In this article, we are going to focus on how to write a particular genre of song that is dominating the African soil called Afro-Pop.
In order to be a successful musician in Africa, you have to really understand what genre of music you are into, as well as how to compose songs like the professionals in your genre who are already making waves.
Afro-Pop music is known to have its origin in West Africa, predominantly Nigeria and Ghana.
Afro-Pop evolved from AfroBeats which came into existence in the ’70s and was made popular by the legendary Nigerian singer ‘Fela Kuti’.
It is worth noting that ever since AfroBeats evolved into Afro-Pop, scores of music genres which include: hip-hop, RnB, funk, jazz, reggae, dancehall, and even African traditional music have been fused into Afro-Pop.
Therefore, Afro-Pop has no doubt taken over nearly every genre of African music, and evidence can be seen in the mainstream success achieved by African-Based musicians who have gone as far as collaborating with their Western counterparts.
Having understood what Afro-Pop music is, in case you didn’t; let us quickly move on to discover how you can properly format your Afro-Pop lyrics.
Composing Afro-Pop songs is very easy because the lyrics are usually very short and easy to flow along with.
How to write Afropop songs.
To write Afropop songs, you must first of all have a topic before you move on to give a title, verses, bridge and chorus. Below are the factors you need to put into consideration when writing your Afropop songs..
- The topic of the song.
- Song Title Matters A Lot
- Your song must be Repetitive And Reciteable
- Make Your Chorus (Hook) Catchy
- Without The Beat
1. Th topic of your song.
Before you start composing Afro-Pop songs or any kind of music, the first thing you must consider is the topic of your song.
Although Fela, and many others who excelled in AfroBeats, concentrated on topics that were socially conscious.
Such as; corruption by leaders, injustice in courts, police brutalities, etc.
Modern Afro-Pop artists tend to focus their topics on what makes life more easy and good.
For example; making and spending so much money, hanging out with beautiful girls, being happy with family and friends, falling in and out of love, the general beauty, and style of people in society, etc.
Now if you study the topic of songs made by modern Afro-Pop singers, you will realize that they tend to concentrate more on creating a positive view of life for the people of Africa.
Who before now were considered to be living a primitive pattern of life.
And so, when this positive nature of African existence is spotted by the African masses, who love music both at home and diaspora, it in turn creates a global recognition for Afro-Pop singers to continue selling millions of their songs.
While continuing to perform in big cities of the world in view of, not only African people but even those from other continents who are in love with music.
So, therefore, before you start to write Afro-Pop songs, make sure you are mindful of the topic you settle for.
I think concentrating on that positive aspect of the African way of life should be the best choice.
2. Song title matters a lot.
After choosing the best topic for your song, the next step you should take is giving a title to that topic.
Your main target should be settling for a title that will make your song, more attractive and appealing to what is ongoing in society.
You must by all means avoid song titles that are too long and hard to pronounce.
For instance, instead of titling your song “I love Jane but her sister is the one I want” title it “two sisters”.
Now the first title will complicate a lot of issues for that song.
Firstly, it will make it hard for the graphics designer to make wonders out of the title in your cover design.
Secondly, fans will not be patient enough to read the whole title before they listen or buy.
They are likely to scroll over to another artiste in the list whose title is shorter, or abandon the post and move to another.
Thirdly, the first title has already explained your song in detail.
Whereas the second title will create suspense that makes people eager to know, what really happened to the two sisters in your song.
Also, songs with long titles always make it hard for radio DJs, to introduce a song to their listeners quickly catch.
Having said enough on this topic, let me refer you to an article in this blog that will shed more light on the effects of song titles.
3. Your song must be repetitive and recitable.
Songs that became popular have been known to be highly repetitive, which makes them easy to recite.
Normally, an Afro-Pop song should traditionally last for about 3 minutes to 3 minutes 30 seconds
But most of the Afro-Pop songs that breach this sacred rule, have been those ones that people could recite because of their repeated lines.
As I said in the last article, avoid making songs that are too lengthy at all costs.
Don’t say so much about one Afro-Pop song.
Rather save up your lyrics for another composition, and tactfully find where to bring back certain words or phrases you are using in your song every now and then.
Segments of the song you should repeat include the Pre-Chorus and Chorus. And in the traditional sense, your Afro-Pop song must not exceed 2 verses.
The third verse should be taken as a bridge which usually does not exceed 2 or 4 lines.
4. Make your chorus (hook) catchy.
Most of the catchiest Afro-Pop songs have Been known to blow because of how outstanding their choruses are.
One of the ways to do this is to find a part of your chorus where you can fix a short repetitive harmony.
Think about how Davido harmonizes “Aye…Aye”, in his Pre-Chorus before he picks up the phrase on his hook “She no want designer”.
The secret here is to find a part of your hook that will have your fans singing along once it comes through.
And also how and where to tactfully place that part at least 4 or 5 times before your song fades or finishes.
Once you are able to have a song that is easy for people to sing along to, you will be amazed when you go to Public places and hear people already singing your song.
Again while you perform it on stage, you will be surprised to hear everybody in the house singing along with you.
That in essence is how every superstar in the world has blown.
Another key point is to find a slang phrase or catchy language you can use in your song.
Even if you can’t lay hands on any street term trending at the time, you can borrow catchy phrases from other popular songs.
But be careful at this point to avoid copyright rules.
For instance, you cannot use ‘Marlians’ in your song because it is already copyrighted to Naira Marley.
The trick here is to find a phrase in a song that is popular but is not a trademark of an artiste.
You can study how Davido sampled Joe’s “I don’t wanna be a player no more” in his song “Fall” to know how best to use this trick.
It is therefore not a crime to borrow popular phrases and ideas from other artists from other cultures.
5. Without the beat.
Now you are done with following the 4 steps to composing Afro-Pop songs that have all the elements to make it blow.
The last thing you need now is a beat that will make that song come out professionally as it should.
It might interest you to know that so many well-composed Afro-Pop songs have failed to blow, because of poor studio recording or production.
My candid advice here is to go for a big producer.
But knowing that it costs so much to do so (A-List artiste charges upcoming artists around 150,000 to 250,000 Naira per song).
If you have the knowledge of what your Afro-Pop song should sound like. That is the beat that should go well with it, you can use that knowledge base to make a choice of an upcoming producer.
Yes! there are so many good upcoming producers out there who have been properly trained in the art of beats making, and they are looking to make a name for themselves by charging upcoming artists affordable amounts, with the hope that one of them would blow and put them on the list of the big producers.
Now if you listen to Afro-Pop songs, you will realize that all of them have that driving and groovy rhythm which is made outstanding by the presence of a percussive instrument called “Clave”.
It is this very rhythm that tends to make every Afro-Pop song danceable or inspire the same.
And other percussive instruments, bassline, keyboard or drum machine, guitars, pianos, trumpets, saxophones, samples, and effects are blended intensively with the clave and properly mixed to finally create an Afro-Pop song that fans cannot resist listening to as well as dancing to.
You must therefore use this knowledge base as a guide to search for a producer who has the tech-know-how of what it takes to create an Afro-Pop beat as well as mix and master it to achieve a professional Afro-Pop song that will increase your chances of blowing into the music industry.
One of the tricks of achieving this is to get that producer to playback songs, he has already produced, for you to listen to.
And if you don’t have good ears for music, get him to give you those tracks and find a music expert to listen to and rate that producer, before you ever pay him any fees you will regret in the end.
But I still maintain my candid advice, which is for you to settle for a big producer who has all the skills and experience, to give you a beat that will make your Afro-Pop songs meet up with the required industry standard.
Formatting an Afropop song.
Afro-Pop is usually formatted in the following order:
- Intro
- Verse 1
- Bridge.
- Chorus
- Verse 2
- Bridge. (Repeat)
- Chorus (Repeat)
Examples of Afropop songs.
I’ve seen so many artists making the mistake of composing very long verses for their Afro-Pop songs, and for that reason let me outline 2 Afro-Pop songs for you to examine and use as a guide to properly compose your own Afro-Pop songs.
DaVido Aye Lyrics
Intro.
Le le l, Le le le le le le le
A le le, A le le o le
[Chorus:]
Aa yeee
(Oya shekele)
Aaa yeee
Cause you want my love o
She no want designer, She no want Ferarri, She say na my love o
You belong to meee
And I belong to her o
babyyy
You go killie somebody
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o
Aa for your eyes o
[Verse 1:]
She fine pass Darego
She dey do like Ronaldo
My sweetie poraro (potato)
Ha! Eminado
She like e my song
She like e my song
Her favorite artiste na David O
David O
And I like what I see
I like what I see
Baby girl just come come balance for me
Come balance for me
Pre-Chorus
Yes! Aaa
Cause nobody can love you like I do, Nobody can touch e you like I do. Nobody can love you like I do, Nobody can touch you like I do
Chorus
Aa yeee
(Alelelele)
Aaa yeee
Cause you want my love o
Aa yee
(Oya shekele mama)
Aaa yee
Cause you want my love o
She no want designer, She no want Ferarri, She say na my love o
You belong to meee
And I belong to her o
babyyy
You go killie somebody
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o
Aa for your eyes o
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o o o o
for your eyes o
Verse 2
The baddest!
Baby girl you the baddest, Oya shakee your asset
Make e man no go forget
Emergency!
Baby you cause emergency
Baby you loose your manners
Baby you the latest e
Oya gbe si oun, dancee
Oya gbe down gently
Oya dey dancee,legendary
Oya gbe si oun for them
Pre-Chorus
Cause nobody can love you like I do, Nobody can touch e you like I do. Nobody can love you like I do, Nobody can touch you like I do.
Chorus
Aa yeee
(Alelelele)
Aaa yeee
Cause you want my love o
Aa yee
(Oya shekele mama)
Aaa yee
Cause you want my love o
She no want designer, She no want Ferarri, She say na my love o
You belong to meee
And I belong to her o
Babyyy
You go killie somebody
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o
Aa for your eyes o
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o o o o
for your eyes o
Tspize
O.B.O baddest
Its all about love baby.
Sometimes afro-pop songs don’t usually have a Pre-Chorus and are more simple like the one below compose by Naira Marley.
Naira Marley – Aye Lyrics
Intro.
Yo! Yo!! Rexxie pon this one
[Verse 1]
Shebi tele tele, lama fo fun won wipe
k’oma wa l’oru, toripe awa ti jade
Amo ni sinyi o,
ton ba wa losan, ton ba wa loru,
Awa n be ni be, awa o de le fo fun won
Toripe awa Tingasa, awa o de le sa fun won
[Chorus]
Aye yi o le o, (Aye yi o le), Aye lo m’aye le, (Aye lo m’aye le)
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, Aye lo m’aye le, (Aye lo m’aye le)
Aye yi o le o, (Aye yi o le)
Aye lo m’aye le, (Aye lo m’aye le)
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, Aye lo m’aye le,
[Verse 2]
O n pe Oku iya yi ni, *eyin le ma sin iya yin*
Oku your mother, *eyin le ma sin iya yin*
Oku momsi yin, *eyin le ma sin iya yin*
Oku your Mama, *eyin le ma sin iya yin*
Nigba tin jale, tin mo ba teni kan je, ti mo ni ti’re ma da,
E’kon binu ori lasan,
Ori ma mu won,
Owo ma ba won,
Ti olorun ba ti gba’dura mi, Bukata mi a fu’ye
[Chorus]
Aye yi o le o, (Aye yi o le)
Aye lo m’aye le, (Aye lo m’aye le)
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, Aye lo m’aye le,
(Aye lo m’aye le)
Aye yi o le o,
Aye lo m’aye le,
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, Aye lo m’aye le,
[Outro]
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, Aye lo m’aye le,
Yo!
Aye yi o le o,
Aye lo m’aye le, (Yo! Rexxie one this one)
Ninu aye lo ti di f’aye, (Yo!) Aye lo m’aye le,
Yo! Yo!
SpyriMix
I hope you will use this formatting when you try to compose your Afro-pop songs and give your music that professional touch that will put you on the frontline of upcoming artists who are capable of attracting industry heads with their music.
I also advise you to download more lyrics of Afro-Pop songs and the music and study more of the formatting to understand more on this topic.
Good Luck!
