Music is more than just a form of entertainment for me – it’s a way of life. From the moment I wake up in the morning, to the time I go to bed at night, I’m constantly consuming music. Music is a language without words, a form of communication that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. As a pastime activity, I find myself studying how music transcends through the garment of time, and how my preference for sounds has changed overtime, always using the term, “it’ll grow on me”.
For example, I was listening to a mixtape from a well-known band (ALTERNATE SOUND FT DJ BIGN), I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. It just didn’t hit the same way as the previous ones did. I started to wonder, “Has the quality of music declined?”. I mean, what’s going on? Are the artists running out of quality lyrics to coin? Are they out of melodies to groove to? Or maybe it’s the DJ, not having the proper knowledge on how to mix songs properly? No offence to Dj Bign Or perhaps it’s us, the audience, only liking songs that resonate with the currently reigning sounds.
But then, as the mixtape went on, they played a particular artist (ASAKE), and it all started to make sense. The beats were fire, and the lyrics were on point. I realised that maybe it’s just a matter of taste. What might not hit the spot for one person might be someone else’s jam. After all, music is subjective. What one person might consider a masterpiece, another might consider trash. It’s all about personal preference. And that’s okay. That’s what makes music so great.
As I continued to ponder on the state of music, I realised that perhaps it’s not a matter of decline in quality but a shift in the industry. The way we consume music has changed drastically with the advent of technology and social media. It’s easier than ever for artists to get their music out there, which means there’s more competition. With so many artists trying to make a name for themselves, it’s easy for some to fall into the trap of creating generic music that follows the trends rather than pushing boundaries and experimenting with new sounds.
Maybe due to feedback or self re-evaluation, the band proceeded to release a deluxe edition, going back to the drawing board and building on existing sounds, they improved the project immensely. I was amazed, to say the least. So, it put all my questions into play and left me in the cycle of pondering what went wrong with the first project.
At the end of the day, I realised that music sometimes is like a Nigerian party – loud, vibrant, and full of energy. When the music starts playing, you know it’s time to show that you were meant for this. Music is also a bit like Nigerian traffic – unpredictable, sometimes frustrating, but always worth it in the end. It will never stop being a mystery, the dialogue between art processes of making music and the reception of the audience. The only thing that’s clear as day is the influence of what’s reigning and interest of getting on the fast-moving train.
Eniola is a music marketing strategist and A&R with knowledge and experience with numerous artists.
