Rising Nigerian Afrobeats and Street-Pop artist Shoday joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music to talk about his latest hit “OBT”. He also discusses what ‘HYBRID’ means, the importance of collabs, and the power of visual content in music.
This Week’s Hottest New Tracks
Nandi Madida shares the hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Omah Lay, King Promise & Mr Eazi, Muyeez, Dwson & Lusanda and L.A.X.
Tune in and listen to the episode this Friday, February 6th on Apple Music at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.
Shoday tells Apple Music what ‘HYBRID’ means
My own definition of ‘HYBRID’is combination of different sounds. I just want people to feel versatility. I want people to know that this is not the only sound Shoday can do. I can do anything. Couple of times people feel like I have a niche, this is the type of song, sound I do. When you listen to songs like “Age Ago”, you feel like, oh, it’s just about the Nigerian Street Pop and stuff. But when, when I did “Nakupenda” some people did not believe that I was the one singing because I sounded so much like a South African artist. So my own definition of the album is I just want people to feel that you can be versatile, you can do any type of sound you want to do and make it sound good and sound amazing. If you listen to the album, I have a pop R&B song, I have normal Street Pop, I have couple of songs in the album and I just want it to be the people’s album. If you’re sad, you go to the album, you find a song. If you’re happy, you go to the album, you find a song. If you, if you want to dance, you go to the album, you find a song.
Shoday tells Apple Music about thanking God
It’s like a dream come true for me. I can remember some years back, my prayer was just to have one hit song. So whenever I recreate stuff like this and I have like a new milestone, I used to feel grateful to God because all I wanted from God is just one hit song. I don’t even care if I don’t have a follow-up song. I just wanted one that people will know. And look at me today, I have not one, not two, not three, not four, I have couple of songs on my catalog that, you know, a lot of people vibe to and it’s a thing of joy whenever I remember where, where I’m coming from and where I am today, I used to feel grateful to God. It’s not, it’s not by my power, it’s not by my might, it’s just the one, you know, using me to show how, how magnificent he is.
Shoday tells Apple Music about the importance of collabs
For me, collaboration is one thing I take very importantly. I believe we are in a time and age where I feel like this new phase of Afrobeats, we need to come together. I need to make a song with a South African artist to penetrate into their market. I need to make a song with a Kenyan artist to penetrate into his market. I need to make a song with a Ghanaian artist to, you know, just keep breaking boundaries. You can’t do it alone. You need to connect with people. There’s something you don’t have that this other artist have. You need to tap into another person’s fanbase. I feel like that kind of introduce you to wider audience and bigger opportunities. When I recorded “Screaming Beauty” sometimes last year, I think in January or February, I feel like the song is nice, it will do well in Nigeria. Let me just find like an artist outside Nigeria that can introduce the song to another market. I reached out to OliveTheBoy, I’m a big fan of OliveTheBoy trending song on TikTok that I really love so much. And I reached out to him and I said let’s work on this song. And he did it. Amazing song and we achieved what we planned to achieve. You know, same as “Casablanca” with Ayo Maff, he has been my friend from way back. I was so glad he had like a momentum. I reached out to him and said my bro let’s work on this record. And in no time, we made it happen. Same as Falz. Everybody on that album, I have like a connection to them and, you know, they are my friends beside the music that we make. We are cool people and, you know, that is so key to me. And looking at those songs, the promotion, you know, is original, is organic. We are doing it because we love and respect ourselves. So I take collaboration so, so important.
Shoday tells Apple Music about the power of visual content in music
From each song, I embody it and make, you know, it’s way beyond music for me. It’s art. You need to represent what you’re singing about. If you watch couple of my music video, you see the realness in it. I used to do music video like I’m an actor. I act and put emotions into it and, you know, I just want people to actually feel connected to the music aside you listening to it. The video needs to speak. I made one content for the song. That was the only content I made. And I could, I know some people tell me that was the reason why they streamed the song because the content sounded so real and it connected to the music. And that’s one of the power of you making amazing visuals. So for artists and everybody, I do tell people visuals is very important and make sure you do it well. For couple of my records, I have millions of users for couple of them. I feel like people on TikTok kind of resonate more to my music and I have like a cult fanbase over there that whenever I post something they go crazy and they, you know, make it turn to big thing and I kept feeding them. But it just got to a point I feel like I need a wider audience, but I kind of incorporate like add a little spice to my type of music and make it a song that the mainstream people can actually listen to it and, you know, love it.
Shoday tells Apple Music about his intention for the album
“HYBRID” is an album for the people, you know. It’s for everybody. If you’re my fan, if you’re not my fan, if you love my music, if you don’t love my music, I just want you to listen to it and, you know, tell me how they feel. You know, it’s an amazing album. I’ve done my own primary work which is making a good album. But one thing I’m so sure is that if you listen to the album, you’ll find one or two songs that you actually like. Just go stream the album.
