Few pairings are as artistically and commercially potent as Lojay and Sarz. Their 2021 collaboration LUV N ATTN was a game-changer for Lojay, swiftly and decisively launching his career and reasserting Sarz’s as a genius curator who remains at the forefront of — and champions — successive waves of Nigerian talents. Now, with the release of “Billions”, they’ve proven that their artistic synergy is still very much alive and thriving.

“Billions” picks up where they left off, but with a subtle shift in gears. A lot of songs nowadays sound like a greatest hits reel of tropes, stitched together with algorithmic precision but “Billions” carefully swerves away from that path. It’s instantly familiar, but it is also teeming with fresh energy.

The song opens with a nocturnal intimacy. Lojay sings in a lower register over a bed of intense piano chords and steaming percussion. But just as you’re settled into the lowtempo, the drums tighten and the song bursts into incendiary beats and a rhythm that completely swoops.

This transition is what makes “Billions” so delicious. It’s not a jarring shift, but a carefully crafted build-up that explodes into pure dancefloor excitement. The beat hits all its grand, climactic marks. The melody, pleasant as always, hooks its claws in. Lojay’s performance is polished, his vocals are impeccably produced, and his delivery expresses the solid quality of his music.