The jolting percussion pattern that opens up The Thrill hints at the growing confidence and ingenuity of BenjiFlow, the London-born singer and producer who has won praise and acclaim for his globalist sound that pulls distinctive threads from R&B, West African pop, and Brazilian samba into a cohesive unit held together by BenjiFlow’s nimble flow. While his 2020 album BENERGYl, an extended portrait of a blossoming romance, confirmed him as one of the UK’s great talents, The Thrill arrives as a wholesome expansion on that singular narrative, fleshing out the details of the good, bad and thrilling parts of Benji’s relationships over the years with rich detail. As ever, BenjiFlow meshes sounds and places dextrously: On “Go,” he applies the cadence and lingo of Afropop over a shimmering flamenco instrumental while the Oxlade-assisted “My Bella” is an indisputable high point. The back end of the project finds him coming into his own as a lover and man, swapping a speculative air for assured footing on “Ready” and “My Bag.” Scripted across nine songs, the fun never stops; even when he’s taking a self-admitted loss on “She’s Not In Love,” the air almost feels celebratory because BenjiFlow is luxuriating in the thrill of it all.