Omah Lay’s struggles in Tiny Desk performance
Nigerian music sensation Omah Lay sparked reactions from fans after his NPR Tiny Desk performance surfaced on social media.
On Tuesday, 28th February 2023, a clip of Omah Lay’s NPR Tiny Desk performance was posted on social media, and this generated reactions from listeners due to his poor vocals.
The superstar performed his hit single ‘Soso’ off his debut album ‘Boy Alone’ with the assistance of a backup band with whom he wasn’t in sync.
The performance had been described as poor by fans who struggled to reconcile his hoarse vocals with the impeccable song they all love.
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The recurring issue of live performances in the Nigerian music industry: Omah Lay’s struggles while performing live revived the conversation on a recurring issue in Nigerian music where even the biggest artists have continued to deliver subpar live performances.
Omah Lay isn’t the first Nigerian artist to struggle at NPR Tiny Desk. Readers might recall the disaster showing of Naira Marley and Zinoleesky at NPR where they performed ‘O’dun’ off Naira Marley’s ‘God’s Timing Is The Best’ debut album.
Tiny Desk is a notable platform that has hosted global superstars such as Harry Styles, Usher, T-Pain, Alicia Keys, and many others.
Nigerian artists including Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Fireboy, Adekunle Gold, and more have all performed at Tiny Desk.
Perhaps it’s important to state, that NPR Tiny Desk doesn’t allow the use of vocal enhancement software (autotune) which is part of the reason some artists have struggled to deliver impressive performances.