Tresor
VII (Sony Music)
Breakdown: Tresor didn’t have it easy growing up. He lost both his parents at an early age in his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo and arrived in South Africa seven years ago in search of a better life. After working as a car guard in Durban, the singer was noticed by Sony Music and signed a deal with them. His single ‘Mount Everest’, featuring rapper AKA, became a huge hit locally and internationally. This saw him get signed to one of the biggest dance labels in the world – Ultra Music. Now, the singer has dropped his debut album ‘VII’.
How Many Good Tracks: 14 of the 17.
What I Liked: This is what I expect from a pop album. Tresor talks to his audience on this record with a perfect mixture of catchy bangers and beautiful ballads. The album is of international standard from the lyrical content to the production, the arrangements and the vocals – something that many local artists fail accomplish on their debut record. The singer also teamed up with some of Mzansi’s greatest musicians at the moment – AKA, Beatenberg, Khuli Chana and The Soil. Each artist brings out a different side of Tresor and it’s so beautiful seeing how the singer adapts to certain sounds and voices. “I have poured my whole heart and soul in this record. It’s my gold and I truly hope that whoever listens to it finds their piece of gold in it too,” Tresor said recently – and I can’t agree more. ‘VII’ is one of the best local albums of 2015.
What I Didn’t Like: There is not much on this record that disappoints. Tresor, however, can work a little harder on his pronounciation for the next record.
Best Track: Beat The Dust
Rating: 4.5/5
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