Do you remember the time when music was an entirely different concept — when it followed a theme, had lyrics that were etched into our memories and helped fuel our vivid imaginations? When the craft of making music didn’t stop at bawling your soul out in the music studio, but traversed into music videos, where songwriting, singing and video creativity were all in sync. Do you remember? *throws in the juicy chorus line of Asake’s ‘Remember’*
Albeit this was a very long time ago, *Was it really such a long time ago?* the concept is still vivid in your head and while the visuals, music mixing and mastering weren’t the best, a field day was spent enjoying the body of work painstakingly put out by music artists; one hit wonders or not.
The span of 2000s till 2010s was the era of creative music storytelling— musicians bore their souls out, dishing out mighty punchlines disguised as lyrics, while linking their emotions to their music through their music videos. From Styl Plus’ narrative allure expressively displayed in their music videos and songs, to African China’s patriotism and concern vividly portrayed through his music videos and agonizing vocals in his songs. For every song released, there was a bubbly music video to portray how the song feels — in plain sight, it was a matter of “walk it like you talk it” but in music style.
I recall when I first heard ‘If Love is a Crime’— well, more like watched — on the television, Prime Time Africa on STV during school holidays as a kid; it’s one of the few music videos that has a space in my mind, not because I could relate to whatever 2baba was on about in the lyrics, but because of how the music video expressed what the lyrics were about. Various graphic scenes, various scenes that felt like a movie, but off an actual life experience. 2baba’s storytelling didn’t stop there, and neither did it start there, because there’s also ‘True Love’ where he croons of loneliness and as true to his words, the music video was melancholic, sombre and lonely.
One other artist (more like a duo) who took the concept of storytelling to a serious extent was the music duo, Psquare, well known for their innovative creativity displayed in their music videos where they took dancing too seriously and dedicated at least a minute to busting moves like no man’s business. But that wasn’t the main juice of their craft — it was their tallying music video alongside their music. You wouldn’t need an interpreter to break down the concept of heartbreak as portrayed in ‘Omoge Mi’ video or the gay feeling of wedding bells in ‘No One Like You’ or even the manipulation of the feminine gender on every featured artist in ‘Chop My Money’ from the twin duo, to May D, and even Akon!
You know when Opeyemi Famakin said “when I say something is good, it’s good. I won’t lie”, we’ll be attributing that to the classical mastery of music from way back.
While the list does not stop at the few mentioned above, it only shows a drop into the body of water that consisted of artists who put in so much work to their craft — so lovers of their music can get to thoroughly digest their music with no confusion whatsoever.
Fast forward to today’s music scene and the confusion that lies is of inestimable value— music enthusiasts are waging war not only against artists who should consider another music career but also artists who lack the creativity to do what they find themselves doing well enough to be applauded.
One would understand if what was to be dealt with alone was music videos not tallying to the songs, but alas! There’s an even greater urgency — artists don’t even care enough to drop a music video and on this table, with all chest puffed and ready to unleash, we call on Wizkid aka Star Boy.
As lovers of music, there is a lot we have to deal with; from digesting subpar music, to hassling with music videos that barely makes sense, to struggling with songs that lack little to no depth as regards storytelling— not that any pressure is required.
Perhaps we might shift back just a little, as a means to justify the ‘no pressure’ on having songs that lack depth — would you by any chance recall Olu Maintain ‘Yahooze’ to Kelly Hansome ‘Like Play Like Play’, or even Artquake’s ‘Alanta’? Do you understand that though party bangers, they had a depth to them that though not as deep, had lyrics that had a narrative tale to them, and even the music video were in very close sync to them?
Maybe it’s the tilt in eras that has caused this change, who knows?
We’re absolving some artists who still understand what it means to properly curate music and be creative enough to grace our eyes with a music video — there are artists such as DOTTi The Deity, or Chike, and while it’s more like a first time act, Young Jonn for his ‘Stronger’ music video which by the way, ought to stand a chance somewhere in the Headies, if possible.
Songs and their music videos these days are in shambles, worthy enough to discombobulate the factory setting of one’s thinking. Songs are more often about the energy that gets one gyrating on their feet and little attention is paid to the lyrics and music videos are sheer displays of flashy cars, trendy outfits, humongous buttocks and stunts that shows great thinking from the perspective of the music director — most times, music videos of these days, bear no soul, but then, if the songs bear none, how can the music video have one?
Might we attribute this decline in passion embedded within music and music videos as profiteering being at the forefront of the inspirations pushing artists to make music? As each day’s comparison is drawn between music of the 00s/early 2010s and now, you see the evident passion and burning desire from laced into the vocals, videos and overall craft of artistes then, and while you might see a certain passion within the current artistes, it might be a flaw in your vision.
Or could it be the lack of access to a creative team member on an artiste team? For being unable to draft an angle through which their music videos can be creatively produced. To this writer, it makes no sense to have a song as perfect as perfection itself and then release a music video that cripples the essence of the song. For reference, you might want to give Hanmerboi’s ‘Love Letter (Edamwen)’ a listen and then proceed to watch the visuals. It’s not bad, it simply belittles the narrative of the song that broke TikTok as an internet platform.
Whatever it is, we’re not sure we’ll ever get a thorough remodelling of the music space and the passion to make music as it should be made — we’ll have to make do with tales of “she tell me say” and “if you like karate, I’ll teach you mathematics” — after all , we now live in a world where it’s beats over lyrics and relatability.
Now we say goodbye to an era of intense storytelling, in the hope that someday, a new wave of Styl Plus or African China can be reborn, and the music landscape can be transformed, maybe not totally, but by a degree where ears need not be cleansed and eyes need not be washed due to vulgarity.
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