I think I fall into that category, I love something that understands my situation and speaks hope into my inner person.
The artist is quite good at delivering realistic songs and it may not affect everyone because not everyone grew up in the streets and understands what it means to start from scratch, struggle and make your way up.
I discovered Dead Flowers by Llona two weeks ago when I was listening to a dj mix that comprises his songs .
There were other great songs but seriously, this one hits me differently, so I had to Shazam it on another phone and find it on Spotify.
Dead Flowers was released 25 July, 2026. Produced by BlackBoy and OG Sterling. It is an afrobeat/afropop song that talks about the journey of life, especially for someone struggling. A lot of people can relate to this, the doubt, the fears, the effort, the failures, the wins and so on.
This is not a romantic/love song, the title “Dead Flowers” can be tricky sounding like a love or heart break relationship song but it's quite the opposite.
Dead Flowers in Llona's context is something that has lost its beauty, value or life.
Llona wrote this song looking back from where he came, what he faced; the battles he had to confront to get to the point he is in life, and of course what the journey costs him.
But the most important thing is that instead of focusing on how difficult the journey was and how it turned him into something he can no longer recognize, he switched to positivity.
Despite how life has tried him, he believes that he is still going to make it and not just that, he believes that he is great and deserves the credit.
Part of the lyrics read, “It's time for me to shine, I have been working for so long. Did it happen in one night? But it happened in one night. You start to realize that, I'm a fucking star.”
That lyrics strikes the right spot, the work doesn't take place in one night but the rewards come in a day, sometimes when you least expected it.
There are many things that are outstanding about this song, the first one is the video, it was simple and decent.
Using the case study of Nigeria and the situation going on, especially the lack of peace is another thing to look at. It gives the song a wider environment, beyond personal struggles, the song can affect anything; whether national, family, work and so on.
The emotional aspect of the song is also something that makes it unique. Although this is not new with the artist; he is someone that understands exactly how to put one on the emotional motion with his songs.
For Dead Flowers, the slow and spaced vocals allows for listeners to catch up and be submerged in the moment.
The instrumentals, the background of the videos and the vocals were good, I will really give him his flowers, it's worth it.
To be frank, I don't think I have any solid criticism for this song, the only thing I can say is that the song might not appeal to everyone because not everyone grew up in the streets and faced the other side of life.
Overall, this song is worth giving a try, if you are still struggling or facing difficulties in finding your way to the top, this is just for you.
I will rate this song 9/10
N.B: All Images are Screenshots from the YouTube video here
