The Ascension is the sixth studio album by Nigerian singer 2face Idibia. It was released on July 21, 2014, by Hypertek Digital and 960 Music Group. The album features collaborations with Machel Montano, Vector, Bridget Kelly, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Shurwayne Winchester and Fally Ipupa, among others. It was produced by Leriq, Alton Berti, Bolji Beats, Dezay, Dnyce, Fabio Litto, Femdouble, GSol the Producer, Jay Sleek, Kodjo, Masterkraft and Rolly. 2face became the first Nigerian to appear on the Billboard World Albums chart when The Ascension debuted at number 12. Music critics gave the album largely varying reviews.
The Ascension yielded the singles "Ife Dinma", "Let Somebody Love You", "Go", and "Diaspora Woman". 960 Music Group put up outdoor billboards in ten of Lagos' most populous neighborhoods to promote the record.
2face began recording the album in 2013. In a press release, 960 Music Group said the album would be released on July 21, 2014. The Ascension was eventually released in two versions: economy and premium. The premium version, which includes a 16-page insert, is available exclusively at Konga.com; the economy version is available for digital download on Spinlet, iTunes and Spotify. The album's cover art was conceptualized and designed by Janne Kukka and Mole "Tobbie" Balogun.
All of the tracks on the album were included in a 30-second clip that 2face released on July 9, 2014. On July 19, he held the album's launch party at Escape in Victoria Island, Lagos. Guests in attendance included Olamide, Tiwa Savage, and Jermaine Jackson, among others. MTV Base, in conjunction with Industry Nite, hosted another launch party on July 23, 2014.
The Masterkraft-produced track "Ife Dinma" was released on November 6, 2013, as the album's lead single. It was initially released as a Tony Oneweek single, but surprisingly made the album. The accompanying music video for "Ife Dinma" was directed by Clarence Peters. The album's second single, "Let Somebody Love You", was released on May 26, 2014. The song was produced by Femi Femdouble and features vocals by Bridget Kelly. Its music video was filmed in Lagos by Luke Biggins. In April 2014, 2face and Bridget Kelly performed the song during Star Music Trek's visit to Markudi.
The album's third single "Go", which features vocals by Trinidadian singer Machel Montano, was released on June 26, 2014. Both artists performed the song at the 18th annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which occurred in June 2014. The music video for "Go" was released by 960 Music on December 5, 2014, and features cameo appearances from Seyi Shay and Niyola. The album's fourth single, "Diaspora Woman", was released on October 23, 2014. Its music video was filmed in Dallas by Moe Musa. Ghanaian actress Juliet Ibrahim played 2face's love interest in the video.
The Ascension is primarily an R&B and Afropop album, but explores other musical styles such as soca, zouk and highlife. The album is composed of fast and slow tempo songs. 2face dedicated the electro house record "#Aproko" to social media critics. In "Jeje", he samples African China's "Mr. President" and pays homage to afrobeat of the 1970s. The tracks "International Loving" and "Diaspora Woman" have elements of zouk. Soca rhythms are evident on "Boulay Boulay" and "Go". The slow tempo ballad "Hate What You Do To Me" has a sensitive theme. "Kiss of Life" is also a slow tempo ballad with soft lyrics.
The Ascension received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Chiagoziem Onyekwena of Nigeria Entertainment Today awarded the album 3 stars out of 5, saying it "isn't bad in itself, just not the genre-bending, boundary-crossing, revolutionary album it had the potential to be". Lobatans Brandon Bridges commended the album's songwriting, diverse sounds, instrumentation, and energetic appeal.
<u>Credits adapted from liner notes of The Ascension.</u>