Any keen listeners of Afrobeats would observe that two-pack tapes have become very popular in 2023. A lot of artists have released music using this format. Rema used this format to release his hit singles Holiday and Reason You. Young Jonn and Oxlade both released music in this format. Young Jonn released Disconnect and Go Hard, while Oxlade released Katigori and Piano. Magixx also released Maria and Colors using this format.
The question is, why are artists releasing music in this format, and why has it become popular?
One of the curses of the internet to music is the ease at which music is created and released for consumption. In 2019, Spotify claimed that 40,000 tracks were added daily to its platform. And by 2021, the number had increased to 60,000. But last September, the CEOs of both Universal Music and Warner Music made the staggering claim that 100,000 songs were now getting released each day.
The heavy supply of music available to consumers meant that artists needed to devise new strategies to keep their fans engaged and release music more frequently. These demands made way for the return of EPs.
Since 2019, Nigerian artists have been obsessed with releasing EPs. It’s disturbing because even nine-track tapes that would ordinarily be classified as albums are now tagged as EPs.
With millions of songs available to listeners at the touch of a button, listeners are becoming conditioned to listen to more artists and a shorter collection of songs.
This is down to modern consumption habits, including shortened listener attention. EPs meant artists could maintain a regular release schedule, stay relevant, and keep their current fans engaged while targeting new fans.
While the EP strategy has worked magnificently well, it’s beginning to suffer from the same issues it came to solve. Everybody is releasing EPs these days. Every week, there’s nothing less than five to six newly released EPs. Some of these EPs usually have a run time of 25–30 minutes. This means some EPs are now longer than the fans expected and are therefore losing their value.
Once again, artists need to devise new ways to remain relevant, release music frequently, and keep their fans engaged. Along come two packs of tape. This format means an artist can release two singles on the same day, at the same time, in a pack. This format will become very popular in 2023.
Is 2-pack singles a rollout strategy or just flex?
I spoke with a fast-rising Nigerian rapper, Sknny, who is notorious for releasing singles in this format. Talking about the rationale behind this, he said, “I feel like I have a lot of creative liberty as an independent artist, so I’m trying to take advantage of that as much as possible right now. The main goal of doing that, though, is just to put out as much music as possible for the fans. There’s a lot of fire in the vault, and they deserve as much of it as I can give.”
So for him, the idea is for him to be able to continuously put out music without restraint and not overwhelm the fans in the process.
I had a chat with Gracey Mae, an entertainment journalist, talent manager, and head of publicity at Mae Management Consultancy Group. She also serves as Oxlade’s manager, so it made sense to pick her brains on the thought process behind releasing Katigori/Piano in this format.
She explains that releasing music in that format shows the duality of her artist. Both songs are very different from each other and tell different stories.
The 2-pack tapes help to showcase two different sides of the artist and remind the audience of the artist’s range and musicianship.
From a strategic standpoint, she explains that two-pack tapes mean more music for the fans and give the fans a little bit of headache picking their preferred record.
Releasing music in this format also allows artists to take risks, with less emphasis placed on the failure of either one or even both records. The average Nigerian fan recognises the importance of a body of work, even more than artists themselves.
Nigerian music consumers are usually quick to condemn a bad album and appreciate a great album.
Once an album is bad, they know. And they will waste no time in making their feelings about the project known. EPs are given the same treatment as albums.
Once the EP is bad, it will receive its well-deserved criticism. 2-pack tapes aren’t classified as EPs yet, so the fans are not as harsh with their judgement as they would have been had it been promoted as an EP.
Artists also like to experiment with their music, and the best way to experiment with the music is by releasing it. A poorly executed experiment is bound to be destroyed by the Nigerian audience.
To remove the risk of dropping an experimental project that tanks and ends up being a dent in their discography, artists have found a safer option with two-pack tapes.
Releasing music in this format is a way of testing the waters. The success or failure of the songs will then determine the artist’s next move. Either confidently release the full-length project or go back to the studio.
Is a 2-pack single different from an EP?
Nigerian artists will continue to release EPs. Like the average Nigerian music listener, Nigerian artists understand the importance of albums. However, most of them lack the industry required to create sonically and topically cohesive bodies of work that would be enjoyable and stand the test of time.
Hence, a lot of them choose to release EPs.
EPs have come to stay, and so have 2-pack tapes. It is important to understand that 2-pack tapes are released to achieve the same goals as an EP, which are to keep fans engaged, release music frequently, and make the music more accessible to fans who do not have the time or interest to listen to a full-length project.
In this writer’s opinion, 2-pack tapes should be classified as EPs and judged as such.
