Omah Lay Boy Alone Album Review: Music identity Solidified
Omah Lay became a household name during the pandemic after releasing two fire Extended play albums. Before the pandemic was over, he was already one of the best and thriving artists in Nigeria-winning the Headies awards (Nigeria’s biggest music award). After touring and having a few collaborations in Nigeria and around the world, it was time for him to consolidate on his previous projects.
Often this is where artists face what’s called the creative block because they have to create new songs. This is because while their first set of projects was a product of years of work under little or no pressure, their new project will be under serious pressure, especially because of the success they have enjoyed before. Furthermore, this pressure leads them into creating projects which may not sound or feel like them.
As for Omah Lay, that is not what he portrayed with this project as he showed that he owned his sound and his style of music. Yes, it is Afrobeats but unique to him because he keeps his musical design and style solidified. Although the engineering of the songs may have dropped from what it was in his “Get’ Layed EP’ when he worked extensively with Swapsbeatz; in this project, his lyrical composition and beats make all sound Omah Lay, which is a true solidification of his musical identity.
THE THEME
Boy Alone album is an album that is highly influenced by Omah Lay’s reaction to fame. It is more like a continuation of the “what have we done” EP. This project is like a long piece of a story broken into tracks and voiced with different melodies. Omah Lay spoke sang of his reaction to fame especially as it affects his natural nature of being an introvert. This can be heard in the song titled “I’m a mess” and “Soso”. “I’m a mess” is a song that x-ray into his life and the insecurities that he still faces even as a pop star. He sings about fame pushing him into a different lifestyle he is not used to. In a line of the song, he sings about breaking the commandments and feeling guilty-wishing he could just disappear.
“I’m a mess” is a song that highlights the ways he feels daily. According to him, his insecurities have heightened to new levels. According to him alcohol gradually became his only sanctuary because he cannot trust anybody because his friends are not really his friends and he also has to deal with heartbreaks he has endured in recent times.
‘Temptation’ is a song he appreciates his day one friend (Marijuana) who have always been with him from the start. According to him, Marijuana has always loved him unconditionally even with his unstable lifestyle. Tagging these unstable lifestyles as temptations, he finishes off by stating that his day-one friend (Marijuana) has always been there holding him strong and stable to face these temptations.
“Never forget” is a song that explains Omah Lay’s state of mind. He sings from the point of a confused young lad who blew up into fame and became a success. According to him, he is in a lonely place on but he will never forget the slums and pain he came from. Painting life as military, he states that no man has a rank in this life and one faces life as a soldier who treats his wounds and keeps fighting even when injured.
“Safe Haven” is a song he uses to talk about where he has found peace in recent times. According to him, being on the road traveling, and touring is the only place where he is finding solace and peace because it is his safe haven.
In summary, when you listen to the album, each song links to another song and gives an idea into the mind of Omah Lay as of Nigeria’s biggest pop stars.
