Stories That Touch is the second album by Nigerian rapper and actor Falz. It was released on 16 November 2015 through Bahd Guys Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Show Dem Camp, Yemi Alade, Phyno, Reminisce, Simi, Sess, Poe, Shaydee, Chigul, M.I., Bez, Oyinkansola, Chyn and Reekado Banks. Production was primarily handled by Sess, with additional production from Tin Tin, Oscar Heman-Ackah and Spax.[1]
| Stories That Touch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 November 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Genre | Afrobeat | |||
| Length | 58:52 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | Bahd Guys | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Falz chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stories That Touch | ||||
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Promotion
editThe album listening party for Stories That Touch was held at Spice Route, Victoria Island, Lagos on 18 November 2015. Poe, Reminisce, Simi, Reekado Banks, and others performed at the event. Others who attended the event include Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, Baba Dee, and more. Spanky was the host and Dj Consequence was the disc jockey for the event.[2]
Singles
editThe album's lead single and only bonus track "Ello Bae" was released on 31 January 2015. The song was produced by Sess while the music video was directed by Mex and released on 4 May 2015.[3][4] The second single "Karishika" features Nigerian rapper Phyno and comedian Chigul. This track was also produced by Sess and was premiered on 14 May 2015 at Industry Nite, and was officially released on 16 May 2015.[5] The music video was directed by Aje Filmworks and released on 20 July 2015.[6] The video won Best Afro Hip Hop Video at the 2015 Nigerian Music Video Awards.[7] The third single is a sequel to the previous track, "Karishika". The sequel features Show Dem Camp and M.I. and was produced by Sess and engineered by Marqai.[8]
The fourth single, "Clap" features Reminisce and was released on 11 December 2015. The song was produced by Sess and the music video was shot and directed in Lagos, Nigeria by Mex.[9] The fifth single, "Soldier" features Simi and was released on 14 March 2016, produced by Oscar Heman-Ackah. The music video was shot and directed by Clarence Peters and features actor Deyemi Okanlawon.[10] The song won Best Collabo at The Headies 2016.[11] The sixth single, "Soft Work" was released on 6 July 2016. The song was produced by Sess and the video was directed by Mex.[12] The seventh single "Chardonnay Music" features Chyn and Poe and was produced by Spax. The music video was released on 30 August 2016 and was directed by Sesan and features cameos from Simi, Ms DSF, DJ Sose, Vector, K10, Ycee, Boj, among others.[13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| NotJustOk | 8/10[14] |
| Pulse Nigeria |   [15] |
| Should You Bump This | [16] |
Tola Sarumi of NotJustOk praised Stories That Touch for its storytelling and the tracks "Karishika" and "Soldier", and commended the "disparate producers" for "manag[ing] to make a record that sounds like an album". Sarumi concluded that Falz had made "the Hip-Hop Album of the Year" and rated the album 8 out of 10.[14] Should You Bump This rated Stories That Touch a 4 out of 5, describing it as a "testament to the fact that Falz has grown with his music" and "a pretty good album".[16]
Joey Akan of Pulse Nigeria called Stories That Touch as "a collection of stories that traverses all the different spheres of life" and argued that it "democratises music" by making hip-hop accessible to "the common man". He further described the album as "everything a rap album should be and more", commending Falz's "intense growth and mastery of sounds and harmony". Akan concluded that "Falz is onto a good thing" and awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars.[15] Writing for Music in Africa, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo praised the songs "Karishika" and "Time Difference", adding that Falz's ability to appeal to both "local" and "abroad" audiences makes him "of both classes and master of none", despite being "a truly talented rapper".[17]
Accolades
edit| Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Headies | 2016 | Best Rap Album | Nominated | [18] |
| City People Entertainment Awards | Album of the Year | Won | [19] | |
| Rap Album of the Year | Nominated | [20] | ||
| Ghana-Naija Showbiz Awards | 2017 | Album of the Year | Nominated | [21] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kabiyesi" (featuring Oyinkansola) |
| Tin Tin | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Soft Work" | Falana | Sess | 3:25 |
| 3. | "My People" | Falana | Sess | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Karishika" (featuring Phyno and Chigul) |
| Sess | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Soldier" (featuring Simi) |
| Oscar Heman-Ackah | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Workaholic" | Falana | Sess | 3:16 |
| 7. | "Soupé" (featuring Yemi Alade and Shaydee) |
| Spax | 3:46 |
| 8. | "Clap" (featuring Reminisce) |
| Sess | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Time Difference" (featuring Sess) |
| Sess | 3:41 |
| 10. | "Mid-Flight Announcement" (skit) | Falana | — | 1:21 |
| 11. | "Celebrity Girlfriend" (featuring Reekado Banks) |
| Sess | 3:05 |
| 12. | "Chardonnay Music" (featuring Poe and Chyn) |
| Spax | 4:36 |
| 13. | "Kawosoke" | Falana | Sess | 3:08 |
| 14. | "Love You Pass" (featuring Bez) |
| Spax | 3:05 |
| 15. | "Karishika" (part 2; featuring M.I and Show Dem Camp) |
| Sess | 4:03 |
| 16. | "Everybody (Thank You)" | Falana | Sess | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 58:52 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Ello Bae" | Falana | Sess | 3:36 |
Notes
- "—" denotes a skit
Personnel
edit- Folarin "Falz" Falana – vocals, executive producer
- Oyinkansola – vocals, backing vocals
- Jude "M.I" Abaga – vocals
- Emmanuel "Bez" Idakula – vocals
- Chibuzor "Phyno" Azubuike – vocals
- Ayoleyi "Reekado Banks" Solomon – vocals
- Shadrach "Shaydee" Adeboye – vocals
- Ladipo "Poe" Eso – vocals
- Chioma "Chigul" Omeruah – vocals
- Cheyenne "Chyn" Labesa – vocals
- Remilekun "Reminisce" Safaru – vocals
- Yemi Eberechi Alade – vocals
- Wale "Tec" Davies and Olumide "Ghost" Ayeni" – vocals
- Simisola "Simi" Ogunleye – vocals, mixing engineer
- Salami "Sess" Abass – vocals, producer
- Augustine "Tin Tin" Imevbore – producer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer
- Oscar Heman-Ackah – producer
- Akano "Spax" Samuel – producer
- Michael "Marqai" Udenna – mixing engineer
- Olujerry – mixing engineer
- Timsax – saxophone
- Oluwaseun "Saeon" Oni – backing vocals
- Lily Oge – backing vocals
- Nosa Omoregbe – backing vocals
- August Udoh – photography, album art
- Sidney "Aboki" Sule – executive producer
- Femisoro Ajayi – executive producer
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 16 November 2015 | Bahd Guys Entertainment |
References
edit- ↑ Adesida, Olumide (11 November 2015). "Falz unveils official 'Stories That Touch' artwork and tracklist". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ↑ Pulse Nigeria (19 November 2015). "Falz launches 'Stories That Touch' Album at weekly event". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Jonathan (31 January 2015). "Falz the BahdGuy - 'Ello Bae'". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Okuchukwu, Griffin (4 May 2015). "VIDEO: Falz 'Ello Bae'". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Showemimo, Dayo (14 May 2015). "Falz premieres new song, 'Karishika' featuring Phyno". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ "Video: Falz – Karashika (ft. Phyno & Chi Gurl)". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). 20 July 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Kehinde Akintoye (12 September 2016). "NMVA Organisers Announce Winners of 2015 Edition". Channels TV. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Jonathan (3 September 2015). "Falz – 'Karishika' (Part 2) ft M.I, Show Dem Camp". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Badiru, Simi (11 December 2015). "Video: Clap – Falz ft. Reminisce". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Abiola (14 March 2016). "Falz - 'Soldier' ft. Simi". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Abayomi, John (23 December 2016). "Headies 2016 Awards : The winners are..." The Punch. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ DonBoye (6 July 2016). "VIDEO: Falz - Soft Work". NotJustOk. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ Idowu, Tomi (30 August 2016). "Video : Chardonnay Music Ft. Poe & Chyn : Falz". The Punch. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- 1 2 Tola Sarumi (30 November 2015). "Falz: Stories That Touch Album Review". NotJustOk. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- 1 2 Joey Akan (23 November 2015). "Falz democratises Hip-hop in "Stories That Touch" LP". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- 1 2 "Music Review: Stories That Touch by Falz". SYBTonline. 20 November 2015. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ↑ Oris Aigbokhaevbolo (5 January 2016). "Falz - 'Stories That Touch'". Music In Africa. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ The Headies (25 October 2016). "The Headies Awards 2016 : Complete list of Nominees". The Headies. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ↑ "Falz wins City People Award for Best Album". Music in Africa. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ↑ Adedayo Showemimo (6 July 2016). "Wizkid, Olamide, Phyno grab nominations at 2016 City People Entertainment Awards". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
- ↑ Hassan Sanusi (19 March 2017). "Wizkid, Sarkodie, Tekno, Funke Akindele and more nominated for Ghana-Naija Showbiz Awards 2017". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 22 May 2026.