Mr Eazi And King Promise Link Up On ‘That Way’

African music icons, close friends, and frequent collaborators Mr Eazi and King Promise will drop a joint LP, See What We’ve Done, coming March 11 via emPawa Africa, both artists can now confirm. They set the project off in style today with the release of lead single “That Way,” an Afrobeats nostalgia trip inspired by the millennial pop sounds of iconic boy band the Backstreet Boys. 

Produced by GuiltyBeatz (Beyoncé, Tems, Jorja Smith) and JAE5 (J Hus, Dave, Burna Boy), architects of contemporary African pop known for balancing familiarity with innovation, “That Way” interpolates the distinctive acoustic guitar melody and vocal hook from the Backstreet Boys’ iconic 1999 hit “I Want It That Way,” marrying notes from the wistful pop ballad with the infectious rhythmic pulse of modern-day Afrobeats. 

The track opens with a familiar warmth, immediately transporting listeners back to an era when boy bands ruled the airwaves and declarations of devotion came wrapped in pristine harmonies. But Mr Eazi and King Promise aren’t simply recycling nostalgia for cheap thrills. They’ve deconstructed that millennial pop DNA and rebuilt it as an Afro-fusion banger, creating something that honors its inspiration while standing firmly in the present.

“‘I Want it That Way’ used to be one of our favorite records growing up,” Mr Eazi explains. “Backstreet Boys, Westlife —that’s what we all grew up listening to. Once I heard the beat with that interpolation, I was like ‘Jeez, we gotta do this one.’ It was just us having fun playing with nostalgia.”

“Sometimes you hear a classic and you just know you can take it somewhere new,” adds King Promise. “That’s what ‘That Way’ is: Mr. Eazi and I taking an anthem everyone grew up with and flipping it into something that hits different. Same heart, new pulse.”