Masterkraft opens “Party Starter (PS2)” with “Julie,” featuring Nananii – and the choice of opener says everything about where the album is headed.
Leading a 14-track party album with a warm, melodic record rather than something aggressive or dancefloor-ready is a deliberate structural decision. Because Masterkraft understands that the best parties do not start at full volume. They build.
So “Julie” arrives as an invitation into the PS2 world – accessible, melodic, and immediately welcoming before the tracklist shifts through its different moods and energies across the remaining 13 records.
Nananii is the right voice for this entry point. Her consistent presence across multiple PS2 entries – appearing on “Don’t Leave Me (Banging)” with Tiphyz and anchoring the project’s most emotionally direct moments – confirms she is not just a featured artist on Masterkraft’s album. She is the project’s melodic foundation. And “Julie” establishes that identity from track one.
The writing sits in warm romantic territory – a name-forward love record that carries the same cultural tradition of Nigerian Afropop speaking directly to a specific woman. But Masterkraft does not make it sentimental or heavy.
The production stays light and rhythmically engaging throughout. So “Julie” works as an opener because it rewards immediate attention without demanding too much. You are inside the PS2 world before you realise the song has already done its job.
His career also adds meaning here. From producing “Girl” with Bracket featuring Wizkid to directing Flavour’s live arrangements, Masterkraft has spent decades building the sonic framework that makes a record like “Julie” feel effortless. But effortless records are the hardest to make – and this one earns that quality honestly.
Stream “Julie” and tell us – does Masterkraft open “Party Starter (PS2)” better than any album he has released before?
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