Album Review: On Boy Alone, Omah Lay Transforms His Trauma into Incredible Music
The Nigerian singer is the subject matter of his debut LP.
Since his emergence into stardom with his 2020 EP Get Layd, it was always clear Omah Lay wasn’t the everyday Nigerian artiste. For one, Get Layd shot through the music charts in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when many artistes, even the heavyweights, were grappling with the health concerns-induced fallouts: no movement and no music shows, which for some meant no avenue for income. Omah Lay, real name Stanley Omah Didia, who at that time was a newbie, saw his music rise to nationwide consciousness with his sex-tinged emotional ballads sprinkled with fascinating Port Harcourt slangs - all without a feature. That same year, he released his second EP What Have We Done and that cemented his place as one of the emerging acts to watch.
Two years after his breakout, Omah Lay’s highly anticipated debut album Boy Alone arrives. On the 14-track project, the singer isn’t alone as he features two artistes: Canadian megastar Justin Bieber and Nigerian neo-soul singer Tay Iwar. That is the much closeness as Omah Lay allows; the emotions that reverberate on the album, even when massaged with love and sex, are hinged on loneliness, trauma, substance abuse and mental health problems.
On the short opening track “recognize,” Omah Lay demands respect for his talent and hard work when he sings, “How you go look me for eye, say me no dey try?” On “i,” he states that he is worthy of his successes and refuses to bow down to life’s pressures. The two tracks are precursors of the album’s direction: here is a young man plagued by troubles who has chosen to ease the pain with weed (and booze, as evidenced in his 2021 single “Free My Mind.”).
One of Omah Lay’s strongest suits is his songwriting; it is a wonder how he captures situations and moods with short, intricate lines. “My cousin taught me how to write poems and lyrics so I’ve always written a little bit, freestyled a little too,” he told Dazed. On “bend you,” it becomes apparent Omah Lay has fine-tuned that skill. He describes the proceedings of a sexual encounter with witty metaphors and similes, leaving no uncertainties as to his prowess. On the lead single “woman,” which is milder compared to “bend you,” he is clear that good sex is one of the benefits his lover earns from him.
Nigerian music producer Niphkeys’s up-tempo beat serves as a contrast to Omah Lay’s melancholy on “i’m a mess.” The singer acknowledges his addictions while also stating there is an inherent fear he carries despite the celebrity status he enjoys. “So I can never be sober,” he sings, admitting that pain drives him. He constructs a love note to his marijuana and Rizla on “temptations”; for him, he and those two are inseparable, as they have had his back from day one. On “never forget,” he makes a promise to both himself and the experiences he has accrued: they will not be forgotten because they are what make him the man he is.
The previously released tracks “understand” and “attention,” which features Justin Bieber find a home on Boy Alone. On the brilliant 2021 track “understand,” Omah Lay nurses a broken heart as he laments the pain caused by a past lover. On the other hand, “attention,” which didn’t get the mass appeal it deserved at the time of its release early this year, carries a new sheen on the project. In the context of the album, the genius of the track comes through as Omah Lay and Justin Bieber seek companionship and affection from their love interests; they also suggest that they can get their needs met by smoking and drinking.
Aside from smoking, drinking and sex, Omah Lay reveals that touring for shows is another source of escape. On “safe haven,” the singer reveals that being on the road protects him from the vices that threaten to pull him down. He constantly has to be on the move, from one show to the other, or else his vices will catch up to him. He strengthens his belief when she sings, “Room 404 my room number/Come give me head for the pillow/More reasons I stay on this road/More reasons I die on this road.”
Nigerian music producer and Omah Lay’s frequent collaborator Tempoe delivers a masterclass on “Soso.” Before Omah Lay’s first verse comes on, the opening instrumentals and chorus set the stage for an addictive track. On the song, Omah Lay’s sorrow and helplessness are palpable as he laments about past misdeeds that haunt him and steal his happiness - unmentioned misdeeds that weed and alcohol cannot erase.
On the amapiano-led “how to luv,” which features background vocals from fellow Rivers State native Piego of Ajebo Hustlers, Omah Lay proposes a good time with a loved one. “Girlie come show me how to love/We get married no divorce/It’s just you and I endorse,” he sings but the darkness lurks beneath the surface still. For Omah Lay, it is fair to assume that this showing of love isn’t genuine; it is clear it is a means of escape when he sings, “If you no give me I go kolo/I get the spirit of ashawo.”
Tay Iwar offers a clear-eyed perspective to affection on “tell everybody” as he lets down his guard and accepts his fallibility, seeing it as a strength instead of a weakness. Omah Lay promises commitment to his love interest but he doesn’t miss the opportunity to inform her of his ability to fulfill her sexual desires. On “purple song,” Omay Lay delivers a parting message to his fans and detractors: his music is here to stay and his legacy will not die.
Shortly after the release of Boy Alone, Omah Lay went on Twitter to spill his feelings about his mental state while he was recording the album—insecure, scared, and depressed—even revealing that he had sex with his therapist. Full credit goes to him for deciding to unclothe his vulnerabilities on wax, especially as a man in a deeply patriarchal Nigerian society; the result is an incredible tapestry of moody yet irresistible melodies. Here’s to more hits for Omay Lay and, most importantly, healing.
Go HERE to stream Boy Alone.
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