On her debut EP, The Chronicles of a Teenage Mind, Bukola radiates with power and courage.
Bukola’s debut EP The Chronicles of a Teenage Mind is bookended by the Vancouver-based artist reading aloud diary entries. To begin, on “Dear Diary Lessons,” she says, “I used to devalue my worth in search of his approval. I was misguided. I am good enough,” and to close, on “Dear Diary Wonders,” she asks, “is the future as daunting as it seems?”
In between, there are beautifully balmy r&b songs where Bukola fights through doubts and anxieties and finds positivity and self-love. “Loving You” is a story about unrequited love that made me think about what I wrote in my own diary as a teen but by the next track, “Fight for Me,” Bukola radiates with power and courage and she only gets stronger as the EP continues. One day I listened to “A Good Thing” on repeat for most of the day, hypnotized by its catchy chorus that centres on Bukola’s radiant confidence and this repeated declaration: “I could be that good thing.” On “I Am Enough,” she echoes the EP’s opening message and sends love to Black artists who inspire her. In her own words, Bukola says, “[“I Am Enough”] talks about my journey growing up as a young black woman and some of my struggles. It also shows gratitude to my favourite Black female artists, who have helped me gain confidence with my skin and who ultimately taught me that I Am Enough.”
By the end of The Chronicles of a Teenage Mind, Bukola is far from worry-free. As she reveals in “Dear Diary Wonders,” true love remains elusive (you can sense self-doubt seeping in) and the enormity of being alive is overwhelming to her. But Bukola is that good thing, she’s enough, and she’s ready for anything.
