Last week, one of my friends in Australia got introduced to Tekno.
The
young man, a Caucasian who traditionally did not consume African music,
has read a couple of my earlier works on the Nigerian singer, and
curiosity led him to listen to a few songs, and watch videos.
He
was instantly hooked. After going through all of Tekno’s singles over
and over again, he wanted more than those songs. According to him, he
has understood Tekno’s pop single strategy and sound, and the allure is
wearing off.
He wanted to experience this
artist on a broader level. He needed other sides and facets of Tekno,
that could make him relate better and become a bigger, rounded fan in
his magic.
Tekno
“Joey, can you please point me to an album?” he asked.
“Which album?” I asked in typical Nigerian fashion. Replying his question with another question.
“Tekno’s album. Give me the link to his last album. I can’t find it on Apple Music and Spotify.”
I laughed hard, and gave him the shocker. “Tekno
has no album. He is a big artist with no album. He doesn’t even have an
EP to his name. Nothing. Just new singles every three months. Sorry.”
My pal couldn’t believe it. He was shocked.
“Are all Nigerian musicians like Tekno? How have they been able to gather enough fans to make them profitable?”
“They don’t have to. They believe the singles is all that matters in their career.”
And
so my friend logged off. He still listens to Tekno because of the
bounce, but his inability to properly experience Tekno’s full spectrum
of artistry on an album has not enabled him contribute his full quota as
a fan. It has diminished his fan experience.
It
is amazing to believe that Tekno, with all he has achieved in pop
music, has no body of work to his name. He is a singles merchant;
selling a new record every three months or less, with videos created and
released to aid with promotion.
Tekno(Instagram)
That
strategy might have worked well with immense benefits, but it
ultimately hurts him. It takes away money from him. Tekno continues to
lose out on the lucrative streaming revenue that comes from owning an
album.
This is the age where digital
stores have become a blessing to the lives and pockets of top musicians.
The more material you have, the richer you become.
But
the real argument for Tekno here is growth. The singer was angered in
2016 when the Headies placed him in the Next Rated category.
But
it is a fair evaluation of his status. He is yet to have an album, and
so, he cannot be regarded as anything bigger than an emerging artist. He
is holding himself back.
Tekno(Instagram)
For
the fans, a Tekno album will bring about more relativity and
connection. A body of work will take away pressure for Tekno to rework
his formula for new singles. It will allow him express himself in more
creative ways, and give him something to tour with.
Tekno
is currently a successful artist due to his singles. But an album will
consolidate that, and take his business to higher levels.
