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  • Finding success in Nollywood is not beans. With the industry growing into one of the biggest in the world, almost everyone wants a taste of the lights, camera, action. But do you know what it takes to make a Nollywood romcom? Well, luckily for you, we do. To help our aspiring filmmakers, we compiled a list of things you need to make a successful Nigerian romcom. Are you taking notes? 

    1. Your female lead must be an IJGB with a quirky job

    This is the foundation of your film. You mess this up, and your film won’t last two weekends in the cinema. What you need is a female lead who just moved back to Nigeria and has a successful career as a Sh-E-O working as an art dealer, florist or ballerina — the more unrelatable she is, the better. These jobs will also explain why she’s always at a cute café, restaurant, premiere or fashion show, as opposed to dancing to the drums of capitalism like the rest of us. 

    2. You’re nothing without your accents 

    It has to be a war of the accents. Everyone needs to be doing gbas gbos when they open their mouths. You give me American-Russian and I’ll give you Lekki-British. The only people allowed to speak like normal Nigerians are the security guards and maids — make sure their “local” accents are exaggerated and silly just so the audience can laugh at them. 

    3. Everybody has to be rich AF 

    Poverty is cute, but not for romcoms. What’s not clicking here? Even world-renowned poet, David Adeleke, once said, “Love is sweet o, but when money enter, love is sweeter.” In Nigeria, we don’t believe in poor or middle-class romance dear. How do you hope to capture all the pretty nightclubs and restaurants if your main characters don’t have excess funds to go there? 

    4. If your male lead doesn’t have a six-pack, cancel the film 

    You need a shirtless scene that’ll cause commotion in the cinema, and for this to work, your male lead must have ridges on his stomach. Please count them o! He must have a minimum of six packs because anything less than that doesn’t work. God forbid you have a regular-looking man who eats carbs after 7 p.m as your lead actor. What will people say? 

    5. Make sure it’s an ensemble 

    Romcom that’s not an ensemble in big 2022? You must be a joker. Pack as many stars as your budget can allow. Mix it up: Asaba Nollywood, New Nollywood, BBNaija alumni and Instagram skit makers. Mix all of them and put them into one pot — it doesn’t matter whether they can act or not, just put them in it. Get that bag. 

    6. Your love interests have to hate each other at first

    He must think she’s too opinionated and full of herself, and she must think he’s a player and pretty boy with nothing in his brain. This hatred is fake though, because deep down he admires her independence, while she admires the fact that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. Last last, all this initial gragra will end in hot fo—romance. 

    7. A female best friend co-worker or mother dedicated to finding the female lead some good penising 

    Your female lead needs ginger to go out there and find a man. Who better to provide this push than her mum or best friend. These characters must be nosy and tread the thin line between cute and annoying. They must also remind your female lead that, “A woman is like a flower,” and that she may soon have cobwebs between her legs.

    8. The one dimensional male best friend 

    This guy’s role goes in one of two ways: it’s either he has small sense or he’s just a clown. This is where your influencer or BBNaija alumnus comes in. He exists solely to give the male lead really good or really fucking awful advice. There’s no in-between here. 

    9. Something must try to put sand in their love garri 

    Love in Nigeria is a battlefield, and to properly depict this, you have to test the love of your lead characters. Show us why they’re meant to be together, even though their chemistry is as bad as yesterday’s fried rice. Throw in family disapproval, busy careers or a wicked ex that is against their progress,  and you have a great story on your hands. 

    10. You have to give us fashunzzz and aesthetics 

    Can your lead actors act? Not really, but who cares when they’re serving us back to back lewkks. Make sure your female lead never wears flats, and make sure your male lead is always in a suit even though his only destination for that day is shoprite. Distract us from the chaotic and unrealistic plot with high fashion and we’ll be okay. T for Tenks. 

  • Earlier today, multi-award-winning singer and all-around rockstar of our lives, Asa, released her latest single, Ocean. While Asa has been dropping hints ear and dear that a new album is on its way, Ocean is the final signal for us to get in formation. But before we receive a new album with open hands and ears, here’s everything you need to know about her latest single and some details on what the album might look like. 

    1. Yes, that background voice you’re hearing belongs to Wurld

    It’s not every day you get to have one of Nigeria’s biggest artist providing backup vocals on a song, but when you’re Asa, anything is possible. If the background vocals on Ocean sound familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard them before on songs like Show You Off, Ego and Mad — say hello to Wurld. Apart from lending his vocals to Ocean, Wurld is also credited as a co-writer. Love to see it. 

    2. Ocean was produced by the same guy that made Ozumba Mbadiwe, Gelato, Infinity, Anoti and Mayana

    Asa, Reekado Banks, Cuppy, Olamide and Wizkid all have one thing in common: producer and hitmaker, P.PRIME. From Olamide’s Infinity to Wizkid’s Anoti and Reekado Banks’ banger, Ozumba Mbadiwe, P.PRIME is the producer we should be thanking for most of the hits we’ve been jamming to lately. While a collaboration between Asa and the producer behind these club-heavy songs sounds a little bit off on paper, listening to Ocean and her single from last year, Mayana, shows the incredible range of both musicians involved. We stan a versatile queen and that’s on purrrr. 

    3. Ocean is the second single off her upcoming album, V 

    Ocean follows Mayana, which dropped last year, and it happens to be the second single off Asa’s upcoming V album — Asa’s first album in three years, and the first time she has recorded an album in Lagos. Remember all the pandemic Instagram videos? Yes, Miss. Asa went into full album recording mode as early as the 2020 covid lockdown. Can we wait for this album to drop? No. But do we have a choice? Also, no. 

    4. This album will probably have features 

    How many Asa features do you know? So far, our queen has about six Nigerian collaborations to her name: Comforter Song with Jeremiah Gyang, Share My Blessings with Naeto C, Inside You with Darey Art Alade, Pete Pete with 9ice and Somebody Great with Korede Bello. While she hasn’t had collaborations on any of her albums so far, V may just be the album that changes all of that with massive collaborations in the works. We’ll leave you to guess the artistes, but when it drops, remember we told you it was coming. 

    5. A whole new Asa and we’re loving it

    If Mayana and Ocean are any indications of the direction of this album, then omo, we’re in for a whole new Asa. It’s the musical evolution for us. 

  • We all know Nollywood and romance go hand-in-hand with each other. In the spirit of Valentine’s — yep, it’s more of a week than a day at this point — we caught up with some of our favourite Nollywood men dem to get the gist on their best and worst Valentine’s Day experiences. Awww, the things we do for love.

    Daniel Etim Effiong — Superstar, Castle & Castle 

    Worst Valentine’s

    My worst Valentine’s happens to be my very first Valentine’s as well. I used to live in Benin at the time and I was so young and clueless. LOL. My cousins had raised some money for me to celebrate Valentine’s Day, so I called up this girl and asked her out. I didn’t have a car at the time, so we both had to jump on a bike to the fast-food restaurant I was taking her to. On getting there, I asked her to order anything she wanted, even though deep down I was praying I could afford whatever she ended up selecting. Anyway, after paying for her order, I didn’t have any money left for myself to eat, so I just told her it’ll be fun to “sit and watch her eat”. Mehn, I sweated throughout that date!

    Best Valentine’s

    So this year, because I didn’t have a lot of time off my set, I came into town on the 12th and made plans with someone who helped organise a surprise Valentine’s Day getaway for me and my wife. We had to do it on the 13th because I had to leave   town again on the 14th. 

    She was surprised when I took her to get pampered at a beach house that already had a masseuse and chef on standby. I also took her out on a boat ride to Radisson Blu for the second half of my plan. There, we had a room filled with roses and balloons and I remember her telling me she had never experienced Valentine’s Day like this before, which means my plan totally worked. It’s my best Valentine’s Day because I got to plan something special for her and everything actually worked out fine. Oh, by the way, she got me a new laptop as well, so she had a memorable experience while I got a new work machine. Love it!

    Jammal Ibrahim — The Delivery Boy, The Lost Okoroshi

    Worst Valentine’s

    I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Valentine’s Day experience because, hey, I’m a lover and a giver, so It’s always been great for me. 

    Best Valentine’s 

    The best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had was probably one I celebrated when I was a teenager in secondary school. I remember my mum giving me a box of  chocolates, some flowers and a book with my face on it saying, “My son, my number one man, my Valentine.” It’s still my favourite Valentine’s Day memory because my mum is my first love. 

    Michael Ejoor — Aberrations, Unbroken

    Worst Valentine’s 

    This was a long time ago and even though I wasn’t an actor at the time, I used to get invited to sing at events and things like that. So on this fateful Valentine’s Day, I was invited to perform at TerraKulture, but I cancelled my performance because of love and went home to make the day special for the lady I was dating. I cooked, got rose petals, candles, little boxes with gifts in them, chocolate and all of that good stuff. She came in and was so surprised by everything. We had a wonderful time together, but shit hit the fan when, later that night, her phone just started buzzing with lots of messages. This was the BlackBerry era so it was just pinging and popping up and down. I saw a message that looked funny and then I did the one thing you should never do: I snooped. I realised that she had been taking me for a fool and seeing other people. The worst part, I didn’t know how to confront her because I was also wrong for invading her privacy. 

    The next morning, I sha told her what I saw. We broke up and she carried all her gifts and left. That was also my first serious Valentine’s Day.

    Best Valentine’s

    I was seeing this girl back when I lived in the UK and even after the breakfast of the last time, I went ahead to do my rose petals-and-candles move again. I hadn’t really said “I love you” yet, so I bought her this teddy bear from Build-A-Bear, a place where you can actually create a teddy bear of your own. I did this thing where I recorded myself saying, “I love you” into a part of the bear, so anytime she pressed its arm, she’d hear me saying it to her. It was a perfect Valentine’s Day because I was deeply in love at the time. We had so much fun together and it’s a Valentine’s Day I’ll never forget. Even though we didn’t work out in the end, she was one of my best relationships. 

    Chris Okagbue — Sanitation Day, Ije Love

    Worst Valentine’s 

    I can’t really say I’ve had any experience that was so bad that it could be called my worst. Most of them were just mid because I was once in a relationship in which Valentine’s Day never happened for us because we would always have an argument or something the day before to jinx it. That sort of affected other relationships that followed because I was never really into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. 

    Best Valentine’s 

    I’ll pick my Valentine’s Day from 2019. I was seeing this girl at the time — sadly, we’re no longer together — and we had such a good time that day. Because I hadn’t done anything special in a long time, I took time out for three days just to plan a beautiful day for us. We had a beautiful private dinner, there was a trumpeter to serenade us and lovely deserts as well. It was a fun night.

  • People often refer to Shakespeare as one of the greatest writers of all time, but did he write Watimagbo? No. 

    After careful research and deep thought, we’ve decided to throw Davido’s name into the mix as the best thing to happen to lyricism. With the Baddest Boy remix currently taking over social media, it’s only right we have this conversation now. These lyrics serve as evidence that no one is seeing David Adeleke when it comes to this songwriting thing. 

    1. “Light me up o Faraday” — Champion Sound 

    Who needs a whole Ministry of Education when David is out here dishing out knowledge for free? A little physics lesson here dears, the Faraday referenced in this song is Michael Faraday, the father of electricity and the first person to build an electric generator. Bet you didn’t know that. Come through, Prof. David.  

    2. “If nothing lasts forever o, me and you we go be nothing forever o” — Flora my flawa

    This one is elite mathematics. Everyone says, “Nothing lasts forever,” and our guy, David, wants his relationship to last forever. So it only makes sense that they become nothing. 

    3. “When I look into your eyes all I see is your waist” — D&G 

    Omo x1000. We tried our best but this time, the math isn’t mathing. David, you wrote D&G, please, come and explain yourself.

    4. “You go chop Nigerian koboko, straight from Magodo” — Baddest Boy Remix

    We know what koboko means in this context, but why is it from Magodo? We’re going to need Magodo residents to explain this one. Is the koboko from Magodo a different type? What’s going on? We have so many questions.

    5. “Wake up and jump-start. I go chop you like oha” — High

    Oha is one of the sweetest soups on planet Earth — if you don’t believe us, argue with your taste buds. That being said, if anybody offers to eat you like oha, please carry your slippers and run because when they finish, omo, nothing will remain o. 

    6. “Shukura ki lo kosi o, Shuku shaker, Aya shoemaker” — FIA

    This is one line that lives rent free in our heads. No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative. It gets the people going. 

    7. “Love is sweet o. When money enter love is sweeter” — Assurance 

    Where’s the lie? Saying “I love you” is cute and all,  but you know what makes love better? Credit alerts, private jets and creamy pasta. You know it, we know it.  

    8. “Baby no feeding bottle” — Nwa Baby

    There are two types of babies, and on Nwa Baby, we find our fave lyrical genius doing his best to make sure you know the baby he’s referring to is his lover, not a child. Overraw best in English. 

  • A huge amount of every K-Drama is scenes where they eat. If you enjoy watching K-dramas, there are some meals they eat so often that you crave them. Here are seven dishes that live rent-free in every K-Drama fan’s head. 

    1. Tteokbokki 

    First of all, how is this food rice cake when it looks like spicy ponmo? They eat it with a toothpick and do that little dance that makes you feel you’re missing out on something good.

    2. Korean fried chicken 

    Maybe it’s the way they get excited about eating chicken, but they make it look so good. Like it’s the best meal ever created. When the kids in All of Us Are Dead were facing a zombie apocalypse, all they could think about was chicken. We should all just agree that fried chicken to them is what Jollof is to us. 

    3. Kimchi 

    Koreans have a way of appealing to the Nigerian urge to eat spicy things because this kimchi looks like meat stripes soaked in hot pepper sauce. But it’s really just cabbages. Do we still want to try it? Yes  

    4. Cup ramen

    It doesn’t matter if the character is late for work, sad after a breakup, or depressed after rejecting one rich woman’s money to leave her son alone, they will still eat ramen. Bonus points if they eat it in a convenience store. There’s just something about it that instantly lifts their spirits and we’d like to order a lifetime’s worth, please. 

    5. Korean barbecue 

    There is always that one scene in every K-Drama where some characters go to a barbeque shop and eat the most amazing looking meat cuts with soju. You’re not a genuine fan if you’ve never wanted to try it before.  

    6. Kimbap 

    With this snack, I think it’s the wrapping. Sometimes it’s so pretty to look at, you almost don’t want the characters to eat it. Even though it’s just rice wrapped in a triangular shape, it looks delicious as hell. 

    7. Soju 

    So technically, this is not food, but it deserves a spot on this list. Koreans make alcoholism look cute. They drink so much at once, you’d think it’s water. Anyway, we want sha.

  • Encanto is the latest Disney animation to have the world in a massive chokehold. If you thought Let it Go from Frozen was inescapable in 2013, wait until you hear and become completely obsessed with We Don’t Talk About Bruno (ooooo). Centered around a family — The Madrigals — that use their magical powers to manipulate an entire village into worshipping them, it’s hard to watch Encanto and not immediately see how it could easily pass for a Nigerian story. Let’s get into it. 

    1. Abuela is very much a Nigerian politician 

    Encanto introduces us to the most problematic Disney grandma ever! Not only does Abuela gaslight her family into following her blindly, but she also puts so much pressure on them that even when she messes up, they sort of feel it’s their fault. Sounds familiar? Nigerian politicians tend to feed us their “I never had shoes” stories during elections but the moment they taste power, omo, serious one chance. They become inaccessible and untouchable. When elections come around again, they use the same power we gave them to rig and maintain the status quo. What happens during all of this? Well, Nigerians spend a lot of time blaming each other for not reading the signs. Yes, I know this is dark AF, but you can see it too, right? 

    2. Louisa and Nigerian first daughters are in the same WhatsApp group 

    This babe was literally building bridges like Bob the Builder and carrying eight donkeys on her back for random villagers just because she was the strongest daughter. It’s giving Nigerian first daughter with a dash of slavery. In Surface Pressure, one of the catchy songs on Encanto, Louisa sings about being under so much pressure, she’s literally about to explode. Girl, we get it. You need to pack your bags and escape before they make you turn semo at 2 a.m. 

    3. That magical candle is giving babalawo jazz 

    The Madrigals all get their powers from a magical candle? Haba. This one doesn’t need too much explanation and if you look at Abuela’s wickedness, the whole thing reads like a Nollywood film starring Patience Ozorkwor. The candle could easily have been chicken feathers wrapped in red satin and dipped in red oil. We’re surprised the whole village didn’t call a pastor to run a deliverance service or just pour a bottle of Ragolis on that bloody candle. It’s giving juju that went to Harvard. 

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    4. House is in shambles, but let’s force our daughter into marriage 

    In Encanto, the biggest problem the family has — apart from that witch, Abuela — is the fact that their powers are dying and their house is literally falling apart. You would expect Abuela to ask the family to gather round to pray or mix cement, but, no, she’s trying to force her granddaughter into marriage. Sounds familiar? No matter the situation or trauma, one thing about Nigerians is that we must jaiye. Yes, our lives might be in shambles, but that doesn’t mean we’ll not enjoy ourselves and throw a party, abeg. Then there’s the pressure to get married part, but unpacking that trauma will require a bottle of wine and it’s too early for that. 

    5. Every Nigerian family has a Bruno, think about it

    First off, we’re sure they put crack in that We Don’t Talk About Bruno song, because what? Music apart, the Bruno plotline is very familiar to us. Every Nigerian family has that one rebellious family member no one wants to talk about. The aunty that got divorced and refused to remarry, the cousin that dropped out of school and pierced his nose, the uncle that married someone everyone warned him not to marry, the list is endless. The weird part is, if you check on these people, they’re having a swell time, living their best life away from family expectations and pressures, so what’s the tea? 

    6. What will people say? 

    As young Nigerians, this is one question we’re used to. All you could do is breathe and a random family member is asking if you want everyone to look at you differently. This is the major driving force in Encanto — perception. Abuela doesn’t want the village to know the family isn’t perfect and that worse, they’re losing their power. Instead of addressing the problem, she places her focus on making sure everyone puts their best foot forward, publicly. Nigerian parents and Abuela are alike in this way. A majority of the issues a Nigerian parent will have with you are not based on their perception of the situation, rather, it tends to be built around what people might say about you.

  • Since popping up on our radar with the One Direction-inspired Sade, Adekunle Gold (AG, if you’re cool with him like we are) has grown and evolved into one of the biggest Nigerian music stars, maintaining an insane level of consistency, year after year. But it’s not just his music that has changed. AG also switched up from the cutesy “I want to take you for a walk” lover boy to “Let me put you in 70 positions in one minute” zaddy and we’re here for his style glow up as well. With a sick discography to his name, compiling a list of his best songs was hard AF. But you know what? We did it. 

    10. Beautiful Night (2016)

    We know weddings are expensive AF, but something about this song makes us want to throw a big wedding just so we can dance to, “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s stay up all night, baby. Tomorrow can wait,” while our friends, families and enemies look on with love (and jealousy, of course). An underrated jam on AG’s first album, it reminds us of Sunny Nneji’s Oruka. Valentine is coming, who wants to get married abeg? No money o, just AG baby’s voice and vibes. 

    9. Jore featuring Kizz Daniel (2020)

    AG dropped this banger with Kizz Daniel leading up to the release of his third album, Afropop Vol. 1.  Even though Jore eventually got drowned out by his album that year, this song featuring two of our favourite Yoruba loverboys will always have a special place in our hearts. 

    8. Pick Up (2015) 

    Remember when AG used to sing about looking for funds and how Otedola has only one head? Yes, we do too. This was a major hustler’s anthem back in the day. Even though AG has moved on to bigger and better things, some of us still sing this every day because, omo, times are hard mehn. Excuse us while we load small credit and dial heaven again.  

    7. Something Different (2020)

    While AG had been teasing an imminent dive into more afropop-oriented songs on his album About 30, this single confirmed the switch. Like we said before, very few artists can evolve genres without missing a beat and Something Different showed us that Adekunle Gold had what it takes. This song is pure flames and we still can’t shake it off nearly two years later.

    6. Damn Delilah (2018)

    It’s not every time “love and harmony”, sometimes, you just have to choose violence. Using Delilah from the bible as his lyrical target, AG drags a love that broke his heart to pieces. Pele, boo. The ironic thing is at the time, our guy didn’t even have hair like that, so him being Samson was just off. We still like the song though.  

    5. No Forget featuring Simi (2017)

    Did you think we were going to forget to add this song? Come on! Before they became one of our favourite social media couples (You people should do and open this marriage, abeg), AG and Simi recorded their first duet together for his debut album, Gold. We’re glad they didn’t forget each other sha because this song wouldn’t have aged well. 

    4. Ire (2018)

    Loverboy AG baby is fire but you see spiritual AG? Mehn, that AG is on another level. Ire reminds us of the chaotic beauty that is Sunday mornings. From waking to your mum ransacking the kitchen and complaining by 6 a.m. to dads starting the car and threatening to leave everyone behind, those days were special. This song was the perfect album opener for About 30 and a major moment of growth that showcased our fave’s vocals and penmanship. 

    3. It Is What It Is (2021)

    Who can forget the time AG reminded us that some people are actually worse than a virus that stopped the world in its tracks? This is AG’s middle finger song and from the very first line, he lets you know he’s not in the mood for any rubbish. This song introduced us to a bolder, edgier AG — an artist willing to take risks not only in his music, but in his life as well. We stan a no-nonsense king. 

    2. High featuring Davido (2021)

    While this collaboration may not immediately strike you as a good move on paper, we haven’t been able to get one day off from this song since it dropped.  A perfect blend of amapiano and Afropop, they both ate and left no crumbs behind. We daresay this may  be AG’s best collaboration to date. 

    1. Okay (2020)

    You see this song? We’re convinced AG put crack in it because what? Another no-nonsense jam, AG reminded us that he’s  not anybody’s mate. The best part was this song dropped right when we needed it as we were all super confused as a result of the 2020 pandemic. When he said, “Okay, okay. We go dey okay”, we felt it in our bones and we’re still feeling it now because after all is said and done, we go dey okay last last.

  • Warning: There are spoilers oh

    All of Us Are Dead is a 12 episode long Netflix original zombie apocalypse TV show. If you enjoyed Squid Game, it’s not the same thing, but you’ll totally enjoy this show too. And maybe learn something about surviving in a zombie apocalypse if suffering is your kink.

    1. Cheong-san

    He immediately took on the role of a leader, thinking of new tactics to keep them all safe even after losing two people important to him. He was a little too stubborn and naive sometimes, but if you are ever stuck in a zombie apocalypse and you want to stay alive, find a Cheong-san. 

     2. Ms Park

    She kept motivating the students when they had lost hope and was the only teacher that considered alerting the kids about the outbreak, although it was too little, too late. Ms Park even tried to save Na-yeon when she ran away. The kids really liked her. Too bad niceness doesn’t keep people alive.  

     3. Nam-ra

    For slapping Na-yeon when none of us could, she deserves all the best things. This babe got infected and fought it as long as she could, using her newfound powers to save her friends when they found themselves in tight situations. She deserved better than she got. 

     4. On-jo’s dad

    This man went through hell trying to save his daughter, even when he wasn’t certain that she would be alive. He got shot at, fought zombies and the Korean military, even went against the oath he took to save lives. He went through hell for his daughter right till the very end.  

     5. Gyeong-su

    He was Cheong-san’s best friend, and they had one of the best friendships. His only flaw was that Na-yeon maltreated him, and he argued that she deserved to die. He saved her life and that of their friends, and how did she repay him? By turning him into a zombie. 

    6. Ho-cheol

    This character probably had some Nigerian spirit because I would do almost everything he did. Baba was the only logical thinking character in the entire series. Telling the police officer to leave the kids was kind of dark though. He might have also abandoned the said police officer for wanting to save everyone, but he came back so yay! He had a very short screen time, but he made us laugh throughout and we are glad that he made it out alive.  

    7. Dae-su 

    Was he annoying sometimes? Yes, but he was also really sweet, and it’s just unfortunate that all the babes he liked turned him down, in a zombie apocalypse. He had some endearing moments though, like when he sang and helped raise spirits on the roof.  

    Bonus: Orangibberish

    This guy was an extremely stupid character, but he made for good comic relief. He was busy doing influencer duties during a zombie outbreak and I almost wish they ate him tbh. Man’s was live streaming for people that were safe or just didn’t care, a big olodo. 

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  • Since their debut in 2013, the K-pop kings BTS, also known as the “Bangtan Boys”, are the best things that have happened to the world since Jollof rice. Of course, none of their success would have been possible if their art — the songs and their accompanying music videos — weren’t any good, E.g. “Permission to Dance” earned 152 million plays in its first seven days of release on YouTube in July 2021. The septet comprising Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, V, Jungkook and Jimin, use their lyrics and visuals to express their love for their “ARMY” (Adorable Representative MC for Youth) They sing to remind this “ARMY” about taking care of their mental health while asking them to rebel against bullying and governmental corruption. Most of all, they teach their fans that they never walk alone and also how to love themselves. In no particular order, here are 7 of our favourite BTS music videos, one for each member of the band:

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    1.“Blood, Sweat & Tears”

    This is by far BTS’s best music video, as well as one of their best songs. “Blood, Sweat & Tears” is the title track for their 2016 album “Wings” and falls into the Bangtan Universe created by Big Hit Entertainment, which contains all the concepts and eras surrounding the group’s fictional universe. The video’s themes are based on a dream state which revolves around friendship, love, temptation and the transition from youth into adulthood. 

    One thing BTS will do is to break away from the standard expectations of K-pop videos to give us the most aesthetically pleasing visuals and plots. 

    From their outfits to the choreography, RM’s short rap bit, and that last scene with V. Omo! Of course, this song earned them their first nomination for a Billboard Music Award. 

    2. “FAKE LOVE”

     Jungkook starts the intro with, “I grew a flower that can’t be bloomed in a dream that can’t come true.” And immediately, I knew that heartbreak was waiting for me in the lyrics. 

    “FAKE LOVE” is the lead single in “Love Yourself: Tear”, the group’s third album. The video broke the record for the most-watched music video on YouTube within 24 hours, hitting 35.9 million views on its first day. In “FAKE LOVE,” BTS calls us out for not appreciating ourselves, being afraid and desperately trying to hide our insecurities. The video gave me early 2000s vibes, with scenes of BTS trying to run away from this fake love they sing about. Throughout the video, each member has to confront a representation of their darkest fears until they learn to be true to themselves. 

    3. “Black Swan”

    This video is an artistic masterpiece, and every scene is breathtaking. This is one of the best songs in their 2020 album “Map of the Soul:7.” RM sings, “If this can no longer resonate, no longer make my heart vibrate, then this might be how I die my first death,” affirming that their passion for music does not burn as it used to, especially since the band’s oldest member Jin was up for mandatory service enlistment. While fans were sad about this, they also appreciated how much Jimin’s knowledge of contemporary dance was used to create a daunting version of a black swan. We stan hard.

    4. “Dynamite”

    This was the group’s first single recorded fully in English. They released it in summer 2020 to give their fans hope and happiness at the start of the pandemic. It shattered so many records and won them a Grammy nomination. 

    The visuals were charming with their retro funk-influenced outfits; just think of V’s baby blue Kangol hat and the chore in a record shop. The video was a shot in beautiful pastel colours as BTS attempted to encourage their fans. We were well encouraged, thank you.

    5. “IDOL”

    Idol is a Korean word for pop stars. They live for their fans and the public always has opinions on how they should live their lives. 

    BTS used “IDOL” to show us they are Koreans and extremely proud of it, and that they do not intend to live for the public eye. They basically said, “I be Idol no mean say I go die.” The visuals were fun and silly, unlike most of their videos, and this song is also part of BTS’s love yourself series. 

    6. “Fire”

    For this video, BTS set some of their props on fire and sources have said that it’s the perfect workout song — if you do that kind of evil thing. 

    Several K-Dramas have used this song for their workout scenes, and I do not blame them. The choreography is enough work as it is. The energy in this song is unmatched, and it is literally fire. If someone mentions “Fire” by BTS and you do not immediately hear SUGA’s “Bultaoreune” in your head, are you even a fan? 

    7. “No”

    I mean, I had to add an old song for the culture. BTS does not just sing about loving yourself and hope, they also sing about social justice. “No” was a protest against the harsh academic standards and expectations of Korean kids. They sang about being turned into study machines and losing friends just to be at the top. BTS used this song to encourage people to go after their dreams and be free. Of course, they have an army at their back supporting them when they constantly speak up for the youth. 

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  • Ever listened to an artist and immediately thought, “They should totally collaborate with so and so?”. Some international collaborations come as a surprise, but there are some we could’ve seen coming from a mile away. With international collaborations and remixes flooding the streets like party jollof rice, we’ve  compiled a list of mergers we saw coming from the start. We’re not claiming to be prophets or anything, but look at the material and connect the dots yourself. 

    1. Peru Remix — Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran 

    When Fireboy DML announced Ed Sheeran would be on the remix of his hit song Peru, a lot of you were shocked, but not us. While the collaboration sounded a bit off on paper, true Fireboy stans could’ve seen this from a mile away. Apart from being resident musical lover boys, Need You, the opening track to Fireboy’s 2019 album Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps sounds almost exactly like Tenerife Sea. 

    We saw this thing coming since.

    2. Somebody’s Son — Tiwa Savage and Brandy 

    When it comes to vocals in Nigeria, Ms. Savage is in a lane of her own. Announcing Water & Garri, the follow-up EP to her 2020 album, Celia, a lot of people were excited about one name on the tracklist, Brandy. While Somebody’s Son has become quite the earworm, some of us saw this collaboration coming years ago. Remember when Brandy came to Nigeria in 2014 right after Tiwa dropped Once Upon A Time and mentioned that she’d like to work with her? Ehen.

     

    3. Essence — Wizkid, Tems and Justin Bieber

    Essence was the biggest Nigerian song of 2021, no cap. So when it became time to enlist another artist to hop on the remix, we weren’t surprised when Wizkid went with Justin Bieber. The parallels between both artists are obvious AF: Usher discovered Justin and turned him into a star, Banky W discovered Wizkid and turned him into a star. Both artists started pretty young, became household names, struggled with controversies and remained consistent with their music over the years. 

    Wizkid is Justin and Justin is Wizkid, periodt. 

    4. Every song Yemi Alade has with Angelique Kidjo

    Over the past few years, Yemi Alade and Angelique Kidjo have collaborated on not just one, but two hit songs. Yemi featured Angelique on Shekere and the favour was returned when Yemi made an appearance on Angelique’s song, Dignity. These  collaborations didn’t come to us as a surprise because they have the same vibe. While Yemi Alade might get a lot of backlash for her lyrics — or lack thereof — her songs are slapping in other African countries. They’ve slapped so hard, even Mummy Blue noticed. 

    These collaborations were definitely meant to be 

    5. Damn Remix — Omah Lay and 6lack 

    While the industry was heavily focused on breezy afrobeats and amapiano-influenced songs, Omah Lay came in with this cool kid R&B vibe at the height of the 2020 pandemic and took us all by surprise. Listening to his music, especially songs like Bad Influence and Damn, it’s easy to spot the Atlanta-style R&B influence of artists like Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor and of course, 6Lack. Did we know it was going to be 6Lack for sure on that remix? No. But at least he picked someone on our shortlist.