On GEMINI: SIDE A, byebem explores the future of Afrobeats through a sound that embraces both innovation and rhythm. Centered around the emerging Afro-bounce subgenre, pioneered in the UK by artists like Gwamz and producers like Saionthebeat, the project introduces a sound that has yet to find widespread expression in the United States. Byebem approaches this movement with his own futuristic vision, pushing its boundaries while allowing its different elements to coexist. From the forward-thinking production of “wht u want” to the hypnotic rhythms of “Is it now ?,” he moves between futuristic experimentation and the foundational sounds of Afrobeats, creating a project that feels simultaneously progressive and familiar.

As the first installment of the GEMINI series, Side A represents one half of a larger artistic statement: the duality of where Afrobeats is headed and where byebem positions himself within it. Rather than treating the genre’s evolving sounds as a single, unified direction, he embraces the divide between its melodic, bounce-driven side and its more rap-oriented, Afro-rap counterpart. By producing both sides himself, byebem takes ownership of this duality, claiming the ability to move between two distinct creative territories while contributing to the evolution of each. GEMINI is not simply an exploration of versatility, but an assertion that these two sides can exist as separate identities within one artist.