Soul’d Duets Album Review: Where Love Finds Its Voice

Like water cascading down a fountain, Soul’d Duets opens with a gentle interplay of spoken word and flowing water—a perfect easter egg for an album that ripples with love in all its beautiful forms.

Across the next 13 tracks, Waithaka explores the different facets of love, from the first “doo doo doo” of seeing your crush to the steady heartbeat of reassuring your boo. The journey comes full circle with Lamu Afternoons where waves lap at a shoreline in the background, bringing the album’s water motif to a peaceful close.

From start to finish, these songs navigate both the sacred and the intimate, as fitting for wedding altars as they are for midnight conversations.

Here’s my take on why you should give Soul’d Duets a listen if you haven’t yet already.

Sonic Storytelling

Soul’d Duets uses its instrumental palette to amplify each song’s emotional core. In SoulDefy, we’re invited into an intimate space where a solitary piano plays in the background as the vocals dare to be vulnerable as they reminisce about memories filled with love.

This “stripped down” motif continues in Searching, where Wanjine and Wabi Sherie’s yearning vocals intertwine above nothing more than an acoustic guitar and the subtle rhythm of shakers.

The album knows exactly when to shift gears, though. I Got You wraps its reassurances in a warmer, fuller arrangement, with drums and guitar creating a sound that complements Wendy Kay’s sultry, comforting vocals.

Then there’s the upbeat, exciting atmosphere of On Me (Nanyuki Vibes), where a more complex instrumental backdrop captures the feeling of going out of town with your lover—complete with specific mentions of balconies and floors that place you right in that gateaway romantic moment.

The Duet Dynamic

Soul’d Duets delivers on its title’s promise, giving us vocal conversations rather than randomly pairing artists together. Instead of getting one person’s take, we get these musical back and forth that actually feels complete.

Take The Way It Should Be as an example—it starts with someone basically pouring their heart out, confused and hurt about being left behind. Just when the pain feels most palpable (when Sam Warui sings “my sweet baaabyyy”), the second voice emerges with their side: a painful departure driven by unfulfilled promises of commitment.

And just when you think they’re at odds forever, the magic happens in that final verse when they sing together, realizing they belong to each other after all. It’s like watching a relationship drama play out in 3:33 minutes, and you’re not left hanging.

Album Standouts

Soul’d Duets has a couple of standout tracks, which, if you don’t have the time for a full album experience (you really do, though), can give you a sneak peek into how good it is.

Be Mine Forever is that first-date butterflies translated into sound-two voices circling each other with the kind of chemistry that makes you believe in love at first listen. Then there’s My Boo (Got You), where sweet promises and playful seduction are the main motif.

Don’t sleep on Searching, where Wabi Sherie’s vocals over that stripped-back acoustic guitar will have you texting that person you can’t get off your mind. And if you only listen to one track, make it I Got You as Wendy Kay and Wanjine deliver intimate assurances that will make you feel warm inside.

Final Verdict

Soul’d Duets has earned its place in my Valentine’s Day rotation, sitting comfortably alongside timeless classics like Sade’s Love and Marvin Gaye’s I Want You. This album captures the full emotional spectrum of relationships with a refreshing honesty and musical versatility that makes it both contemporary and timeless. Give it a listen—whether you are going through the ‘dreaded’ talking stage or looking to rekindle your current romance.