I didn’t understand what Asake meant by “it’s lonely at the top” until I saw the video days ago. He feels lonely in spite of fame and often wonders what to do with any recent achievement, a lady he shares his bed with in the video suggests he throws a party to always mark a significant event in his career. No wonder he sings “weytin I want, I go do am with all my heart o.”
A part of me is always drawn to these lamentations of Nigerian artists and I don’t know why. I first noticed this in 2020 in a Brymo line that reads: “win upon win and I still can’t sleep/Life always brings suffering, you see?” On that album, Yellow, Brymo too preaches hedonism like the lady suggests to Asake in that video. Just enjoy every moment.
I can’t fully say I understand what’s the cause of their discomfort in spite of how I have never known comfort my whole life myself too. In 2022, Adekunle Gold sings: “money no dey bring happiness o, na when I get money I realize o.” In 2023, he continues again with: “I’m still chasing peace of mind.” Omah Lay confesses via Temptation, that: “I can’t even deny that I gat issues, sadly.”
Somehow, I want to link this to my idea of life coming in stages with different problems, such that when you finish one stage and overcome one problem, you may not spend up to two minutes before another stage opens with even a bigger problem. You fit fight poverty today, overcome, become rich and fight health challenges tomorrow. I no even believe people wey dey say na when person die e dey know peace, because, who knows the shit that goes on down there too?
Sam George Mac
