Once upon a time in the Nigerian music industry, it was almost a general belief that artists needed to make danceable pop music to have a place with the mainstream audience.
This belief led a number of alternative genre artists to crossover to the line of pop music makers. Even the record labels drummed it in the ears of their talents to “make music that can be played at parties”, for increased chances of scoring a hit. However, the successes of alternative artistes like Adekunle Gold is proving the line of thought to be a myth and not a fact.
Second Class Treatment of Alternative Music
The likes of Asa, Darey Art Alade and Bez once represented a small group of artistes whose genre of music were not so popular; although a number of their songs such as “Not The Girl” and “Jailer” reached high level of popularity. This class of music is usually separated from the common music in the mainstream scene as “good music”; because of the depth of art contained in them.
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These genres includes; soul, RnB, and partly, Hip-hop music. Although the artistic beauty of these songs were generally acknowledged, their commercial acceptance was however never commensurate.
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Due to this commercial factor, artistes like Iyanya switched from making sonorous RnB music like “Love Truly” to making dance-stimulating music like “Kukere.” The singer gave reason for the switch in style during an interview with Hip TV where he said, “I had those times when I dropped singles and they were going nowhere because they were RnB songs and few people will appreciate it. At some point, I tried different things but I realized that I still wanted to do music.”
Case of Adekunle Gold
Adekunle Gold’s debut single, “Sade”; announced him as a talented alternative singer. The success of the song earned him a record deal with YBNL but the deal came with a fear that his style of highlife music would be reworked to achieve commercial success. The singer however made it clear that he would remain true to his art when he stated, repeatedly, that his ambition is “not to be the spice of the moment when he could be the flavour of a lifetime.”
‘Dekunle followed up the success of his debut single with songs like “Orente” and “Pick Up”; songs which enjoyed near same level of commercial success as “Sade”, and to the surprise of many, the folk element of his music was sustained. His debut album, Gold, came later; and it succeeded in erasing the initial fear that without diluting his art, there is no chance of commercial success for AG.
With further successes the singer broke the norm. He kept his art pure and yet earned both commercial and critic success with the “Gold” album.
In his review of the Gold album, renowned music critic, Joey Akan wrote, “Adekunle Gold created and owned his path in mainstream music; One of local highlife and purist melodies coming together, and served in this age, with the right messages and lyrical delivery to match. Such a creation is unheard of in the increasingly mono-sonic commercial Nigerian music scene and for Adekunle Gold to properly create that path, he leads the line to success.”
This form of his, has since been sustained. His sophomore album, which was released in May 2018, is repeating the myth-breaking feat. The “About 30” album has so far recorded a reasonable level of critical and commercial success; with sweeping positive reviews from music critics, good airplay and the ranking of the album on the Billboard chart.
Constituent songs of the album like “Ire”, have been tipped for future awards; and the singer commands enough following to hold successful concerts inside and outside the country. All of these positives have been achieved without necessarily “going commercial.”
AG As Sign Of Promise For Alternative Music
Since the success of alternative artistes like AG, several other musicians with unique music styles have been encouraged to push their craft without bowing to the myth. Artistes like Nonso Amadi and Wurld have made an impression on the mainstream with their respective style of RnB music.
The reputation of Odunsi The Engine, another singer (and producer) with a unique style, is on the rise; having been involved in a number of major projects like the “Rendevous Playlist” released by M.I Abaga. Likewise, Lady Donli, an Afro-fusion artiste whose style of music has an heavy influence of Jazz music in it; is increasingly building her profile. And many more of their kind.
The success of artistes like AG and Asa has opened the door for more successes in the line of alternative music. Although these artistes may not be directly involved in the rise of the new crop of alternative artists, their unlikely but eventual success (especially for AG whose primary audience is in Nigeria) has an inspiriting effect on these Mavericks.
No wonder, BellaNaija, in a publication, named him No. 1 on the list of artistes championing the alternative music in Nigeria.The myth that an artist cannot make alternative music and be celebrated as a pop star has been challenged by the success of the “King Gold.” And with further successes, the urban high life singer and others like him can completely end the myth.
Written by Oluwatobi Ibironke
Oluwatobi Ibironke is a creative writer and a lover of books. He writes majorly about Nigerian music and sometimes about other social topics. His Twitter handle is: @ibironketweets