There’s no shortage of smooth, sun-glazed R&B releases trying to own the summer, but Abena by Maye and Trunkie are here to throw their hat in the ring. The collaboration between Nigerian Afrobeats up-and-comer Maye and North West London’s shapeshifter Trunkie has landed with us today so lets take a look.
The track glides in with confidence. From the opening synth pads to the pulsing Afro-fusion beat, it feels effortless—like it was made on a balcony somewhere between Lagos and Ladbroke Grove. Maye lays down a sultry vocal that drips with melodic intent, slick but restrained, never trying too hard to impress, which is its own sort of flex. There’s a looseness in the flow that feels organic, unpolished in a way that makes it believable.
But let’s address the obvious: there’s too much bloody vocoder. You can almost hear the natural character in Maye’s voice wanting to break free, but instead it’s filtered, tuned, and glossed within an inch of its life. The effect wears thin around the second verse—it’s like a beautifully cooked jollof rice, but someone’s dumped a whole bottle of peri-peri mayo on top. A little seasoning? Lovely. A drowning? Bit much.
Trunkie, though, is the glue that holds it all together. His verse lands clean and confident, balancing out the overly digitised hook with a bit of edge. He’s got that London cool nailed—nothing too heavy, just a bit of swagger, a smirk behind the words. There’s clearly a lot of experience there, and he knows when to lean in and when to let the beat breathe. The chemistry between the pair is real, even if they’re each coming from different musical planets.
Lyrically, it doesn’t reinvent anything, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a vibe track. You’re here for the mood—the late-night flirtation, the nod to cultural identity, and that breezy “we don’t need to say much” energy. The use of “Abena” as a hook is smart; it carries weight without beating you over the head with meaning. Subtle. Effective.
The production is slick, no question. The percussion’s tight, the bass is warm and round, and the mix keeps things moving with zero dead air. It’s clearly built with clubs and car stereos in mind, and it’ll land well in both. But there’s a risk here too—it toes that line between mainstream polish and overproduced blandness. If they want to really carve their niche, future tracks will need to show a bit more rawness, a bit more skin.
Still, Abena is a solid statement. It’s got the makings of a low-key summer anthem, even if it plays it a little too safe in places.
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