A ground breaking moment for me concerning how I consume music was when it really dawned that before the artist makes the song, it doesn’t exist in the world. Every song is original to the artist. The experience of listening to the music is so different from creating it because as a consumer, our brains don’t have to put the pieces together, we simply appreciate or judge it, based on how familiar it is, or how relatable its sound or message is to us at the point in time of listening. But creating is an entirely different ball game.
Even with sampled music and interpolations, artists are the first to make use of the melodies, rhythms and lyrics in the exact way that they do. They literally… create.
Listening to ‘Aura Salad’ by SSSoundGawd and Mavo in this light would make you appreciate the song on a level that most people probably don’t. Of course, you could say that the song had its moment, sparking up Twitter conversations and buzzing on TikTok, but I personally believe that a record as rich as that deserves so much more.
Its most popular part is probably Mavo performing the hook; perhaps because of his interesting choice of words being aura and salad. Many had a hard time finding meaning in the merger of both words, a rookie afrobeats listener mistake if you ask me. The culture has long established that seeking to find meaning in its lyrics will most likely be an unsuccessful venture. Yet, the hook, in my opinion, is not the best part of the three-minute song.
This is where SSSoundGawd comes in. The record is his introduction to many afrobeats lovers and an incredible one at that. His verse conveys a bounce like 2023 Shallipopi’s, but in a way that fits right into what great music sounds like in 2026. From a rhyme scheme accurately delivered, to a bounce that no head can say no to bopping to, to admirable self-praising lyrics, SSSoundGawd delivers what I dare call the verse of the year so far in a way not typical to a newcomer.
Realizing that his verse didn’t exist in the world until he created it gives a context that makes you appreciate his art all the more. Yes, we gave Aura Salad attention for Mavo’s edginess with his words, but this is a clarion call to take our time to appreciate the art that SSSoundGawd is on the record too.
A party monster indeed.
Itty can be caught studying African pop culture, writing about it or hosting a relationship podcast. When he's not doing any of these, then he's definitely at a bar, getting mocktail.
