NIGERIAN PRINCE OF AFROPOP OXLADE RELEASES TRAILBLAZING DEBUT ALBUM “OXLADE FROM AFRICA”
NIGERIAN PRINCE OF AFROPOP OXLADE RELEASES TRAILBLAZING DEBUT ALBUM
“OXLADE FROM AFRICA”
THE LP FEATURES DAVE, POPCAAN, WANDE COAL, SARKODIE, FALLY IPUPA, AND MORE
OUT NOW
WATCH OFFICIAL ‘IFA’ VIDEO (OUT YESTERDAY)
(20th September 2024) Today, Nigerian superstar Oxlade continues his hot streak by officially releasing his anticipated debut album, Oxlade From Africa, via Epic/Sony Music France. Listen to the album here.
Blending his past, present, and future into an all-encompassing vision, Oxlade From Africa is a bold and expansive 16-track musical and cultural journey that transcends borders, celebrating African heritage from Lagos to the world. With its title reflecting a broad, inclusive vision, the album highlights Africa’s cultures, elegance, and beauty, marking the next step in the Lagos-based artist’s rise, showcasing his journey from breakout success to mainstream recognition.
Aiming to continue making Africans proud of their heritage, Oxlade uses his music, visuals and fashion to deliver a powerful message of unity, and is continuing the momentum from his massive global hit ‘Ku Lo Sa’, which has 574 million streams and was certified GOLD by the RIAA this week, and Double Platinum in Canada. The project is also home to recent singles ’Intoxycated’ ft. Dave, both halves of the double ‘KATIGORI/PIANO’ release, ‘Arabambi’ and most recent offering ‘IFA’ featuring Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa.
LP opener ‘Interlude’ features Ugandan political activist and musician Bobi Wine who introduces the album with a powerful co-sign and thought-provoking message, setting a powerful tone with an uplifting message of resilience and African spirit. ‘OLAITAN (Olaoluwa)’ which translates to “the wealth, the favor and the grace of God shall never leave you” in Yoruba, see’s Oxlade reflects on his life journey, embracing a mindset of faith and destiny over a warm and feelgood production. ‘Blessed’ features Jamaican Dancehall legend Popcaan and becomes an instant highlight as they share stories of overcoming struggles, highlighting that despite their youth, valuing your self-worth and positivity is key.
2023 summer smash ‘Intoxycated’ continues to ooze star quality alongside London rap king Dave as they showcase their storytelling finesse, delving into a story of love and the intoxicating traits that come with it. Oxlade’s global breakout hit ‘KU LO SA’ follows. Originally a spontaneous decision before his COLORS performance, the songs heartfelt lyrics symbolizes trust in intuition and the power of seizing opportunities, putting his vocal talents front and centre. ‘IFA’ is a sultry love song infused with Coupé-Décalé and Afrobeats rhythms, as Oxlade reassures his love interest that she is his priority, painting vivid images of devotion with cheeky metaphors, whilst Fally Ipupa’s melodic touch further amplifies the song’s seductive energy.
‘Ovami’ features High-life legend Flavour and delivers a harmonious blend of love and unity as Oxlade taps into the rich heritage of High-life music, a sound central to Nigerian culture, making the track a celebration of love in all its forms. Spring single ‘Arabambi’ is the nickname of K1 De Ultimate, an iconic Nigerian Fuji musician and means “the child of the people”, “the community gave birth to this child”, “the one”. The track’s melody, inspired by Miguel’s vocal style, mixes African tradition with modern R&B, creating an irresistible fusion of rhythm, love and pride. ‘Tamuno (Interlude)’ is a spiritual pause in the album, offering a moment of reflection. Named after a deity in Nigerian culture, it serves as a homage to Oxlade’s faith and spiritual journey, laying the groundwork for the more sensual and energetic songs to follow, and ‘ASUNASA (Hold Your Waist)’ featuring Wande Coal offers exactly that. With influences from Wande Coal’s classic ‘So Mi So’, this stylistic offering sees both artists trade risque, Afrocentric verses, merging spiritual undertones with sensual energy to become an instant album highlight.
The P-Prime produced ‘Piano’ is a heartfelt love song that blends the soft hits of a log-drum, piano and drums with Oxlade’s signature falsetto and ad-libs that characterises Oxlade’s effortless ability to create romantic anthems. The Sarkodie featuring ‘Ololufe’ is a tribute to the iconic “Ololufe” by Wande Coal, adding a modern twist with influences from Reggae, Dancehall, and Afrobeats. Sarkodie’s hard-hitting verse complements Oxlade’s smooth vocals, creating a dynamic love song that pays homage to African R&B while setting new standards. ‘RMF’ (Rich Motherf*cker) is a declaration of confidence and self-worth, drawing inspiration from Fela Kuti’s vintage Afrobeat sound as the 27-year-old unapologetically boasts about success, luxury, and the journey that got him here.
‘On My Mind’ (OMM) features TOMi Owo & OJAHBEE dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of love, becoming an ode to first love as it explores the excitement and nervousness that comes with falling for someone. ‘Katigori’ is Oxlade’s manifesto, written during a time when he had fame but was still striving for success. Closing the album, ‘OFA’ embodies
Oxlade in his ultimate form. Again drawing from Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and blending it with his Afro-Pop style, this track is the culmination of his journey—his evolution into a fully-realised artist. It’s a powerful anthem of self-awareness, confidence, and embracing one’s destiny.
Oxlade From Africa tracklist:
- Interlude (ft. Bobi Wine)
- OLAITAN (Olaoluwa)
- Blessed (ft. Popcaan)
- Intoxycated (ft. Dave)
- IFA (ft. Fally Ipupa)
- KU LO SA
- Ovami
- Arabambi
- Tamuno (Interlude)
- ASUNASA (Hold Your Waist) (ft. Wande Coal)
- Piano
- Ololufe (ft. Sarkodie)
- RMF
- On My Mind (OMM) (ft. TOMi Owo & OJAHBEE)
- Katigori
- OFA
About Oxlade :
Born Ikuforiji Abdulrahman Olaitan and raised in Lagos, Oxlade started his musical journey in the choir, then releasing his first songs on Soundcloud back in 2017. He caught the attention of Nigerian fans the following year with the release of his debut single “Shugar”. Oxlade’s international glow started in 2020 with his single “Away,” making it to Rolling Stone’s “Top 50 songs of the year 2020” and getting praised by Drake.The 27-year-old native of Lagos scored a global hit when he revealed an intimate performance of his song ‘Ku Lo Sa’ on COLORSxSTUDIO. The green-tinted video was a massive success, generating over 100 million YouTube views, making it the 3rd most-watched COLORSxSTUDIOS video of all time. ‘Ku Lo Sa” catapulted on its YouTube momentum to become a global hit: charting in across 61 countries on Apple Music and 23 markets on Spotify, peaking in the Top 10 in the UK’s Hip-Hop/R&B chart and peaking at #5 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats chart, and reaching #11 on Billboard’s Year-End U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Oxlade welcomed Camila Cabello for the official “Ku Lo Sa” (Remix), and its sultry music video. ‘Ku Lo Sa’ was then nominated for “Best Afrobeats Song” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
Oxlade went on with ‘Intoxycated’, a red hot collaboration with UK rap star Dave which reached the Top 50 of the UK official charts, garnered coverage in The New York Times, and earned Hottest Record distinction from BBC Radio 1.
Canadian Tour dates
WINNIPEG – OCT. 2nd – Exchange Event Center
EDMONTON – OCT. 4th – Union Hall
CALGARY – OCT. 5th – Back Alley
VANCOUVER – OCT. 6th – The Hollywood Theater
MONTRÉAL – NOV. 22nd – Théâtre Paradoxe
OTTAWA – NOV. 23rd – The Palace
TORONTO – NOV 24th – Axis
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