LIFE OF A LYRICIST

ARE LYRICIST STILL APPRECIATED ?

Have you ever noticed the change in musical lyrics from the 20th to the present 21st century , it has switched from a “cry for help” to “ we all just want to be happy” literally. For example Sir Shina Peters “Afro Juju” in comparison to the contemporary music existent now- from “afro beat” to “trap” and even the formerly unrecognized “alternative” music …… surely, Nigerians value change!.
The society affects the musical lyrics in several ways such as the popularity of lyrics among the inhabitants in a community. For instance vulgar lyrics are more accepted than gospel or motivational lyrics in the world today, and there is a higher possibility of artistes tweaking their lyrics to suit the popular demand. Of course, we’ve got examples of artistes who were formerly gospel artistes and now circular artistes like R Kelly, Jesse Jagz and so on …..
The lyricist may also remain adamant amid the popular demand, the point here is, the artiste has a choice! – To either succumb to societal demands or stick to his choice of lyrics. Artistes that haven’t declined from their choice of lyrics are Simi, Falz, Adekunle Gold and so on….