Darkoo has split her time between Nigeria and Britain for years. The artiste is known for frolicking with some of Nigeria’s biggest artistes. A remix here, a duet there, a sample, an interpolation. She continues to find ways to reintegrate herself into the system. Yet the question of acceptance remains.

She keeps putting out records.

Her new output, $exy Girl $ummer (Vol. 1), comes with support from Rema, Davido, Victony and others. She is tapped in. The project is also clear about what it wants to talk about. Sex is the dominant topic, and Darkoo sounds like she was horny in the course of recording it. She is always doing something to someone, sometimes saying it plainly, sometimes encoding the words.

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“Like Dat” is sensuous. Darkoo’s girly vocals are built around repetition as she urges the girl to ride on it. The second verse is more graphically delivered, taking the song further into the territory established from the beginning. It is not a song searching for a deeper meaning. It knows exactly what it wants to be.

“Stay” starts with staggering production before the underlying drum settles things into proper shape. It is a feel-good record, lighter than the opening track and less concerned with making a statement. Darkoo sounds comfortable here.

Victony becomes the star of the moment on “Psycho.” It feels like a typical Victony track. He goes in, dismantling the beat and rebuilding it into something more lovable. The toxicity of the relationship seems to drive the adrenaline of both singers, giving the song a tension that works in its favour.

On “Focus On Me,” Darkoo embraces Dancehall rhythms to score another sensual track. Just like the title suggests, she wants the girl to focus on her. It is a continuation of the project’s central theme, but she gives the song another layer by sampling a P-Square classic. The familiarity of the sample works without overwhelming the new record.

9ice’s “Gongo Aso” gets sampled on “Your Number,” an R&B-inflected tune and, surprisingly, one of the cleanest and coolest tracks on the project. Darkoo sounds like she is on a roll here. The song strips away some of the overt sexuality and allows her to settle into a smoother performance.

When Darkoo sings, “Girl, I gat options but I choose you darlin bae,” on “Option,” it is a way of reasserting her credibility. I have options, but I picked you. Don’t get ahead of yourself, she seems to advise. It is another song built around attraction, but there is also an element of control in the way she presents herself.

Rema appears on the Brick & Lace-inspired “Favourite.” Like expected, Rema has the upper hand. When his vocals come in, he goes straight to work, adding flavour and suaveness to the track. Darkoo holds her own, but Rema understands the assignment particularly well.

Davido and Rvssian appear on the closer, “Right Now,” a riveting R&B tune drenched in the sweetness of love. It is an appropriate ending for a project that has spent much of its time moving between desire and affection. By this point, Darkoo has made her intentions clear.

With $exy Girl $ummer (Vol. 1), Darkoo finally has a compact material that feels deliberate. The topics are deliberately restricted, but within that space, she exhibits some level of sonic mastery. The project is not without its flaws. At times, the feature artistes understand the assignment better than she does.

Still, Darkoo sounds like an artiste finding her footing. She may not have completely solved the question of where she belongs, but she is getting better at making a case for herself.