Israel Nke’s chill-wave track “Sweet Dreams” is a beautiful and tranquil look into Israel’s mind. The song begins with a hypnotic and atmospheric high-pitched sound that slowly builds tension and volume, which is then overtaken by a soothing beat and piano. Then, Nke’s calming voice comes in delving into his life story. Lyrics stating “I dream big, it’s my way out” and “our actions forever make us tarnished” truly show Nke’s lyrical talent in depicting his dreams turning into nightmares, with one of the last lyrics being, “If this is a dream, please wake me up”.
Israel Nkekik uses music to tell his story, which is a rather triumphant and complicated past: Israel was born in Benin City, Nigeria, and always loved music, even being the lead in his local gospel choir. Sadly, this was one of the only positive things in his life as a young child.
His father had 2 wives, which led to huge fights in the house often. Needing to get out of that hostile environment, he left home at only 12 years old, soon finding himself on the streets and ultimately in prison. It was in prison when Israel made a change for himself, learning that he has the confidence to make his dreams become reality. Now, he uses music to cope and share what he overcame, which is truly inspiring.
While Israel’s spoken-word lyrics discuss these difficult topics, calming and peaceful background vocals repeat “Sweet Dreams”, perfectly depicting the dream-like state of the track. The smooth and silky vocals add a serene feeling to the track, which is really beautiful.
Check out Israel’s other music, as they are all as deep and hard-hitting as “Sweet Dreams”. His debut single “Moonlight”, discusses how a decision can have a huge effect on those around you, and his second single “Loved You”, is dedicated to the woman he loves.
Written by Melissa Cusano
