Nigerian Afrobeats star Ikuforiji Olaitan, better known by his stage name Oxlade, has stirred fresh conversations in the music scene after openly urging fellow artistes to bring back the culture of longer songs.
The singer made the call on Thursday through his official X handle, posting a short but powerful appeal: “Bring back 5 minutes songs.” The post immediately caught attention, drawing reactions from fans and industry watchers who see it as a challenge to the current wave of shorter tracks dominating Nigerian airwaves.
LagosExplorer reports that in recent years, Afrobeats has leaned heavily toward concise, radio-friendly tracks, often running for just about two to three minutes. This trend became popular with global superstars like Wizkid and Mr Eazi, and was further entrenched by younger talents such as Rema, Joeboy, Omah Lay and Ayra Starr between 2019 and 2021.
Ironically, Oxlade himself has thrived in this era of brevity, with his international hit Ku Lo Sa running for only 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Despite its short length, the record became one of Afrobeats’ most streamed singles globally, reinforcing the effectiveness of shorter songs in today’s streaming economy.
Still, the singer believes there is a void that only longer songs can fill.