Pulse Opinion: How Nigerian artists have discovered that the only way to beat controversy is by releasing fire music

With almost every industry career high, comes a fair dose of controversy, but a number of Nigerian artists are quietening the noise with fire records.

Since the beginning of time, controversy has found its place in the life of musicians, and while some have been scathing, others have been used as a springboard to success and a number of artists have proven that only through fire music can controversy be consumed.

The coming of the internet has helped redefine how swiftly artists get judged, stories [real or imagined] get circulated, songs get reviewed and opinions expressed.

The advent of blogs has tilted the music press in unknown directions, with many collections of op-eds, news stories, reviews and good old-fashioned think pieces from legion of unidentified individuals, who play the role of the judge and jury.

For good or bad, depending on the side you find yourself at the time of the conversation, the medium of engagement is more in your face as people who know less of you have more to say about your person and art.

 

Critics are more unsparing especially when a figure under the radar of public scrutiny behaves in manner assumed to be short of perfection.

But as a number of artists are proving, the only way to reply your critics and quiet the controversy is by releasing fire music, one which even they can't hate on.

Following the release of his fourth studio album, 'Scorpion' in June, Drake is breaking every record possible on the charts. 

Couple of months before the body of work was released, the Toronto bred rapper had gotten himself involved in a beef with Pusha T and it was one that had turned 'bloody' for him.

 

While he was quick to respond to Pusha's jibes on the record Infrared off his album Daytona, with the Duppy Freestyle, he, however, had no response for what came next in the form of 'The Story of Adidon', which saw the former rip into him with venom, making details of his child public.

At this point, Drake was the knocked out heavyweight, social media created memes portraying his 'defeat' and many wondered if he would come back from this.

But with singles like 'I'm Upset' and 'In My Feelings', he was able to redirect attention to himself and his music today sits on top of the global charts weeks running.

Back home, the same can be said for an artist like Burna Boy, who has had his career bogged by one controversy or another.

 

Burna Boy is often described as the Diego Maradona of the Nigerian music industry, a bundle of talent with a penchant for notoriety.

2017 is one year he wished never happened, as in October, he was involved in a controversy with singer, Mr 2kay, which led to him getting questioned by the Police and also the cancellation of his first major headline concert at home.

Early 2018, Burna Boy released the album, Outside which features songs like Ye and 'Heavens Gate', and the story has thus far changed to that of positive raves.

Burna has enjoyed a resurgence especially with the success of a song like Ye, that has become an anthem, winning him a cult following and wiping his dirty slates clean (At least for now).

There is also the classic case of Tiwa Savage, who in 2016 had a public outburst addressing accusations in her marriage.

 

Two years earlier, she had taken time off the scene to bear her child and just when she was making a return with the release of her ''R.E.D'' album earlier in the year, her fans got stunned with her distraught and crying image all over the internet.

At that point, the singer was at her lowest ebb and many were quick to proclaim that her career was all but done.

This is 2018 and Tiwa still holds the crown as the queen of the game, she recently sold out the Indigo at the O2 Arena with her first headline concert, 'The Savage Tour' and her hits feature prominently on playlists and rotations that makes her public outburst all but forgotten memory.

In the peak of Davido's resurgence after his 'failed' Son of Mercy EP, the singer was caught up in a different controversy following the death of two of his friends, DJ Olu and Tagbo. This also led to him being questioned by the authorities and was almost certain to derail the great run he was having in 2017.

 

He, however, turned the situation into a glorious moment by telling his story in the hit single 'Fia', the song bared his emotions and pain and was one that connected easily with his audience.

Presently, controversy continues to thrive in the music industry, blogs will jump on it and conclusions will easily be reached, but fire music is all the fans demand, embrace and accept.

So while the storm may grab the headlines for a short while, it is the music that creates a cutting edge career and finely separate the lines between genius and crazy. So dear Nigerian artist, when next you get caught up in that wrangling situation, hit the studios and plead your case behind the mic.