By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Oxlade, a prominent Afrobeats artist, is calling for a shift from shorter songs.
He took to his X handle to urge fellow musicians to “Bring back 5 minutes songs.” This appeal has gained significant support from fans and industry followers, who agree that the current trend of short songs often around 2 minutes long, limits artistic expression.
The trend of short songs in Nigerian music became popular with musicians like Wizkid and Mr Eazi. Newer artists such as Rema, Joeboy, Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr further popularized this format between 2019 and 2021. Even Oxlade was part of this trend, with his 2022 hit “Kulosa” which was just 2 minutes and 31 seconds.
Oxlade’s advocacy may lead to a potential shift in how Afrobeats artists approach music production. With many fans and fellow musicians backing him, it’s possible that the industry goes back to making longer songs.
