Danish-Ghanaian single ‘Bang Bang’ queries US gun laws
Danish indie rock artist, Citizen Odin and Ghanaian rapper AJ Nelson have released a new single “Bang Bang!” out February 29. The single is expected to create mixed reactions in the United States and open conversations about its central theme.
During its pre-release screening in the US, there were strong reactions as the song revolved around school shootings and gun laws.
The single Bang Bang! produced by Lasse Boye, under record label Lazarus Music Group, exposes the gun lobby’s indifference to the fact that 12 children die from gun violence every day in the US, and guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens. The track indirectly criticizes the US Constitution’s Second Amendment – the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.
Citizen Odin’s large audience in the US may have influence on the theme in a short and long term. Last year, Citizen Odin’s track “OK Boomer” achieved five weeks at number one on the weekly charts at Bandwagon Network Radio – a major American indie radio station.
In addition, it stayed six weeks as number one on its fan-favorite list. OK Boomer was widely played on many American radio stations and was placed on several charts.
“We want to address a huge problem. Unbelievably many people die from gunshots. Both accidents, and murders and suicides. Many are children, and that cannot be emphasized enough. The more there is talk about it, the greater the chance hopefully that one day something drastic will be done to resolve the problem. If it costs some listeners, we have to live with it,” said Citizen Odin and AJ Nelson to TheAfricanDream.net in a joint statement.
Citizen Odin is in a Danish band consisting of frontman John Odin and producer Lasse Boye. The band debuted as a solo project for John Odin in 2020 with the album Coward 19. The album was recorded at home under the covid-19 lockdown, and production was affected by this.
However, the album contained a number of tracks that caught Lasse Boye’s interest, and he suggested, via Rapzonen.dk, that they should make an album together. It became the 2022 album OK Boomer, which achieved an impressive success especially in the US. The title track has been extensively played in rotation in the USA, England, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and other countries.
AJ Nelson is an established name in the Ghanaian music industry. As a young man he performed at a welcome song for President Barack Obama, during Obama’s visit to Ghana. Later, AJ released a number of singles that have been shown extensively on MTV in Africa.
The debut album Africa Rise from 2018 contained a wonderful mix of hip-hop and afrobeat. The album cemented AJ Nelson’s status as a Ghanaian rap star. A single followed titled “Guy Guy” featuring Ohene Savànt, an American producer/rapper, and Kweku Afro, a Ghanaian songwriter, producer & dance choreographer.
“When I recorded the demo for Bang Bang!, the track was sent to Ghana, where AJ Nelson got his part done. Since then, versions flew back and forth with small corrections, to finally be mixed and mastered at Rapzonen.dk Bang Bang! will officially air on February 29, 2024, on all major streaming platforms,” said Citizen Odin.
The duo found friendship through their common interest in football in general, and Christiano Ronaldo in particular. The two met online during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where both participated in Facebook conversations about Ronaldo. Then they realized that they had more in common: music.
“From there, we realised we could actually make a song together, something impactful” said AJ Nelson.
For further information, inquiries or interviews email: publishing@lazarusmusicgroup.com.
Source: TheAfricanDream.net
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
