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Voltz JT's timeless hit in Zimbabwe, “These Days” speaks about the dangers of social media that are still prevalent to this day.

If you’re a fan of Pop Smoke or drill music, then you might like this track. The song, These Days by Voltz JT was released on 7 May 2021. It features Jax daBeatBully, a Zimbabwean producer and rapper and the music video was directed by Leoy V. According to other sources on the internet, the song is about Voltz JT's hardships and obstacles in both his personal and musical lives. He vents his frustration at the lack of encouragement and acknowledgement from his colleagues and the industry. He also considers how he attempts to deal with his previous mistakes and regrets. Moreover, the song is a fusion of drill music and the Shona language which in turn formed a genre known as Jecha Trap. In other words, Voltz JT was the one who pioneered the Jecha Trap sound.

What is Jecha Trap? As mentioned by Innocent V on Zimboson Website, the jecha trap sound is a type of music that combines the elements of drill music and the Shona language. Drill music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the United Kingdom and features dark, violent, and nihilistic lyrics over hard-hitting beats. The Shona language is one of the official languages of Zimbabwe and is spoken by about 10 million people. The jecha trap sound is a way of expressing the realities of the ghetto and the struggles of the youth in Zimbabwe. The term “jecha” means sand or dirt, and it is used to describe the harsh conditions and obstacles that people face in their lives.

Not only does Voltz JT talks about his hardships in the music industry but he also mentioned the dangers of social media that are still prevalent to this day. This can be found in the song lyrics.

At the beginning of the track, there is a consistent beat with a deep bassline that showcases Voltz JT’s lyrical skills and flow. With a catchy chorus, Voltz JT begins by saying:

These days unoita mad uchipihwa mbiri nevanhu (mbiri nevanhu) / Dzinoto tryer apauchipihwa mbiri nevanhu (mbiri nevanhu) / These days pakuda chikoro chekudzidza kudealer nevanhu (kudealer nevanhu) / These days life ma1 kumaG’s anotemba nevanhu / Cuz time time vanokusimbisa kuti bho (vanoti bho) / After ipapo vanongoseka kuseri kwedoor (kuseri kwedoor) / Ita fast kubata Nyaya usaite slow (usaite slow) / These days hazvidi dzungu / Saka chigaya kugara urilow

Which means in English:

These days you get mad when you are praised by people (praise by people) / You even try when you are praised by people (praise by people) / These days school is needed to deal with people (to deal with people) / These days life is tough for the G's who trust people / Cuz time time they confirm that it's cool (they say it's cool) / After that they just laugh behind the door (behind the door) / Be quick to deal with the story, don't be slow (don't be slow) / These days don't need to be dizzy / So grind and stay low

The chorus already paints a picture of what the song is about. It highlights two issues; fake friends and the importance of moving is silence. When it comes to fake friends, Voltz JT said, “These days pakuda chikoro chekudzidza kudealer nevanhu (kudealer nevanhu) / These days life ma1 kumaG’s anotemba nevanhu” which means, “These days school is needed to deal with people (to deal with people) / These days life is tough for the G's who trust people.” This could be referring to Voltz JT’s struggles in terms of lacking support and recognition from his peers and the industry. Yet it could also refer to some negative effects of social media. For instance, some may be chasing validation in terms of getting likes on social media or some might use their friends for connections to get ahead on social media. It then paints the picture that these days life is tough for the G’s who trust people. In other words, due to the rise of social media, it has led to some fake friendships. Therefore, the song has a double meaning of not highlighting Voltz JT's struggles, but other issues caused by social media. Furthermore, it's another reason why Voltz JT seems to reinforce the importance of moving in silence.

Moreover, in Verse 1, Voltz JT highlights other issues caused by social media. This is shown when he says:

These days haazi mafunnies (these days haazi mafunnies) / Painful / Kuita kunge bee asina mamunchies (painful) / Painful nyika iri colders / Better kufamba uneka matches (painful) / Painful kumukira monaz / Tryna impress pa-IG, Pa-IG panema mababies (panema-) / Fully grown babies / Vanoita anything to get famous (to get famous) / Anything to get famous / Ukangotaura hanzi une jealous (hanzi une jealous) / All day unenge uri-out / Taking pictures hauna denaz (Shauna denaz) / All day muchiita noise / Muchingotaura nezve mahaters (haha)

Which means in English:

These days ain’t no funnies (these days ain’t no funnies) / Painful / Looking like a bee without honeybee (painful) / Painful the country is cold / Better to walk with matches (painful) / Painful waking up early in the morning  / Tryna to impress on IG, On IG there are babies (there are-) / Fully grown babies / That will do anything to get famous / Anything to get famous / If you talk, they say you are jealous / All day you will be out / Taking pictures without a house / All day making noise / Always talking about haters

Verse 1 talks about how the youth are trying to seek validation on Instagram. Some have resorted to making mediocre content such as meaningless gossip, fake trips overseas, and basically living a fake life hence why Voltz JT said there are fully grown babies on Instagram that will do anything to get fame. To support this, he said, “All day unenge uri-out / Taking pictures hauna denaz.” Some are busy taking pictures for Instagram instead of finding ways to sort out their lives which shows that the song, These Days speaks about the dangers of social media that are still prevalent to this day.

To finalize the message of the song about the dangers of social media, the song ends with an outro:

I also feel like at the same time it’s where we are trying too hard, a lot of people are trying to look too good on social media especially not caring enough about building who they are in real life. So, at the end of the day, really nice pictures, really hot girl but having a conversation with her she does not have any substance cause all she focuses on is the appearance that she used to provide on social media apart from what she is, who she is as a person or what she can, you know venture in as a human being.

The outro clearly depicts the dangers of social media which calls for moderation. In other words, the message behind the song, “These Days” is centered on not comparing our lives on social media. One may not know what happens behind closed doors. Towards the end of the song, the consistent beat with a deep bassline is matched perfectly with Voltz JT vocals when he said, “After ipapo vanongoseka kuseri kwedoor” which means “After that they just laugh behind the door.”

In a nutshell, I loved the authenticity of the track. The visuals were simple yet suited well with the song’s message. I also appreciated a new genre titled, “Jecha Trap” which is a fusion of drill music and the Shona Language. Since Voltz JT is the pioneer of the genre, it also explains how he is one of the famous Zim hip hop artists in Zimbabwe. Therefore, I highly rate the track, 10/10.

Spotify link:

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