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When Seyi Vibez released his EP 'NAHAMciaga' in December 2023, 'Different Patterns' quickly emerged as a listeners' favourite.
For an artist whose talent has mostly been showcased through uptempo party starters shaped by speaker-rattling log drums underscored by a blend of Apala music inflections and hip-hop, Seyi Vibez's music won him the hearts of many listeners while inevitably alienating some.
The rich musicality of 'Different Pattern' where he channels the melodic cadences of Yoruba Highlife great Orlando Owoh fused with the serenading chest-thumping of Apala music would attract a new set of listeners who have previously found his vibrant street hop exhaustive.
With 'Different Pattern', Seyi Vibez scored his most accepted song yet and drew admiration from listeners and colleagues. One year after its release, this success is captured by its status as the most streamed song of 2024 on Apple Music Nigeria.
In a year where Nigerian mainstream music failed to deliver as many notable hit records as the previous year, 'Different Pattern' marks what this writer considers the listeners yearning for something refreshing.
A look at the top 10 of Apple Music's top songs of 2024 suggests that listeners leaned away from Amapiano in favour of other sounds with Omah Lay's 'Holy Ghost', Kizz Daniel's 'Twe Twe', Seyi Vibez's 'Cana' all dominating the top 5.
In the top 10, only Chike & Mohbad's 'Egwu' (7) and TitoM & Yuppe's 'Tshwala Bam' (8) remix featuring Burna Boy are the songs with Amapiano influences. A look at the top 20 shows Burna Boy's 'Higher' (12), Young Jonn's 'Bahamas' (19), and Asake's 'Remember' (20) as the other songs with palpable Amapiano elements.
After three years of the domination of log drums in the Nigerian pop framework, the fusion appears to have run its course, and consumers invariably crave something new.
In the search for the next dominant sound, some artists have looked within. Seyi Vibez's 'Different Pattern' embraces indigenous Yoruba music while Kizz Daniel's 'Twe Twe' heavily fuses Indigenous Nigerian folk drums. The success of these records when taken with the impact of Kaestyle's southern Highlife fusion on 'Egberi' suggests that the next frontier for Nigerian pop music could be found in exploring Indigenous genres.
Similarly, more artists are beginning to take a sonic trip to the Northern part of Nigeria whose indigenous music has been spotlighted by the impressive works of fast-rising star First Klass.
For Seyi Vibez, the success of 'Different Pattern' boldly communicates his ability to make songs that pack cultural richness and musicality to attract varying classes of listeners as expected of a popstar with superstar ambitions.
This writer also thinks Seyi Vibez should consider making a project that leans mostly toward the indigenous genres of Fuji/Apala. This would further showcase his range and artistry, and possibly position him as the leader of the next wave of Afrobeats pop music.
At any rate, the top 20 of Apple Music's top songs capture the slow return of 2024 and indicate that Amapiano fusion in Afrobeats is in its last days.