Mádé Kuti Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?
Mádé Kuti's Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From? announces a confident, modernized turn for an artist deeply rooted in family lineage, pairing personal vulnerability with kinetic afrobeat arrangements. Critics point to an 80/100 consensus score across 2 professional reviews as evidence that the record successfully balances tradition and experiment, even when dense production occasionally crowds the vocal center.
Reviewers consistently praise standout tracks as the emotional and musical backbone of the collection: “Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out” opens with futuristic synths and racing beats, “After The Tears Flow” closes with a hopeful uplift, and the seven-and-a-half-minute “I Won't Run Away” is singled out as a masterclass in modern afrobeat. Other moments such as “Pray” and “Won Na Pa” earn praise for bold instrumentation, while critics note that layered arrangements sometimes verge on clutter.
Across professional reviews the dominant themes are clear - modern fusion, social consciousness and community-minded protest, and a conscious dialogue with afrobeat tradition and family legacy. The consensus suggests Chapter 1 is a stirring, occasionally imperfect statement that positions Mádé Kuti as a vital torchbearer, offering enough standout moments to make the album worth seeking out for fans of inventive, politically aware afrobeat.
Below, the full reviews expand on where the record shines and where restraint might have sharpened its impact.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
After The Tears Flow
2 mentions
"“After the Tears Flow” ends the album on an invigorating note, packing horn, string, and synth solos tight"— PopMatters
Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out
2 mentions
"Opening track “Take It All in Before the Lights Go Out” winds up with a silvery blast of futuristic synths"— PopMatters
I Won't Run Away
2 mentions
"On tracks like “Find My Way” and “I Won’t Run Away”, his voice and saxophone work in tandem"— PopMatters
“After the Tears Flow” ends the album on an invigorating note, packing horn, string, and synth solos tight
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out
Find My Way
Pray
Won Na Pa
Life As We Know It
Our Own
Wait And See
You Can't Hide
Oya
I Won't Run Away
My Voice
Story
After The Tears Flow
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In a clear-eyed appraisal Adriane Pontecorvo frames Mádé Kuti's Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From? as an earnest, forward-looking statement, singling out “Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out” and “After The Tears Flow” as standout moments. She praises how “Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out” opens with futuristic synths and racing beats, and celebrates “After The Tears Flow” for ending on an invigorating, hopeful note. The review repeatedly notes the strong musicianship and vulnerability that make tracks like “Find My Way” and “I Won't Run Away” especially affecting, positioning them among the best songs on the album. Overall Pontecorvo presents the best tracks as proof that Mádé is stepping out of his lineage to make compelling, modern Afrobeat music that points toward a happier future.
Key Points
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The best song(s) combine strong musicianship with vulnerability, as on the opening “Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out” and closing “After The Tears Flow”.
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The album's core strengths are its melding of Afrobeat lineage with modern textures, incisive social themes, and Mádé's confident, personal voice.
Themes
Critic's Take
Mádé Kuti pushes his lineage forward on Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?, where the best songs like “Take It All In Before The Lights Go Out” and “I Won't Run Away” stake his claim with brassy conviction. The reviewer's tone is admiring and exacting, praising kinetic opener moments and calling the seven-and-a-half-minute “I Won't Run Away” a masterclass in afrobeat. He highlights the skittering “Pray” and the soaring “Won Na Pa” for their instrumentation, while still noting clutter when layers obscure vocals. Overall, the album is celebrated as a staggering, confident statement that cements Kuti as a vital torchbearer.
Key Points
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“I Won't Run Away” is best because its extended form and brass-violin arrangement showcase confident mastery.
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The album's core strengths are its brassy instrumentation, kinetic percussion, and successful fusion of modern touches with afrobeat protest tradition.