Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Oxlade (Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman) has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to urge his fellow artists to bring back the era of longer tracks. In a succinct tweet posted on Thursday, he simply stated: “Bring back 5 minutes songs,” sparking a wave of support in the comments section.
Oxlade’s appeal comes amidst a growing trend in the Nigerian music scene, shorter song durations. Tracks now often clock in at around two minutes, a shift partly popularized by artists like Wizkid and Mr Eazi and embraced by newer names such as Rema, Joeboy, Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr. He highlights the contrast with South African Amapiano tracks, which commonly exceed seven minutes, hinting at the artistic breadth longer formats can offer.
Oxlade’s plea reflects a larger creative desire: to craft music that resonates more deeply and endures beyond fleeting trends.
