On ‘Syllables,’ Eminem rapped that, “It’s not about lyrics anymore, it’s about a hot beat and a catchy hook.” Times have changed. Music is now less about quality and more about strategy.

The greatest example of how it’s more about strategy, branding, roll-out, stans and the power of the internet is exemplified by the success of ‘Duduke’ by Simi. You can read this writer’s breakdown of that HERE.

Why is this happening? 

The advent of the internet brought with it social media and streaming while also amplifying and arming stan culture with power and voice by serving as an aggregator. The world of music now strongly relies on stans to act as, “Evangelists.” 

The idea is predicated upon the oversaturation of the music space with content and artists. In the old days, fans would have had to visit record stores and actually show effort. By so doing, they separate themselves from the noise and saturation. 

These days, the audience gets its music from the streaming services like everybody else. Even if you get the music illegality, you are still seeing the saturation. 

Strategy in current Nigerian music 

So instead of labels continually competing, they seek to make the most of the earliest clicks on the music to retain as much people as possible while also looking to merge fan bases. That’s why Drake is putting superstars and making his video a Nike ad. That’s why Tiwa Savage is getting Sam Smith on a record. That’s why Burna Boy featured Chris Martin on a record. 

The aim is to capitalize on the power of search and the fan base of the featured artist. It’s not just about what the featured artists can bring in artistry anymore, it’s about what they can offer from a streaming perspective. The title of Burna Boy’s ‘Ye’ changed the song’s entire life cycle and appeal because it shared a similar title to Kanye West’s album. That underlines the power of search  

In the same way, when fans of Sam Smith search him or visit his page on Spotify, they are seeing Tiwa Savage. That’s also why some artists are getting excessive feature calls. That’s why everybody wants to feature Fireboy these days. That’s why Omah Lay will start getting calls soon. 

Between final quarter 2019 and second quarter 2020, Fireboy's Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps made him the most streamed Nigerian artist by a long mile. Omah Lay then took over after he released his critically-acclaimed EP, Get Layd.

Word on the street says Burna Boy and his team actually wanted the entire Coldplay, not just Chris Martin because of the 30 million-strong streaming muscle, but that never quite happened. We do know why though.

ALSO READ: The problem with 'hits' in 2019 and the illusion of numbers

Branding and roll-out 

This is also where perception, branding and roll-out come in. The era of the internet has made people more cerebral and aware. From the music, they want more. In Nigeria, our industry is also maturing and that’s why people require actual lyrics more than just the vibes they would have accepted five years ago. 

It also means aesthetics and evangelism on social media could be key for you. What you say and do while you’re rolling out your album could determine how people anticipate, react to or consume your music. Information dissemination is so easy now, so word travels fast. 

That’s why Nigerians were averse to the political branding that Tiwa Savage’s album got. 

Wasn’t it always like this? 

In a way, it’s always been this way, but it’s never been this obvious. In those days, the quality and the appeal of the music was the major root of success. When Terry G, Timaya and the likes were on their feature runs, people banked on their presence to sell the music. It’s not dissimilar to how people bank on Fireboy these days, but there’s a difference. 

The difference is that the music had to be heard in those days and people will hear good, resonant music - they might even stick with the music. It was also simpler at the time to get hits - record a commercial song and say all the right things with a huge marketing budget and you might be in. 

These days, all of that might not get you anything. So, instead of going out to try and find hits, you just want numbers - the new currency. Numbers will determine how much money you can get. That’s why hits won’t matter anymore, numbers will. You can have the hottest song, but if it doesn’t have numbers, you won’t get great money. 

So if we all want the money, why are we chasing hits and not numbers? 

People used to have roll-outs, but those were not as popular in Nigeria, During Pulse Nigeria’s interview with Reminisce, he said that he had to learn about roll-out and create buzz. Generating awareness is now led by the internet and social media. You can even roll your music out without interviews. 

That roll-out also continues after the music has dropped so you can sustain the buzz and gain clicks. That’s why the status of a hit will not matter in 10 years. If the numbers are healthy, nobody will care about popularity and cultural impact. 

Why is this so popular in Nigeria now? 

Again, the internet. Second, our industry is maturing fast and we can see it. More importantly, our industry is seeing the rapid development of our six key silos. The internet is also winning people over faster than ever before. We are still not quite totally there like say the US is, but it’s happening. 

Artists have also seen the importance of numbers. Charting is also about numbers, not exactly circulation and one click is what I need to contribute my quota. That’s why TrueView works and why YouTube charges a ton of money for it from Nigerians. Aside from that, Nigerian artists are also quite lazy. Strategy is also a much easier way out. 

The role of stans

They could help you propel the music as evangelists or keep the music bubbling on streaming charts enough to get others interested. In the end, when artists also want to tour, they can search the best areas of consumption of their music and go tour there. Those places might not be filled with top tier stans, but they will also be stans if they consume the music that much.  

The future

The future is here. Nobody knows, but my OGs have two theories; one is that we will go back to the days of hits in 50 years or we will get to a place where music consumership gets more fractured and gives artists more power to branch out on their own like Ryan Leslie and aim to reach their fans directly. 

This way, rollout, branding and strategy would not really be needed. You will just have to be intimate with your people. That’s all.