KUDZAI CHITSATSO
UK-based Zimbabwean R&B artist Franc Godfatherofslowjams has released a sprawling 32-track double album titled Freaky Sensations, positioning it as a sensual, atmospheric follow-up to his 2024 vernacular project, Tattooed Stories.
Where Tattooed Stories leaned into romantic memory and emotional storytelling, Freaky Sensations shifts the lens inward, moving from narrative to sensation, and from public space to private intimacy. Franc describes the transition as intentional.
“Tattooed Stories was about experiences etched into my heart,” he explains. “Freaky Sensations is about what happens when the door is locked. The shift from ‘Stories’ to ‘Sensations’ marks a move from narratives to feelings.”
The result is a polished, slow-burning body of work rooted firmly in R&B tradition, yet delivered in Shona, this being a deliberate creative and cultural choice.
Though newly released, Freaky Sensations is the product of nearly five years of studio refinement. Franc approached the project with patience rather than urgency, curating and shaping each track over time instead of chasing trends.
“These 32 sensations weren’t rushed,” he says. “They were developed slowly. My process begins with the pulse of the music — I listen until something strikes a chord. The lyrics then come organically.”
Working closely with producer Clef Jones Wah and vocal collaborators Beav City and Blaqson, Franc focused on maintaining a cohesive sonic identity. Rather than experimenting wildly with new sounds, he leaned into what he considers his strength: precision and atmosphere.
“I don’t chase fleeting trends,” he notes. “R&B is about rhythm and resonance. Every percussive layer must have its place.”
The album avoids dramatic beat switches or structural gimmicks, instead opting for linear, immersive arrangements that preserve its sensual continuity.
One of the defining features of Franc’s work is his commitment to writing R&B in Shona. While global R&B continues to be dominated by English-language releases, Franc views his vernacular approach as both artistic and symbolic.
“Music is a language of pure emotion,” he says. “The global stage may not always speak the language, but they will always feel the truth. This is our flag in the ground.”
For Franc, this is not trend-driven experimentation but identity-building. He positions himself less as a participant in a crowded genre and more as a craftsman shaping a specific lane within it.
At its core, Freaky Sensations explores intimacy in its many forms: desire, healing, longing and connection. Franc resists naming a single standout track, arguing that the album functions as an emotional continuum rather than a playlist of singles.
“It’s a complete spectrum,” he says. “For lovers, for seekers, and for those healing from heartbreak.”
That sense of vulnerability is intentional. The project reflects what he describes as lived experience rather than fantasy. “Love is universal,” he adds. “Listeners will find both a mirror and a sanctuary in this work.”
For an artist working across diaspora spaces, audience response remains deeply personal. Franc recounts a moment when a listener shared their Spotify Wrapped ranking him as their top artist, a gesture he describes as more meaningful than streaming numbers alone.
“I view my audience as a global circle of friends rather than a fanbase,” he says.
One particularly poignant milestone came when a couple selected one of his songs as their wedding recessional soundtrack. “That was a profound reminder of the power of sound,” he reflects.
While many artists pivot quickly between releases, Franc signals that his trajectory is long-term. With a reported vault of over 150 compositions, he sees music less as a commercial sprint and more as a lifelong vocation.
“My path remains clear: devotion to the craft,” he says. “I’m not driven by fame but by the duty to share a gift.”
Future collaborations remain on the horizon, and he has expressed openness to lending his pen to other artists seeking a fresh perspective. But for now, Freaky Sensations stands as his most expansive statement to date—an unapologetic, immersive slow-jam experience rooted in language, identity and mood.
If Tattooed Stories built the emotional foundation, Freaky Sensations inhabits the moment that a trajectory of intimate, deliberate and unhurried sounds.
And for Franc, that is precisely the point.
You can listen to the project here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/764JCLmtx61DjfISq05Xcp?si=OF2uQMBjSK6_-kn8MkaAvw
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mwCk7d7NwQ_IZW_YDZP1Z1ZzAG7csOX8s&si=i1a_FKQ4FXp3Qwb8
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/freaky-sensations/1878134059
0 Comments