Amapiano (song)
| "Amapiano" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Magicsticks | |||
| Asake singles chronology | ||||
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"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]
Background
[edit]The 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
[edit]The 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
[edit]Dennis 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.