Omah Lay Raises Alarm Over Declining Quality of Nigerian Music

|By Queen Banigo

Nigerian singer, Omah Lay, has raised concerns over what he describes as a steady decline in the quality of Nigerian music and the broader Afrobeats sound in recent years.

Speaking during an interview with ViewsFrance, the “Soso” crooner criticised fellow artists for what he sees as a lack of effort and creativity in music production.

According to him, many artists are now driven by the pursuit of quick fame and financial gain, often at the expense of musical depth and lyrical substance.

Omah Lay warned that this growing trend is negatively affecting not only Afrobeats but also the global perception of African culture, especially as the genre continues to gain international recognition.

“Nigerian music is drifting towards a place where artists are not putting so much effort into the art anymore,” he said.

He added that the current approach to music-making risks shaping a new generation of listeners and artists who may adopt even lower creative standards.

“It is just quick money, and it is really affecting the audience. The new generation is growing up with that level of music, and they are even doing worse,” he noted.

While acknowledging the global success of Afrobeats, the singer maintained that more attention should be given to improving the craft.

“I don’t want to blame the globalisation of Afrobeats for that, but it could be one of the reasons. It is good that Afrobeats is going global and people are getting to know us through our music, but we need to raise the bar,” he added.

Omah Lay urged his colleagues in the industry to focus on enhancing creativity and delivering higher-quality music that will positively represent the culture on the global stage.