Here are some lessons from the success of Simi and ‘Duduke’
The success of ‘Duduke’ represents how nothing is certain and how fast things can change for an artist in this fast-evolving Nigerian music industry and that’s a lesson.
In 2018 and 2019, Simi subtly struggled to recreate her 2017 run. Omo Charlie Champagne was a quality album with a wobbled reception and legacy.
At the time, it seemed she was recycling these folksy-tungba tunes and all those songs were inevitably tanking because they all sounded the same. Something had to change, but they never did.
While the music was subtly struggling, the owambe bag was still coming in and her stage presence hit another level during her TRACE LIVE! performance during which she absolutely aced a 3-hour set. Her brand also remained intact and her fans never left.
Simi in 2020
If this writer was a betting man, he would have put money on ‘Duduke’ to be another underwhelming Simi single. It had all the markings of those Oscar-produced, overly familiar and recycled folksy-tungba sounds that people desperately needed Simi to change in 2018 and 2019.
10 days before ‘Duduke’ was released, she featured on the chart-topping ‘Know You’ by LadiPoe.
‘Duduke’ was all set to go under the radar like Simi’s 2019 singles when something brilliant happened — Simi released a video for the song and revealed her baby bump with it, and the rest is history.
Suddenly, the narrative changed. A song that had become another good, yet forgettable Simi song might be about to become Nigeria’s first genuine hit of 2017. Not only is the song soaring in mainstream attention, it is getting the numbers and doing a madness on TikTok.
How did this happen?
- Simi’s Brand
Simi’s brand is what I like to call a ‘household brand.’ She’s the bridge between PG-13 songs and mainstream tungba. She’s like what Will Smith was in the 90’s. She makes secular music that your parents will like and approve — even when she sings about lewd topics, your parents will still endorse her music for you.
She’s like what Lagbaja was in the 2000s. Even when he was singing about being an aristo on ‘Anything For Me,’ and our parents endorsed him for us and smiled at TV sets with us. If another artist had made that exact song, parents might have banned their children from listening to it.
This goes to how brands like Simi are the strongest and the most durable — she could still be making performance money by the time she turns 60. Like her husband Adekunle Gold, she makes attractive secular music that incorporates element of Nigerian folk.
Adekunle Gold and Simi couldn’t be more perfect as a couple — both on the human side and on the business side. Everyone roots for them across the world — even those who don’t know them.
For this reason, when Simi unveils her baby bump, the love for her brand, her music and her marriage becomes the love for that baby bump.
It was a masterstroke to tie that announcement of her pregnancy to ‘Duduke.’ The effect of that announcement on the song was always going to cause a tectonic shift — that is what great brands do. More importantly, that’s why artists need a recognizable brand and understand what that brand represents.
While a chunk of praise might go to Simi’s team and Xtreme Music for their work to create Simi’s brand in a way that agrees with her person, credit must also go to Simi for always staying true to that brand.
When the music was not working, the brand worked with nuclear activation. Some people have criticized Simi for using her pregnancy as promo, but that’s just laughable horseshit. Foreign celebrities sell picture rights for their infants and weddings to Conde Nast publications all the time.
2. The power of a loyal fan base
Nigerian artists are always so eager to gazump processes and become stars from the get go — even when they still need to be on development contracts.
Unknown to them, the process of being in a development contract could help an artist experiment, gauge responses and find a sound/style that appeals to an audience.
It is also in those times that an artist builds things like a brand and most importantly, a — paying — fan base. Yesterday, Russ posted about making a million each from just two songs on his catalogue — that’s only possible with a fan base.
Bringing it back to Simi, the only reason the announcement — or confirmation — of her pregnancy became front-page news and the №1 trending topic on Twitter NG is her fan base. They are loyal, protective and formidable.
More importantly, they align with what Simi’s brand represents. They are the interlink between Simi’s music and its perception by other demographics.
Simi’s Brand + Simi’s Fan Base + Simi’s Music = Tectonic Effects
Guys, the combined effects of Simi’s pregnancy, Simi’s brand and her fan base glamorized the positive, dreamy and relatable sides of ‘Duduke’ as a song. It was not about downsides anymore, it was about its positive sides.
There are lessons in this. First, it means we should never count any artist out — our world and its state of trends can change anything at anytime. Second, artists must always look to use their brand and fan base to amplify what’s good about their music— even when the music is under-performing.
That’s why empty Instagram pages will never be sufficient promotion for a new release. That’s also why giveaway might get you attention, but won’t translate into numbers or hits. The PR or push for a song must always relate to the song and an artist’s brand.
It’s time for artists to get creative.
Caveat: With all that being said, Simi might still need to switch that sound. ‘Duduke’ and the events around it won’t always happen.
For now, we wish Simi a safe delivery.
