African Wine is an artist with a very diverse and versatile sound. Her music is a combination of R&B, Soul, Pop, and more. Being from South Africa, she also absorbed a huge variety of sounds and styles. Her most recent single, “When I Needed It,” written by Shirley Goines, is a good example of how all of those styles converge into her sound.
For this song, African Wine has teamed up again with songwriter, Shirley Goines to create a very heartfelt, yet broadly appealing track. The pair is no stranger to collaborating. This is the fourth song they created together, and it is clear by now that their chemistry is something quite special. Shirley excels at writing songs in a very vivid way, with lyrics that resonate with the listener and make it very easy for a singer, like African Wine, to internalize and feel those emotions to share with the listeners.
The R&B and Pop influences that make African Wine sound so distinctive are strong, but there is also an Afro-pop element, which adds a unique vibe to this track. Shirley is a gifted songwriter who is in tune with African Wine’s flow and particular vocal delivery. For this reason, the writing works similarly for the artist.
The song has a very immersive quality, with outstanding melodic elements in the arrangement and more importantly, African Wine’s stunning vocal performance. The song deals with the story of broken love when it is too late to rekindle the flame, no matter how hard you try. On the flip side, it’s also about the strength to move on and look forward in life because sometimes this is the only way. The lyrics are indeed incredibly easy to relate to, and Shirley is a great storyteller who knows how to express her music with feeling and passion each step of the way.
Quoting Shirley
“Sometimes the right thing can be said at the wrong time”
Find out more about African Wine and listen to “When I Needed It,” which will be available on all digital platforms on 5/3/2024.
