It is 5 weeks into the new year and the two biggest songs in the country are Fido‘s ‘Joy Is Coming’ and Lawrence Oyor‘s viral gospel hit ‘Favour’.
A common denominator between these songs aside from their musicality, simple lyricism that allows listeners to easily learn the words and sing along, and catchy melodies is that they share a message of hope.
Amidst Nigeria’s tough economic reality which is the harshest in decades, this writer in a previous article pointed out that there is a need for musicians to make records that reflect the nation’s social reality and document the times.
Rising star Fido and Gospel act Lawrence Oyor have both crafted records that cater to the yearning for hope and reprieve by millions of Nigerians facing record inflation and poor governance.
Fido’s ‘Joy Is Coming’ released December 14, 2024, has amassed 21 million Spotify streams while taking over social media. Its success is captured by its five-week stint at the summit of the TurnTable Top 100.
As the title reads, the hook melodiously tells listeners that “joy is coming” which is a message of a better tomorrow many Nigerians desperately need in these difficult times.
Similarly, Lawrence Oyor‘s ‘Favour’ released January 9, 2025 shares the message of divine good fortune which is one that has been for generations eagerly embraced by the highly religious Nigerian population.
The song has gone viral on TikTok and is so far the most streamed song on Spotify Nigeria in 2025 with 3.6 million streams.
It’s instructive to note that a major contributor to Oyor’s feat of leading streams on Spotofy Nigeria in the first month of 2025 is that most major mainstream artists often wait till mid-February to put out music.
This is similar to gospel singer Victor Thompson‘s feat in early 2023 where his hit single ‘Blessing’ was among the most streamed songs in the country in the opening three months.
Nevertheless, the wide acceptance ‘Joy Is Coming’ and ‘Favour’ have enjoyed suggests listeners desire songs that cater to the nation’s current socio-economic realities.
Will 2025 see the rise of inspirational songs in Nigerian music?
The immediate success of both singles while it might suggest a consumer craving for inspirational records is insufficient to predict an industry-wide effect.
Moreso, the biggest artists set the tone for the mainstream, and for several reasons, they have shown a reluctance to make music that documents the nation’s socioeconomic realities.
For there to be a rise in inspirational songs in the Nigerian mainstream, several stars would have to craft and score hits from such songs so much that it leads to a shift in the soundscape similar to what Asake achieved with his era-defining fusion in 2022.
Over the years, the rise in commercialism in Nigerian music aided greatly by the advent of streaming and social media has led to the reduction of socially conscious hit records.
It will take more than two early hits from a prominent voice in a fast-growing gospel music scene and an Afropop rising star to change this collective industry mood.
At any rate, the dire socioeconomic reality of the vast percentage of the nation is not lost on the musicians whose duty it’s to make music that will document the times. a
Should they be willing to cater to these needs, there’s a fair chance their efforts will be met with a warm embrace similar to what is currently being enjoyed by Fido.
