"Amapiano" is a song by Nigerian musician Asake and Nigerian rapper Olamide. The song is a single from Asake's second studio album, Work of Art, and was produced by Nigerian producer Magicsticks. The music video, shot by Jyde Ajala, was released on 24 May 2023.[1] The song was a surprise release and gained over 100,000 streams within less than 24 hours of its release and debuted at number one of the Spotify Top Songs Nigeria Daily Chart.[2] The song was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Grammy awards.[3] It was one of the most streamed songs of 2023 on Audiomack, garnering 87.7 million streams on the platform.[4] Former US president Barack Obama listed the song among his favorite music of 2023.[5]
| "Amapiano" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Asake and Olamide | ||||
| from the album Work of Art | ||||
| Language |
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| Released | 24 May 2023 | |||
| Genre | Afrofusion | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | YBNL Nation | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Magicsticks | |||
| Asake singles chronology | ||||
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| Olamide singles chronology | ||||
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Background
editThe song paid homage to amapiano, by incorporating reinterpreted log drum elements commonly used in or associated with the South African genre and other African musical styles, in that year.[6][7][8]
Composition
editThe song is described as "easy listen that evokes feelings of happiness and overall summer vibes".[9] Collins Badewa of Style Rave describes the song as "an infectious blend of energetic beats, vibrant melodies, and catchy hooks".[10] Additionally, it is noted for incorporating elements from hip hop, amapiano, Afrobeats, deep house, and a neo-fuji aesthetic, resulting in a distinctive rhythmic energy.[11][12] Douglas Markowitz of Grammy Awards wrote that while the song pays homage to the amapiano genre, it rearranges some elements such as the iconic log drum.[8] The fusion song predominantly features numerous genre elements, in a crossover style, resulting in a track that is primarily Afro-fusion. The lyrics are primarily in Yoruba language and pidgin and bits of English.[6][7][13]
Reception
editDennis Ade Peter of OkayAfrica wrote,
All the bells and whistles of an Asake song are present, a maximalist canvas that includes warm piano keys, gorgeously droning violin, interpolated organ notes, log drums that mimic the staggering groove of Omele drums, and a bevy of stacked vocals in call-and-response mode. If anyone needs the clearest vision of what 'piano-inflected neo-Fuji' is, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than "Amapiano".[14]
The Africa Report listed "Amapiano" as one of the top music hits of 2023.[15]
References
edit- ^ Adeayo, Adebiyi (23 May 2024). "Asake drops music video for new song 'Amapiano' feat Olamide". pulse.ng. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Kanmodi, Funmilayo. "Asake and Olamide's 'Amapiano' Achieves Massive Debut, Dominating Charts in Less Than 24 Hours!". NotJustOK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Akintobi, Lamide (3 February 2024). "There's a new category for African musicians at the Grammys. Here's what you need to know about the nominees". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Naomi, Utere. "Audiomack reveals 5 most streamed songs of 2023". NotJustOK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Olusola, Elijah. "Asake, Davido, Olamide, Tems Make Obama's Favourite Music of 2023 list". Premium Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Why I sing in Yoruba — Asake". Vanguard News. 30 April 2023. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b Madzadza, Miya (20 June 2023). "Asake Expands His Street-Pop Empire With 'Work of Art'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b Markowitz, Douglas. "Here Are The Nominees For Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammys". Grammys. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Yongo, Sughnen. "Asake and Olamide Team up for "Amapiano"". okayafrica. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Badewa, Collins. "Asake Heralds Sophomore Album With 'Amapiano' More Trending New Afrobeats Songs". Style Rave. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Keith, James. "Nigeria's Olamide And Asake Are In Celebration Mode In "New Religion" Video". Complex UK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Grammys 2024: Asake & Olamide Flaunt Their Party-Starting Prowess With "Amapiano" - Okayplayer". www.okayafrica.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ Itodo, Sunny Green. "66th Grammys: Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Asake set to make history". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Ade Peter, Dennis. "Grammys 2024: Asake & Olamide Flaunt Their Party-Starting Prowess With "Amapiano"". okayafrica. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Ajayi, Dami; Ikwuagwu, Udochukwu. "From Afrobeat to Amapiano: Top music hits of 2023". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.