Oxlade, Rising Prince of Afrobeats, Stuns With Honeyed Vocals in “Arabambi” (Acoustic)
Rising Afropop star Oxlade impresses with his vocals and musicality on “Arabambi” (Acoustic), a stripped-down version of his latest single. In the new acoustic version of the single, a love song that blends Afrobeats, R&B, and pop, Oxlade leads a 7-person ensemble, featuring acoustic guitar, 6-string bass, cajon percussion, violin, and three background vocalists. Wearing a stylish yellow suit, Oxlade stuns with his textured vocals, expressing the yearning lyrics through his astonishing falsetto.
Released earlier this summer in its full version, “Arabambi” is a single from Oxlade’s debut album Oxlade From Africa, which arrives this fall.
“Arabambi” is the latest release from Oxlade From Africa, Oxlade’s upcoming debut album, following “Intoxycated”, the red hot collaboration with UK rap star Dave as well as his two-pack single KATIGORI/PIANO. A smooth single that dissects the modern language of love, “Intoxycated” reached the Top 50 of the UK official charts, garnered coverage in The New York Times, and earned Hottest Record distinction from BBC Radio 1. The album continues the momentum from Oxlade’s massive 2022 hit, “Ku Lo Sa”, which racked up over 541 million global streams.
Oxlade’s rise to mainstream recognition continued in full force last year with a nomination for Best Afrobeats Song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. Oxlade’s BBMA nomination followed a strong showing at the 2023 Headie Awards, where he received four nominations including Best Song Of The Year and Best Recording Of The Year. Just before, Oxlade raised his profile with incredible live performances, including a performance with Usher at the Global Citizen Festival in Ghana, and a performance alongside Wizkid at the Accor Arena in France.
This month, Oxlade prepares to perform concerts in Europe. On August 9th, Ox travels to Portugal to perform at Sudoeste Festival, and heads to Nice on August 13th. Stay tuned for more information about Oxlade’s shows soon.
Oxlade From Africa arrives Fall 2024 via Epic Records.
Born Ikuforiji Abdulrahman Olaitan and raised in Lagos, Oxlade started his musical journey in the choir, then releasing his first songs on Soundcloud back in 2017. He caught the attention of Nigerian fans the following year with the release of his debut single “Shugar“. Oxlade’s international glow started in 2020 with his single “Away,” making it to Rolling Stone’s “Top 50 songs of the year 2020” and getting praised by Drake.
The 26-year-old native of Lagos scored a global hit last year when he revealed an intimate performance of his song “Ku Lo Sa” on COLORSxSTUDIO. The green-tinted video was a massive success, generating over 77 million YouTube views, making it the most-watched COLORSxSTUDIO video in the past four years. “Ku Lo Sa” catapulted on its YouTube momentum to become a global hit: charting in across 61 countries on Apple Music and 23 markets on Spotify, peaking in the Top 10 in the UK’s Hip-Hop/R&B chart and peaking at #5 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats chart, and reaching #11 on Billboard’s Year-End U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Oxlade welcomed Camila Cabello for the official “Ku Lo Sa” (Remix), and its sultry music video. “Ku Lo Sa” is nominated for “Best Afrobeats Song” a the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
Oxlade went on with “Intoxycated”, a red hot collaboration with UK rap star Dave which reached the Top 50 of the UK official charts, garnered coverage in The New York Times, and earned Hottest Record distinction from BBC Radio 1.
