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Cover Star Interview
Nigerian Afrobeats star Oxlade joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest single, “ASUNASA (feat. Wande Coal)[HOLD YOUR WAIST].” He also discusses his new album, ‘OFA (Oxlade From Africa),’ his upcoming North American tour, and his favourite collaborations on the album.
This Week’s Hottest New Tracks
Nandi Madida shares the hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Boy Spyce, Shallipopi, K.O feat. Usimamane, and DJ Clock feat. Nomtha Welanga & Cueber.
Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, September 20th at 9a Lagos/London / 10a Johannesburg/Paris / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.
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Oxlade Tells Apple Music About His Upcoming Tour
I’m so excited. That’s my first ever North American tour, so it’s surreal. I’ve been in this business for six years and I’ve never done anything [like this], and I just want to enjoy every moment. I want to perform to my people; I want to put a smile on people’s faces…I want them to enjoy their hard earned money they spent on my head.
Oxlade Tells Apple Music About the Title of His Album, ‘OFA (Oxlade From Africa)’
I feel like after “KU LO SA”, it opened a door of me to reach new heights and new audiences, and I felt like, instead of me introducing them to the superstar, why don’t I introduce them to the race? Why don’t I introduce them to the continent? I’m trying to preach a message that Black is a flex; being Black is your biggest superpower; being Black shouldn’t be something you should be ashamed of. Before I start moving into different facets of my side of music, I had to tell them where I came from first, so that’s why I named the album ‘Oxlade From Africa.’ I’m unapologetically Black, I love where I come from and I stand for where I come from.
Oxlade Tells Apple Music How His Life Experiences Influenced the Album
I’m a perfectionist—I’m a Taurus, and I like to fulfil what my mind wants. I’m trying to make a body of work, not a playlist, so I had to experience life for me to be able to make this kind of music. I had to go through different phases, I had to travel to different cities, to even just co-exist with the people, to be able to know the kind of feeling that I’ll be able to convert into the music.
All this process took me time, and also I had personal family issues that made [me] stop… making music for a long while. I’m just grateful to be back; I’m grateful to be alive to be able to still make this music and achieve what I want. I wouldn’t want to put out music that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy, and that’s why it took this long.
Oxlade Tells Apple Music About Collaborations on the Album
I’m living my dreams. I’ve featured artists that I’ve looked up to over the years. I have Fally Ipupa, I have Popcaan, I have Dave, I have Sarkodie, I have Flavour… all these people are legends in their own right, so me being able to put them on my album is a flex for me as an artist and as a creative.
Oxlade Tells Apple Music About His Track, “ASUNASA (feat. Wande Coal)[HOLD YOUR WAIST]”
I don’t think I’ve ever said this generally before, but I think Wande is the reason I make music, and people don’t even know. Wande is the reason why singers have the guts to still sing. Wande came in an era where, you know, vocalists and singers were a dying breed, and he made us have an identity and still believe in ourselves—so having someone like Wande on this album is a dream come true for me.
That’s the fastest song I made on the album. I made it in Ghana, and when I was thinking of the song I felt like the song was just missing something. [Wande and I] were discussing and I just pitched it to him, and he decided to jump on the song. That’s one of my favourite songs of all time, and I feel like… the world is going to relate to it.
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