Of power couples, love and happy ending in the music industry

Very few things sell a song faster than a love story, that is why 'RnB' remains one of the leading genres over the decades and why most of the most memorable records ever are love anthems. Music lovers live, breath, eat and worship love, whether real or imagined.

So it is understandable when we find two iconic individuals, in this case, musicians circling around one another in ways that transcend beyond just the music, things get tense all of a sudden. There is a nagging sense of intrusion from the fans on both sides, who begin to catch feelings on their behalf, arriving at times at irritating conclusions that even the people involved are not offering in any clear terms.

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That is a case that has played out in a number of global music relationships, none more epitomized than that of Ike and Tina Turner and fairly recently, Jay Z and Beyonce. In Nigeria, this template is fast finding its way into the fabric of the pop scene as a 'similar' case is playing out with Wizkid and Tiwa Savage, and in some ways, Davido and Chioma.

When Wizkid released the video to his first official single for the year, 'Fever', it was evident he had it all imagined, and the plan well perfected.

For a larger part of the year, there have been rumours concerning his 'supposed relationship' with singer Tiwa Savage, as the duo has been consistently seen together at a number of events and passing off endearing words in public, which has helped inflate the fire of suspicion that had been growing especially online.

The pair have looked pretty cosy in viral images, but they kept their fans guessing and wondering how serious this was; a pattern that has lasted for a larger part of the year.

While for many, it is hard to believe that the duo of Wizkid and Tiwa Savage are actually dating, they have somehow kept the news mill running fairly well grounded, becoming the rhythm section of Nigerian heavy movers that just won't stop.

Arguably, two of the biggest faces on both sides of the music industry seem to have something going on. Their 'love story' has become a part of their grandiose, intentional dramatic live shows, that has also arguably spiked their continual individual success in the industry adding to their appeal, so much so that it’s almost a shock to argue that they may actually not be dating, more than the thought that they are.

'Fever' video was the icing of cake that was required to send people's curiosity shooting off the radar.

While the video doesn't in anyway confirm the presence or not of a relationship, the video delivered over 2 million views in less than 48 hours, [4.2M views in 5 days as at time of writing], a number that surpasses any other video he has put out this year.

'Stew' had been served, but this was a page well learnt from the book that delivered 'Assurance' earlier in the year.

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For Davido and Chioma, the play is simple, if you don't have a celebrity partner, then you create one and that is what Davido has been able to achieve with his relationship.

Off the back of a very eventful 2017, much was expected from the DMW boss in the new year and that was what he set to deliver.

His early singles failed to exactly lit up the scene the same way his big four singles did last year, but Davido played a masterstroke with the release of his single 'Assurance', strategically ensuring that the song stays in consideration for song of the year when the discussions are up in a few months from now.

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Tieing the roll out of the single around not just the unveiling of his long rumoured girlfriend and also pulling all the strings in putting out the song around the same time as her 23rd birthday which he topped with the gift of a Porsche, which sent the internet into overdrive.

Davido had generated an unprecedented hype around the song and the video saw Chioma who has now gone to become a more visible face and brand ambassador making her video debut and inviting a pumped up number of over 1M views within the first 24 hours of its release, and 3M views in less than a week.

On both occassions, the songs have not exactly been anyway stellar, but the bigger attraction of a love story and confirmation of a mystery lover has been well worked to the benefits of the artists.

The way the fans have reacted first to Davido and Chioma's 'Assurance' video and now Wizkid and Tiwa Savage's 'Fever' is again a reinforcement that much more than the brilliance of the music, 'love' or well-packaged PR sells more and Nigerian artistes are becoming fully aware of this fact.