Before I get into what can be done when an artist loses relevance, let me take you back to 2018 when the Pon Pon sound was holding the Nigerian music scene by the throat.
The catchy, mid-tempo bounce dominated the airwaves, and Duncan Mighty emerged as one of the artists who tapped deeply into the sound by blending English and the Ikwerre language.
For those who weren’t familiar with his roots, it might have seemed like Duncan Mighty was an overnight sensation, crashing into the mainstream with hits like Fake Love (with Wizkid), Aza (with Davido and Peruzzi), and Lova Lova (with Tiwa Savage). But Duncan Mighty wasn’t a new face, far from it.
He had been a force in the Nigerian music industry for over a decade, crafting iconic hits like “Ijeoma” and “Scatter My Dada” and commanding the pulse of Port Harcourt with an influence few could rival. Yet, in the years prior, he had fallen silent, swallowed up by the rapid evolution of Nigerian music circa 2015 to 2016. It seemed his time had passed.
Then, out of nowhere, he made an unexpected resurgence fueled by the very sound reigning supreme and collaborations with the industry’s heavyweights. This is the tricky paradox every artist faces: What happens when you stop “popping”?
When the hits dry up, when will your name fade from the conversations? It’s easy to look at an artist like Duncan Mighty at that time and say, “He’s made it.” But for every artist who bounces back like him, countless others fall into obscurity. So, what exactly can be done when an artist’s star fades? Is it about finding a new trend? Or is it about knowing how to pivot to the new sound of the industry?
Some artists reinvent themselves, their careers evolving with each new project, while others take a quieter route, focusing on longevity rather than the constant limelight. Let’s break down the journeys of artists who face this dilemma and the paths they can take when they’re no longer “popping.”
First, we need to understand why an artist falls off. Some lose relevance because their sound grows outdated. What was fresh last year might be stale the next, especially in a genre as fluid as Afro-pop. Imagine singing an Azonto-inspired song when Amapiano is the reigning sound.
Take Adekunle Gold, for example. When he first emerged, his sound was deeply influenced by folk and traditional African elements, blending highlife rhythms with acoustic guitars and soulful melodies. His debut album, Gold (2016), was a breath of fresh air, with songs like “Sade” and “Orente” carrying a distinct folk-infused sound that captured the essence of Nigerian heritage.
However, Adekunle Gold made a calculated pivot as the Afrobeat movement gained momentum. In 2020, he released Afro Pop, Vol. 1, a project that marked a sharp departure from his folk roots. He embraced a more contemporary, commercial sound, tapping into the popular realms of Afrobeat, R&B, and Afro-dancehall.
Tracks like “Okay” and “Something Different” reflected his evolution—upbeat, catchy, and in tune with the times. This shift was about positioning himself in a market that had moved beyond acoustic instruments and folk influences, where pop and danceable rhythms ruled the airwaves
Then there’s the question of branding. When an artist stops being a cultural icon and becomes just another name in music, their relevance starts to wane. There’s an art to sustaining a brand that transcends music.
When Wizkid went from “just another pop star” to a globally recognised force when he released a western-facing pop album, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, he understood the power of his narrative. The same goes for Burna Boy, who used his cultural heritage as the cornerstone of his identity. Without that, they could’ve been swallowed up by the machine.
So what’s next for the artist who isn’t popping anymore?
The first move, of course, is reinvention. You look at artists like Wizkid—who is popping in his country but wanted to pop even beyond his location—reinvented himself and his brand, sound and style to create a more refined, international sound of Made in Lagos.
His shift from being solely an Afrobeat artist to embracing a blend of Afropop, R&B, and even dancehall elements in his music allowed him to maintain relevance and secure his place on the global stage. Olamide, too, understood what reinvention means; and he did this repeatedly.
Even as a rapper, he embraced Afro beats, incorporated elements of dancehall, and remained in touch with the changing tastes of the Nigerian music scene. It is also worth saying that one thing artists often overlook when they begin to slip from the limelight is the power of tapping into new audiences. It’s easy to think the game ends when your core fans stop showing up. But global markets and collaborations can reignite a fading career.
Artists sometimes need to find new lanes. It could mean venturing into acting, starting a podcast, or launching a fashion line. For example, Falz, beyond being a rapper, is an actor and sometimes dabbles in comedy.
There’s also something to be said for the role of timing. Perhaps the artist wasn’t ready for the next big move at the time, but circumstances have now shifted. Take, for instance, an artist like Tekno. Though he’s had his hits, he’s never really broken through like some of his peers. Yet, as Afrobeats continues its global expansion, Tekno’s moment could still come.
One major thing is that the narrative doesn’t have to end with the artist’s fade. There’s always a way back. It could be rebranding or tapping into new markets; what matters is how an artist adapts to the forces around them because the Nigerian music industry is built in a way that only the ones who can keep evolving and remain connected to the pulse of culture, are the ones who find their way back to the top, time and time again.
Other artists, like Runtown, may find peace in carving out a sustainable career that doesn’t rely on being the loudest voice in the room because true art lies in persistence, in knowing when to step back and when to come forward.
In all, when an artist doesn’t pop anymore, it’s not the end; it’s just the beginning of a new chapter.
