Berhana has been wowing us in the leadup to his sophomore album Amén: የዘላን ህልም. He’s released two singles from the forthcoming set thus far — the mellow cut “Gone (Abebe Bikila)” and the disco-like groove of his follow-up “Like A Habit.” Though he’s playing shy with the set’s release date, he isn’t being coy when it comes to music as he’s just released the album’s third single “Break Bread.”
“Break Bread” is a romantic cut that continues the blending of Ethio-jazz with R&B, crafting a mid-tempo love song with a smooth swing and sway. With the sound bed firmly established, he lays out the song’s conversational premise with a staccato chorus.
“You know I don’t break bread with just anybody / You so hard to please so am I,” he sings. “Kudos for your patience, I can’t fake s**t / Let’s see if stars align.”
The verses detail both his desire and trepidation toward starting a relationship. Rather than get caught up in the labels of it all, he’s more interested in taking a chance and seeing if they sink or swim together. “Maybe I just wanna try / But this is hard, I don’t wanna lie,” he sings at one point. “It’s in the stars, baby, you and I / So let’s just say / That I know what this could be / And we won’t never see unless we try.”
Every song we’ve heard from his upcoming album has been high quality, but “Break Bread” might just be our new favorite. While we go see if we can get a release date out of him real quick, you can run up the latest from Berhana by pressing play below.
