Posers: What Makes A Hit Song? Lyrics or The Beat? Take Center Stage At MTN Y’ello Star Finalists Performances
As finalists of MTN Y’ello Star competition thrilled the judges with their electrifying-reggae performances, Tobi Bakre, actor and show host, asked for the judges’ take on a frequently debated topic, “What makes a hit song? The lyrics or the beat?”
Although this question appears to be an easy one, the judges of MTN Y’ello Star music reality show had different perspectives to the seemingly simple but complicated question.
Olisa Adibua, top media personality and guest judge, noted that the answer is a double-edged one in that both the lyrics and the beat serve as a determiner to the success a song achieves, especially in the Nigerian entertainment space. He further revealed the complex musical choices of Nigerians when he said, “We like our beats in Nigeria. However, the Nigerian audience is biased towards simpler repetitive lyrics.”
Ace musician and record-label owner, Banky W, advised aspiring musicians to dwell on their strengths. He then admonished promising-music stars to discover a style that resonates with them in terms of melody, beats and lyrics creation. Popular-female singer, Omawumi, subtly reiterated this, as she believes that the creation of a hit song hinges on being creative at all levels of music production.
MTN Y’ello Star is a music reality project designed specifically to groom the musical creativity of Nigerian youths while providing them with top-notch entrepreneurial training. This is in a bid to empower Nigerian youths with the necessary skills needed to succeed on the global entertainment scene positioning Nigeria as an African hub of music creativity.
