There is an African proverb about the stubborn fly that follows a corpse to the grave. Another warns that whoever throws stones in the marketplace should remember that the same marketplace is full of people who can throw stones back. Then there is the familiar wisdom that everyone has a skeleton in the cupboard. These […]
Chella’s rise in the Nigerian music industry has been an interesting one. He became widely known following the success of Yansh, a song that introduced him to a much larger African audience. Before then, his public image could easily have been mistaken for that of a content creator or comedy skit maker. However, Chella continued […]
Olamide has been quietly reinventing himself, and one of the most interesting parts of this process is his decision to learn and master the saxophone. In recent releases, he has been finding ways to incorporate saxophone solos into his music, adding another dimension to an artist who has already successfully transitioned from rapper to singer. […]
Yemi Alade has spent more than a decade building a career around infectious Afropop records, energetic performances and music that travels across different African markets. However, being good at making hit songs does not necessarily translate into being good at making albums. This is an area where Yemi Alade has struggled for years, and her […]
When an artist has a fan base that has become attached to a particular sound, experimenting with a different genre can be difficult. The artist has to introduce the new sound without completely losing the listeners who connected with the original identity. Magixx takes an interesting approach to this problem on “Be the One.” Instead […]
Young Jonn has reached a point where the laziness in his music is becoming difficult to ignore. The Nigerian singer and producer has built a reputation around his understanding of sound, his ability to make records that move people, and the experience that comes with years of working behind the scenes. However, his recent releases […]
Ajebo Hustlers have built their music around relatable stories, street language and the everyday experiences of people trying to navigate love, friendship and life. Their latest song, 365 Day featuring Ghanaian singer Gyakie, continues in that direction, but musically, it does not offer much that feels new. The song has a familiar contemporary Afropop sound, […]
Rema’s last release, Tea, was tagged a stage and party song after a clear analysis of the music. It was a record that understood its purpose, and its appeal was tied to the atmosphere it created. With Oh No, however, Rema takes a different approach. He has released a song that people can sing at […]
James Brown was probably not thinking about criminal justice, motherhood or the killing of children when he sang that it is a man’s world. He was speaking about the enormous influence men have historically had over society, while also acknowledging that none of that influence exists independently of women. The song became a celebration of […]
Fola has been getting the sticks from listeners for a while now. One of the biggest criticisms of his music is that he keeps singing about women while relying on a familiar flow that appears repeatedly across his songs. At some point, the conversation around him became that of an artist who had found one […]
