The Buff Baby is back in town! After spending his morning at the local diner, eating Cantonese style French Toast or Sai Do Si, Tobi Lou heads to MoM Livehouse to perform his classics and a selection of songs from his latest album, Same Old Jeans (Ripped Jeans).
Tobi Lou is a Chicago-Nigerian artist who gained international recognition and following after the release of his viral song “Buff Baby” in 2018. His music blends Hip-hop, R&B, Pop, and even K-pop to create a new and unique sound that feels both nostalgic and timeless at the same time.
On July 11, Tobi Lou brought his Same Old Jeans Asia Tour to Hong Kong, bringing his cartoonish melodies to North Point’s MoM Livehouse. The lights dimmed as the opening acts, Sunny Lucas and Haysen, welcomed him to the stage and the crowd cheered, filling the low-ceilinged room. As a performer, Lou is both down-to-earth and warm, inviting fans onstage to sing and dance with him throughout the night.
Lou is a walking book of references, renowned for his colourful beats and playful lyrics, which draw heavily from popular children’s shows and anime series such as Adventure Time and Sailor Moon. In fact, most of his tracks open with a sample from The Office, an American television show and comedic mockumentary that centers on a group of ordinary office workers.
His music has that feel-good, upbeat quality that gives his listeners the feeling that they are floating in some sort of bubblegum fantasy.
“I’ve spent my whole life writing music. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life writing music,” Lou says to the crowd in the middle of his show in Hong Kong.
His newest mixtape Same Old Jeans (Ripped Jeans) is a tribute to NewJeans, the K-pop girl group responsible for smash hits like “Attention” and “Super Shy” which topped the charts in 2023. Unlike other artists who might shy away from explicit references and call-outs, Lou likes to play with familiar rhythms and add his own twist to the originals.
“It just felt good to make remixes and jump on songs and kind of just play and have fun instead of trying to, like, carve a whole world,” he says.
At the end of the day, Lou writes music that makes you want to dance in your kitchen and headbop on the train during the long ride home. It’s that feeling you get after a busy day at work, when you’re all cozy on your couch, watching your favourite feel-good show.
