Sometimes June revisits childhood and memory in debut album “Memories with Nostalgic Flaws”

June Sometimes, a Nigerian vocalist, lyricist, and author, has finally unveiled his debut album, “Memories with Nostalgic Flaws,” a profoundly reflective collection that encapsulates the experience of maturing in Lagos and the wistful longing that accompanies it.

John Eni-ibukun, known professionally as June Sometimes, is celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most promising talents. Prior to fully embracing music, he distinguished himself as a spoken‑word performer using the name XIII June, launching the inaugural Uyo Echoes of Poetry event in 2018 and later reaching the semi‑finals of Lagos’ War of Words slam.

During 2022, he organized Drummr Africa’s collaborative album “Yamen Yamen,” contributing solely a raw, poetic outro titled ‘I Have Made Peace with My Loneliness.’ Three years on, June reemerges with a complete record that presents him not merely as a songwriter but as a narrative sound‑artist.

“Recollecting one’s childhood in Nigeria is recalling every path that shaped who you are today,” June muses.

“Memories with Nostalgic Flaws” serves as a coming‑of‑age tale drenched in memory and renewal. Throughout its tracks, June sketches lively vignettes of his early‑2000s Lagos upbringing—playing sùwè and ten‑ten in face‑me‑I‑face‑you compounds, and assembling football squads from bottle caps and paper goals. The record intertwines moments of happiness with contemplation, striking a balance between youthful innocence and adult gravity.

Musically, the album draws from an eclectic sonic palette, blending vintage family voicemails, nostalgic toy and game sounds, and 2000s‑2010s cultural motifs into richly textured storytelling. Certain songs echo nursery rhymes and pop‑culture tropes, whereas others delve into self‑consciousness and evolution via soulful tunes and intricate arrangements.

Yet “Memories with Nostalgic Flaws” transcends a mere record; it’s an immersive journey. June Sometimes intends to debut it as an interactive game, encouraging listeners to participate via nostalgia‑driven shows, contests, and experiential gatherings. “The goal is to involve everyone in the narrative,” he explains. “It’s a collective memory, experienced differently by each of us.”

Aligned with his community‑focused outlook, June is developing a social‑impact initiative that will instruct painting and photography to pupils in public secondary schools throughout Lagos Mainland. Looking back at his own creative evolution, he attributes art‑exploration workshops and school field trips for guiding his artistic direction.

Through “Memories with Nostalgic Flaws,” June Sometimes achieves exactly that, employing nostalgia as both reflection and roadmap. It functions as a sonic time capsule for anyone who recalls the experience of growing up Nigerian—imperfect, optimistic, and eternally enamored with the past that forged them.

Listen here