Born Stanley Omah Didia and raised on the same cut-throat Port-Harcourt streets that shaped Burna Boy and Timaya, Omah Lay was catapulted to the pinnacle of the Nigerian music industry in 2020 with his lovesome EP, ‘Get Layd’. While this debut release showcased the artist’s mischievous interpretation of love, his follow-up EP, ‘What Have We Done’, offered an introspective outlook on the pressures of fame. Then in 2022 he delivered ‘Boy Alone’, his much-awaited debut album.

“Writing ‘Boy Alone’ was me talking to my therapist - my microphone - it was just like venting,” Omah Lay tells me over a Zoom call, dressed in an all-black outfit, complemented by dark sunglasses and an infectious smile. “The one thing that people love me for isn’t how I dress, how I talk, or how I carry myself; those aren’t my strengths. My strength is that when I put out music, it’s a classic because it’s real,” he says. “I was in a dark place when making the album. Once I listened back to it, I was like, this is it. I am who I think I am. I am Omah Lay. I beat my chest, and told myself that I am a fucking genius,” he adds with a peel of laughter.

The 14-track album captures the angst and self-consciousness of today’s youth, combining the raunchy nature of ‘Get Layd’ with the introspective missives of ‘What Have We Done’ to create a vivid soundtrack to the despair of being a Nigerian dreamer. “I don’t think I am the best vocalist, but people connect to is what I’m saying,” he confides. Almost two years in the making, and bagging features from Tay Iwar and Justin Bieber along the way, he kept pushing until he nailed what became the last track, ‘Soso’, which plays like a distress call for help. “As much as I am an artist, I am a human being. My music is about my experiences and ‘Boy Alone’ is about my real life. So, life needs time and my music needs time,” Omah Lay remarks of his unhurried approach to creativity.

While ‘Boy Alone’ projected a melancholic energy, the recently released deluxe edition promises exuberance and poses free-spirited questions on love and adventure thanks to the addition of six songs plus collaborations with Ozuna and Aitch. “It was not in the plan to put out a deluxe but as time went on, it felt like we had to,” the Keyqaad signee explains before addressing the stream-farming rumours that trailed the original release. “I had glitches that messed up my first week on DSPs. Streams that were supposed to go to my new songs were going to my old songs, which deprived the album of getting the recognition it deserved. But as time went on, people realised how good it was. Then I felt it made sense for me to complete the story. I dragged you through my dark side but there’s a new place I need to introduce you to. This deluxe is me jumping, being excited and just living life.”

‘Boy Alone’ has garnered over a billion streams to date and signaled a worldwide tour. It was an experience which grew his artistry. “As time went on, I mastered my music and stagecraft. My favourite part of touring is the excitement of seeing the energy, the fans and the performance, because you’ll never know how it’ll go.” With co-signs from heavyweights such as Justin Bieber, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and 6lack and a critically-acclaimed LP to his name, I wonder what comes next? “I am looking forward to a time when afrobeats fans look towards actual music, not the charts, not the awards. This is also for myself. I really want listeners will stop judging art by its success,” he answers frankly.

There’s a lot that makes Omah Lay’s music special beyond the numbers. His lo-fi basslines, effusive ad-libs and dark synths for sure, but more-so his vulnerability, which is expressed through the barefaced authenticity in his lyrics, which carries fans through his evolution as an artist and a young Nigerian. He proudly wears his heart on his sleeve, representing the dreams and convictions of children from the slums in Port Harcourt through his music. For him, this level of honesty is everything. “It is super important. The day I stop sounding like me, or stop being Omah Lay, which is a boy from Port Harcourt, is the day I stop making music.”

This story is part of Nataal’s content collaboration with Metaclay. Visit Metaclay here.