. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to distract from the real reason he’s gracing us with his presence. The music. I appreciate this in a way. It gives ode to the fact that a lot of us listen to music as a sweet escape from time to time. We sit with our ears open to a range of sounds, and our eyes closed to the rest of the world. There’s a sweet serenity in just surrendering to the music and allowing the beat to take you to different places. Bobby perfectly captures this in the way he shows up on YouTube. He invites us into his space purely to share the music that he’s resonating with. He lets the playlists speak for themselves, and they always say the perfect amount. It’s the intimacy of communicating through the art of music that really sets him apart.
Admittedly, I wanted to gate-keep him forever. He was truly my hidden gem. There was always a playlist waiting for me whenever I had gone through something or wanted to set a tone for a moment. Industry artists have a lot to compete with when it comes to the reliability of a Bobby playlist. Eventually, the excitement took over me and I could no longer get away with just sharing still snippets of his playlists on my tv. I had to tell a friend. I’ll be honest, I had doubts but I’m never usually selfish when it comes to music. Music is my love language, and so I make it a point to share. But when I let the secret of Bobby slip, I immediately asked myself what I had done. Did I just give away one of my best secrets?
Thankfully, it was quite the opposite. Being able to share this fabulous discovery was freeing. As soon as I told my friend, she understood the vibes. We would go through several playlists whenever we linked up, and it was never a question. We’d begin every playlist with a head bop, and then we’d quiz each other on whether we knew some of the songs. Not only did we mutually vibe, but we also discovered a heap of new music together. One of us on shazam, and the other asking how could we not know this? Truly wholesome moments that came about because of a playlist genius. Bobby Nsenga does more than just share a playlist. He sets the stage for connections just as seamlessly as he connects the beats.
I’m sure this won’t be the last time I dedicate a piece to Bobby Nsenga, as we know he has just begun. From almost signature long locs, to an updated short do. Bobby has openly claimed a transformation that began with his hair. It seems symbolic in a way. The locs had assisted in allowing him to hide behind both them and the music. Seeing the switch up feels as though he is ready to be embraced for his talent and love for music in a true light. It gives me joy to see that he is finally sharing more of who he is, outside of his musical identity. The mystery is a brand, but I’m excited to get to know the man behind the music.
If you've been searching for a music refresher, I encourage you to check Bobby out. There's a variety of playlists and you're guaranteed to find more than what you were looking for. Just for the record, (catch my pun), you'll accidentally spend hours listening to these playlists. You can find Bobby Nsenga on both YouTube and Spotify, which is a blessing. I hope you enjoy his playlists as much as I have! I'm giving you a pass to gatekeep when you realise the magic, but don't forget to share the vibes after!
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