Nigeria: Omah Lay releases Understand single

A Caribbean-influenced production helmed by Tempoe, who also worked on last year’s ‘Godly’ single, ‘Understand’ arrives as Omah Lay’s first solo release of 2021.

“Sharing my art with people that truly love and support me,” the singer tweeted ahead of the release. “I’ve missed this so much!”

The track also finds the singer in deep reflection about romance, rueing unrequited love. “It was a tough one to record and I hope the fans listen, understand and connect with it,” Omah Lay said. “Most importantly, I hope she listens.”

‘Understand’ arrives on the heels of Omah Lay’s appearance on a remix of Justin Bieber’s ‘Peaches’ single.

The 24-year-old Omah Lay, who moonlights as a producer, is known for his Afro-fusion style that pulls from his deep personal history with West Africa’s percussion-heavy highlife genre, as well as his enthusiasm for the popular sounds of his generation from classic rap to the Afrobeats empire flourishing in his home base of Lagos.

Omah Lay is behind the 2020 EPs Get Layd and What Have We Done. In February, he was selected alongside Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu for the Montreux Jazz Festival Spotlight initiative. In the same month, at the 14th Headies, he won the Next Rated Award ahead of fellow acts Tems, Oxlade and Bella Shmurda. Last year, Omah Lay was cited by Apple Music and Audiomack as one of Africa’s most exciting new voices.

Music In Africa contributor Oris Aigbokhaevbolo this week spoke to his managers, Valo and Marshall, about the artist’s rise to fame. Read the interview here.