Entertainment
Why Afrobeats has struggled to deliver a smash hit in 2024
It’s 8 weeks to the end of the year and it appears that Nigerian mainstream pop music will not be getting an emphatic hit record.
While it might be easy to dismiss this concern as cynical or an underappreciation of the current ecosystem, the volume of hit records from the preceding years shows that Afrobeats has recorded its slowest year in a long time.
Both major stars and emerging artists have churned out records to continue their rise in 2024. However, a smash hit has eluded the ecosystem.
Ayra Starr’s ‘Comma’, songs from Kizz Daniel’s ‘TZA’ EP, BoyPee, Hyce, and Brown Joel’s ‘Ogechi’, Ayo Maff’s ‘Dealer’, Seyi Vibez & Muyeez’s ‘Instagram’, Kaestyle’s ‘My Dealer’, Smur Lee’s ‘Juju’, Rema’s ‘Ozeba’, Victony’s ‘Stubborn’, Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’, and Asake’s ‘MMS’ are among the biggest releases of 2024. However, a bulk of these songs didn’t enjoy the longevity and wide patronage to propel them to smash-hit status.
This lack of a smash hit can be blamed for what is a quiet year for Afrobeats on the global front as the local front didn’t give the diasporsa something to amplify.
As Nigerian mainstream pop music appears to be in a state of diminishing return manifesting through the lack of an emphatic breakout star and hit record, stakeholders have grappled to explain what could be the reasons behind this decline.
The exhaustion of Amapiano fusion
The importation of the vibrant Amapiano sound from South Africa is responsible for the last major sonic shift in Nigerian Pop music. When Amapiano fusion in Afrobeats is discussed, it’s impossible not to touch on the impact of hitmaker Asake and his era-defining partnership with producer Magicsticks which dominated the soundscape and had artists of all cadre mirroring his sound.
After nearly 4 years of exploration, the fusion appears to have peaked with nothing exciting left to offer. And with no new sound at hand to take the baton, the soundscape seems to be in a limbic state where songs aren’t gaining mass appeal or sticking long enough to become a major hit.
Less Risk Taking and little Innovation
While appearing on the Zero Conditions Podcast, the host Melody Hassan mentioned that songs haven’t been connecting in 2024 the way they used to. On the podcast, Renowned Pop Culture Writer Ayomide Tayo pointed out that several new generation artists are sounding like the third iteration of a superstar.
While a line of influence can always be drawn from new stars to the major stars that shaped their artistry, the lack of distinction can create an industry populated by similar-sounding records hovering at the same level. This has invariably affected the chances of releases resonating to the point of becoming a hit since ingenuity continues to take the back seat over template-driven music.
This desire to take a different approach rather than the part of crafting Afrobeats tune for global consumption is what inspired Rema’s sophomore album ‘HEIS’ which is undoubtedly the most risky and dynamic project of 2024. Although the outcome is divisive and the project got some stick from this writer, Rema’s bold attempt to snatch Afrobeats from Amapiano’s choking grip must be applauded.
Victony’s brilliant genre-bending on ‘Stubborn,’ Kaestyle’s desire to look inward and create from his cultural roots, and Kizz Daniel’s exciting exploration of indigenous Nigerian and African music are some of the risk-taking that has delivered exciting moments for Afrobeats in 2024. And while a smash hit is yet to emerge from this, it is a reminder of the ability of indigenous genres to propel Nigerian pop music.
Speaking on the issue of diminishing returns in Nigerian mainstream music, Renowned Music Journalist Joey Akan opined that there’s a lack of creativity from the top artists playing it safe. He argued that while this might not be an issue, the artists in the underground who should be crafting new sounds that top artists borrow from and propel are simply mirroring the top artists in a desire to score a similar level of success.
Saturation and Inflation
Another factor that has been fingered for the low turnout of hit singles or even that lack thereof in 2024 is the saturation.
The entrance of music streaming platforms coupled with the global exportation of Nigerian music through the “Afrobeats to the World” movement has lowered the barrier of entry while equally providing increased funding that has created artists way faster than the domestic market is growing.
Today, more artists are operating in the ecosystem, and while a rising population suggests there are more than enough listeners to service the market, just a fairly small section of Nigeria’s nearly 200 million people are digitally connected.
This issue of saturation and inflation more money in the industry has created. Today, artists with resources are churning out music and marketing them via similar mediums to get the attention of the same group of listeners whose patronage will propel their records to hit status.
In an internet era where attention is fleeting, the issue of saturation becomes more of a problem when the majority of these releases lack the distinction and uniqueness needed to get the mass attention that creates a hit.
Afrobeats is part of a global decline
It might be important to point out that Afrobeats isn’t the only industry that has struggled to deliver hit records in 2024.
While Country and Pop music have enjoyed a successful year in the United States thanks to the success of Tedy Swims, Shaboozy, Sabrina Carpenter,Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and Benson Boone, hip-hop has struggled to dominate the upper half of the chart. It took a viral rap beef between two of the biggest rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar for the genre to score a hit record in 2024.
Even the vibrant UK rap scene and the energetic Jamaican Dancehall scenes have struggled to deliver global hits in 2024.
Bottom Line
While the element of luck in scoring hit records cannot be discounted, we must acknowledge the issues that may have contributed to the poor return of smash hit songs in 2024.
It’s time for the ecosystem and the talents that drive it to start innovating rather than towing the same path in a desire to partake in the “Afrobears to the World” largesse.
Artists, especially up-and-coming talents, need to show drive and hunger by innovating and taking bolder steps to distinguish themselves rather than recreating already tired sounds of top stars.
The big stars have for over a decade carried the weight of the delivery of hit records, while the power bottoms, as Akan described the underground, have continued to innovate and give the top something to popularise. It’s time for everyone to play their role.
2024 might have been a quiet year but with the talents and drive that shape Afrobeats there’s enough reason to be optimistic that 2025 will be a better year.
#Afrobeats #struggled #deliver #smash #hit
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Entertainment
He fought a 15-year legal battle for rights to his songs – Mike Ejeagha Documentary director [Pulse Inteview]
He fought a 15-year – He fought a 15-year…
He fought a 15-year – Mike Ejeagha is a…
Mike Ejeagha is a folk musician popular among South-Easterners for his unique storytelling through music.
Ejeagha has woven the cultural essence of the Igbo people into each of his songs.
However, his music had long been relegated to the archives of Nigerian history, until an unexpected event changed the course as comedian Brain Jotter sampled one of Ejeagha’s iconic tracks, birthing the viral “Gwo gwo gwo ngwo” trend on social media
This viral moment sparked a resurgence of interest in the legendary musician’s work, with young Nigerians reconnecting with the rhythms and storytelling that Ejeagha’s music embodies. As though designed by providence, a documentary about his life and influence was already in the works before this Renaissance, thrusting the forgotten legend back into the cultural limelight.
The documentary, set to be released to the public for the first time on December 21, 2024, captures Ejeagha’s remarkable journey as well as his deep connection to the Igbo people, their traditions, and the impact his music has had over the years.
Pulse Nigeria recently sat down with Michael Chineme Ike, the director of the Mike Ejeagha Documentary to discuss this unique journey of rediscovery, the challenges of bringing the story to life, and the importance of preserving the legacy of artists like Ejeagha.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What inspired you to create a documentary about Mike Ejeagha?
As a kid growing up in Igbo land, I listened to Mike Ejeagha’s music and it was always unique how every one of his songs taught a moral lesson. I learnt that it’s wrong to steal from his song "Onye ori Utaba". I didn’t know him or meet him personally but I loved his music. Decades later, almost everyone like myself thought he was late, until somehow his story appeared online when Amarachi Attamah and Charles Ogbu brought to the public notice that the legend is alive but more than that, he is living in poverty. This was sad. I didn’t have money to donate but decided to use my filmmaking skills to give the man a much bigger gift: a legacy that no other Igbo legend has had the pleasure of experiencing. And what’s more important than doing this and celebrating him while he is still alive with us?
How did you go about researching Mike Ejeagha’s life and work?
It wasn’t easy. The internet doesn’t have so much about his life. I had to visit the family and interview him and his children. He was already very old and could barely talk properly or remember things. I also researched his work experience and visited people who had the opportunity to work with him in the past. Most were dead but those I could find were able to provide so many details about the man and his exploits that helped form the story.
What were some of the challenges you faced while working on this documentary?
Well, there is funding. Filming documentaries isn’t cheap and I learnt that the hard way as this was the first documentary film I embarked on in my career. As documentaries aren’t great money-making ventures, getting people to invest in the project was also hard, so I had to carry most of the cross. Another major challenge was the lack of archival footage to help with visuals in the documentary. Mike Ejeagha lived in a time with little or no digital video recordings, so there was almost nothing to be found of him on the internet.
He doesn’t have much at home either and even TV stations he worked with gave excuses like a fire incident in the past burning up videos of his programs on TV. These things made it hard for us. But thanks to the extra efforts from my team and me, we were able to dig deeper and also got some with the help of AI. We then created more scenarios from stories we got from our research and interviews.
READ ALSO: Mercy Aigbe’s December release, ‘Thin Line’ makes ₦28.5 million since its release
Can you share any special or surprising discoveries you made about Ejeagha during the production?
To avoid any spoilers, I discovered that while the world had thought that Mike Ejeagha was dead, the man was simply battling a long legal battle with his record label over the rights to use his songs and make music videos out of it. This lasted for over 15 years until the Enugu State Government stepped in. I also found out that he contributed over 200 songs to the National Archives, a rare feat that many people were unaware of.
How did Brain Jotter’s use of Mike Ejeagha’s song impact your work on the documentary?
I had long started and even concluded interviews for the project before BrainJotter did what he did. However, I was in a stalled moment due to funds preventing me from going immediately into post-production. When the dance went viral, many people who knew about my project advised that it was best to release the project in the heat of the moment, little did they know I would love to but the issue of funds persisted. Eventually, I did get some help with a last-minute investment from Charles Ogbu who has been like a son to Mike Ejeagha and I was able to get things rolling again. Thank God, I’m able to finish soon enough and here we are today, about to premiere with the trend still fresh in people’s minds.
Do you think the trend revived public interest in Mike Ejeagha or were people already nostalgic about his music?
Mike Ejeagha’s music is unique and many people loved it. But in this Gen Z generation, I would say Brain Jotter’s dance trend did play a very key role in reviving public interest in the man. In fact, his music was more popular than himself and many people didn’t even know who he was or that he was still alive. The trend did help a lot.
Did the trend influence any creative choices you made in the documentary?
In a way, yes. One of Mike’s music, titled "Uwa mgbede ka mma" loosely translates to he who laughs last, laughs best. We can say that after going through all the life challenges he went through, the universe decided to bless him during his last days on earth. This helped to bring a perfect ending to the documentary because he was still alive. We couldn’t have possibly ended with his death. The Brain Jotter trend, his story revival which even attracted the state governor and many prominent persons to him, was a perfect and emotional end to the project.
What role do you think social media plays in preserving cultural icons like Mike Ejeagha?
Social media plays a transformative role in preserving cultural icons like Mike Ejeagha by creating a global platform for their stories and works to be rediscovered and celebrated. It helps amplify their legacy, making it accessible to younger generations who may not have experienced their contributions firsthand. Through social media, fans and supporters can share memories, performances, and interviews, keeping their influence alive. In Mike Ejeagha’s case, platforms like Facebook and YouTube have become archives for his music and storytelling, while influencers and cultural enthusiasts spark conversations around his impact. Social media also facilitates advocacy, as seen when fans and activists rallied support during his legal battles and for his recent recognition. It bridges the gap between generations, ensuring that the essence of his artistry and Igbo culture continues to inspire a global audience.
What message do you hope audiences take away from this documentary?
Do you have plans to work on more documentaries about Nigerian folk legends or other cultural icons?
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I wish I met – I wish I met…
I wish I met – Singer Portable’s second baby…
Singer Portable’s second baby mama, Honey Berry, has taken to social media to appreciate her new man, and people say she subtly shaded you know who in the process.
Taking to Instagram on December 16, 2024, Honey Berry posted a video of herself and her partner to her Instagram page and expressed heartfelt affection for him, writing, “It’s Monday 👩❤️💋👨 Baby I want you to know that you are the love of my life,❤️that your soul and mine are one in the same,and that I will love you a million lifetimes from now! You have no idea how happy you make me sweetheart.👩❤️💋👨”
“I will spend my life making you as happy as you make me. I just love you so damn much.🥰We share such an amazing one of a kind love they is so pure and so true.💕Tonight you just have my heart overflowing. I just wish you were here so l could cook for you and watch a movie together. Sweetheart I cannot wait to be holding you again.💃I hope you have a good night and sleep well my angel.I love you baby Love you from the very depths of my soul,” she added.
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Though sweet and warm, Berry’s last statement, “I wish had met you before the wrong 💔person🤮🤮,” sparked reactions from social media users, with many believing that it was shade thrown at Portable.
“Na only this girl get sense among portable baby mama’s 😂I know she will be regretting knowing portable for her life,” said an Instagram user in the comments.
Another comment read, “Sisterhood is proud of you, my Baby”
“Portable don set ring light 😂,”said another person.
Another Instagram user asked, “Who be the wrong person ejoor? 😂”
Recall that in 2023, Honey Berry and Portable had a public spat after she took to her Instagram live session to angrily call the singer out for abandoning their child, revealing that he has been missing in action for the past four months. Honey Berry also alleged that her baby daddy tried to create a rift between her and his first wife Bewaji by only posting her.
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Mercy Aigbe's December release, – Mercy Aigbe's December release,…
Mercy Aigbe's December release, – Nollywood actress and producer…
Nollywood actress and producer Mercy Aigbe’s Thin Line has grossed ₦28.5 million at the box office since its release on December 13, 2024.
Thinline is up against tough competition this December from other high-budget holiday films, including projects from Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, Ayo “AY” Makun, and Ghanaian director Peter Sedufia. However, with December being a prime month for the industry, Thinline has already established itself as a strong contender for audiences looking for an engaging drama this festive season.
Distributed by Cinemax, the film is a compelling drama that delves into themes of faith, betrayal, and redemption, drawing audiences in with its intense narrative.
Starring Uzo Arukwe, Jaiye Kuti, Cute Abiola, Yvonne Jegede, and others, the film is directed by Akay Mason. Before its nationwide release, Thinline already raked in N3.5 million from advanced screenings.
READ ALSO: Why some Nigerians ‘can’t deal’ with Nollywood films
Mercy Aigbe has established herself as a powerhouse in the Nigerian film industry. In 2016, she took a significant step towards nurturing new talent by founding the Mercy Aigbe Gentry School of Drama. Renowned for her versatility and commanding presence, Aigbe has starred in and produced countless films, earning her a reputation as one of Nollywood’s most influential actresses.
Aigbe’s impact is still growing. This year, she made major waves with two blockbuster films: Farmer’s Bride, which grossed over N100 million, and Beast of Two Worlds, which earned over N200 million after its cinema run.
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