The Disconnection Between Nigeria Pop Stars And Theirs Fans Has Increased

As enraged as the Nigerian social media was about Lil Kesh’s loss of the Next Rated category at the Headies, the argument waned more towards the possibility of the Headies using a rigged awarding system rather than Lil Kesh not scoring enough votes.

Maybe analysts and social commentators deliberately ignored this “voting category” twist. Maybe it simply made more sense to discredit one of the Headies’ most coveted awards amidst all of its already poignant organisational bullshit. Regardless, we all have to admit, Olamide could have chosen a better approach to air his grievances if he examined things a little closer.

Behind the millions of YouTube views, social media stans, and concert fans screaming Bobo lyrics, Olamide and his YBNL camp, like many other Nigerian mega stars, have become disconnected from their core fans. Of course, this is an expected side effect of fame and the fast-paced celebrity life, but Nigerian artistes have taken it a mile further. From Wizkid to up and coming talents like YCEE, artistes have failed at sonic and personal levels to interact with their fans, a limitation that can easily be transcended if social media is used appropriately.

Using the Mavin vs YBNL clash as  a case study; where Don Jazzy and Reekado Banks actively engage their fans in conversational updates, Olamide and Lil Kesh mostly retweet praises, occasionally choosing to reply with emojis and a few words. How are fans expected to be compelled to vote if they feel like they are talking to a brick wall that only does the most when their own echoes bounce back? But this follows a public relations path many Nigerian artistes have towed in managing their internet presence and brand image.

Artistes convert themselves to demi-gods giving approving nods where they are praised and whining like spoilt children when criticised.

Consequently, a robotic larger-than-life image is created for the artiste and fans begin to separate the music from the human vessel that produced it. This widening communication gap created is further worsened when the music itself barely reflects any subject matter that the fans can easily relate to. While the music may be released to rousing public acceptance, It becomes difficult for those who watched the artiste evolve and ascend to fame to place the artiste before their music. We have  seen this with Davido who supposedly made a song for his fans but spent the next 4-minute run time, praising both himself and his wealthy father.

On the surface, this may not be all bad for the artiste. If the music is good enough to make poppy anthems, money will still be made and endorsement cheques will roll in. However, the Nigerian pop culture climate like anywhere else in the world, works like a deck of cards where trends and names are shuffled and replaced over and over.

The long-term effect, of an artiste whose music is more famous than his brand will be the inability of that person to transcend the popularity of his/her sound at the time due to lack of brand organisation. Grassroot fanbases will dwindle over time and every scandalous blow on the artiste’s brand will be a critical hit. Sound evolution and brand legacy will be automatically forfeited for a crop of artistes fans can easily relate to as we have seen in the increasing popularity of artistes like Falz. And so the cycle continues.

Artistes need to understand  that grooming and nurturing fan bases are as symbiotic to their success as the talent they intend to share with the world itself. Simply because music always evolves to incorporate more elements. But even if the music goes out of style, a loyal fan base will remain for the artiste to evolve and grow.

That in simple coda, is how legends are created.