Omah Lay has become a prominent figure in the world of Afro-fusion and his new song shows that. This is his first solo release in almost a year and he has delivered a song with an important message and an intoxicating beat.
Omah Lay comes from Nigeria and at the age of 25 he already has an extremely successful career behind him. The West African native has brought many creative elements to the Afro-Fusion and Afro-Beat genres and has even shown some rap talent.
Omah Lay’s early career
Omah Lay began his career in 2019 and has maintained his momentum with an impressive discography. Two EPs, “Get Layd” and “What Have We Done,” showcased his smooth and sparkling vocals with truly vibrant production. Omah Lay’s debut album, “Boy Alone,” stayed true to his sound, with his soothing vocals balancing bouncy production.
The list of collaborations Omah Lay has worked with throughout his career is pretty amazing, with other Afro-fusion stars like Tyla and Naomi Sharon creating beautiful tracks and even working with Justin Bieber on a really groovy track.
Omah Lay has even more in store for his fans, as this latest single is a taste of more songs to come. His new single “Moving” comes alongside the announcement of his album “Clarity of Mind,” which will be released this winter.
A perfect Afro beat
As with any Afro-fusion song, the beat and production of the track must be discussed. The beat is perfectly simple, with a looped hit of a snare hitting most of the off beats. The heavily stripped down bass line in the background plays an important role as it moves the song independently as the volume fluctuates to create that wavering effect.
The rest of the mix is great, especially the guitar that comes in about halfway through. The lightness of the guitar really brings out the swaying and relaxing energy I was talking about, as it only takes a few notes to create that atmosphere.
The lyrics are also meaningful, and the constant repetition of “moving” symbolizes Omah Lay’s lack of time. This constant struggle for time means that he has no time for important things, like maintaining a relationship or serious conversations.
Omah Lay prefers to spend his time doing things he enjoys, or in simpler terms, “Time is for having fun.” The music video gives the lyrics a whole new meaning and showcases Omah Lay’s true artistry.
Omah Lay changes her meaning with music video
The music video is set in an arid desert. Omah Lay is driving a large pick-up truck, only to break down. Luckily, he is helped by some local Nigerian refugees, whom he returns to help by giving them a lift and even saving one of them from dying of thirst.
“Moving” now means that Omah Lay wants to dedicate more time to helping those in need, such as refugees from his home country. The line “You can tell that I ran out of time” clearly expresses that Omah Lay has perhaps realized how much time he has invested in his music and his career, and that he wants to atone for the time he has invested.
Perhaps these themes will be explored on his album next winter, but we will see. I am excited to see what else Omah Lay can do in the Afro-fusion genre and look forward to seeing how he develops in the future.
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