Rising Nigerian star Oxlade’s South Bank debut was a glittery catwalk show of fabulous outfits and high-voltage glamour, and that was just the audience. Part of the Meltdown festival line-up curated by Christine and the Queens, this Afrobeats event drew a dressy, excitable, crowd who were clearly primed to party.
Oxlade, the stage name of Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, has been bubbling on the brink of global success for the last three years. With streaming figures in the millions, and backed by career-making endorsements from superstars like Drake, the 26-year-old singer is widely tipped to follow Wizkid, Rema and Burna Boy in becoming Nigeria’s next major crossover pop sensation.
Opening for Oxlade was North London singer-songwriter Bellah, another young artist of Nigerian heritage. Specialising in R&B ballads and heart-bruised torch songs with a light Afropop sheen, the Enfield-born artist was accompanied by a heavily bearded guitarist who appeared to have recently escaped from a heavy metal band. With an impassioned, lusty warble and a wry sense of humour, Bellah seemed to be channelling the charisma of Amy Winehouse at times. “Ever done something you regret after drinking tequila?” she asked the crowd. “That’s what this song is about...”
Oxlade arrived half an hour later than billed, which allowed the lively No Signal DJ team to whip the audience into a feverish frenzy with an eclectic party mixtape of disco, house and Afrobeats classics. Anticipation was running so high that, by the time the singer finally appeared, his low-key opening inevitably fell a little flat. Dressed in angular shades and a vividly patterned suit, the initial impression he gave was more one of mild unease than explosive charisma.
Blending English and Yoruba lyrics in a lush falsetto croon, Oxlade’s opening run of older numbers included O2 (Oxygene) and Wait For You, syrupy love songs built around slinky beats and saccharine ooh-baby lyrics. Both were pleasant enough but fairly anodyne, generic efforts. This underwhelming start was not helped by a British on-stage MC intent on loudly hyping the singer during every pause for breath, dedicating songs to all the “beautiful ladies” once minute, then throwing in evangelical Christian messages the next: “shout out if you love Jesus!”
In fairness, Oxlade did eventually show hints of greatness in his final run of songs, switching gear from sugary R&B to a more organic fusion of Afropop, reggae and funk. He became markedly more animated during his infectious breakthrough 2020 track Away, melismatic vocals vaulting and soaring over propulsive, bouncy, tropical dance-pop beats. And he scored a rapturous finale with Ku Lo Sa, the viral smash that crashed the UK Top 30 last year, a creamy mix of liquid grooves and helium-voiced sighs.
A few more of these bangers could have made a triumphant set, but Oxlade was clearly light on killer anthems, making a sharp exit after just 45 minutes. Nigeria’s next pop superstar? Not quite yet. This felt more like a work in progress, sporadically dazzling, but ultimately promising more than it delivered.
