“All of my life, I just wanna level up,” Young Jonn sings on “Level Up”, giving us a glimpse of the will power that inspired his evolution from one of Afropop’s most respected producers to frontline star. It’s an ambition that was largely sealed with 2024’s Jiggy Forever, a project that paired his determination gospel with flirtatious melodies. On his sophomore album, Blue Disco, Young Jonn aims for something more ambitious, plotting a coup on the sound of the mainstream Afropop with this disco-influenced cache of songs. Anchored by syncopated basslines, gliding hi-hats and his signature strings, Blue Disco sees Young Jonn step out with a lush interpretation of Afrobeats that feels like a natural fit for his hazy vocals. “I don’t want all of the girls in the world anymore/I’m learning to be patient,” he sings on “Jiggy Bop”. On “LAPO Baby”, he offers praise to a higher power while manifesting further success with his friends. When Young Jonn’s high-profile guests stop by, their voices help to advance his vision of relentless motion: Wizkid joins an invigorating call for “Cash Flow”, Asake helps translate the euphoria of winning on “Che Che”, and Olamide brings a distinctly sanguine perspective to “Level Up”. As always, Young Jonn is a master curator of love anthems. On “Close Friends List”, he’s asking to be let into a love interest’s inner sanctum, while asking for trust on the soulful “Safe Space”. Faith, romance and dreams don’t so much collide on Blue Disco as exist in separate but intertwined vacuums that allow the singer to organise his motivations into a manifesto.