Asake at the O2: A night of hits and misses

This is the story of his just-ended O2 Arena show in London, UK, which enjoys a significant profile as a core diaspora market propelling the Afrobeats movement – underscored tonight by the reverberation of Yoruba and Nigerian pidgin, mostly from female voices.

Asake’s big night blends traditional drums into the live band, complemented by fresh arrangement and backing tracks. Song after song, the artist has shown a focus on conscious storytelling that sails close to relevant and relatable topics: hustle, love, prosperity (and the price of prosperity).

And so it begins: The singer descends from a helicopter in what appears to be a space suit. He launches into a medley of songs including ‘Organise’, ‘Sunmomi’ and ‘Dupe’. 

YBNL label mate Fireboy DML, who joins him for ‘Bandana’, is the night’s first guest. As Asake strolls backstage, Fireboy DML treats the audience to another song from his own collection: DJ Spinall’s ‘Sere’ (the DJ makes a later appearance on ‘Palazzo’).

Asake returns with a change of attire: a crop top denim ensemble and two large gold chains, singing ‘Dull’, the intro track to his first LP, followed by ‘Ototo’. Asake’s run has been so spectacular that all his songs have the galvanising effect of singles. He heads into the crowd during ‘Muse’ for a more intimate connection. ‘Nzaza’ follows.

The show incorporates a range of other elements, from a piano section featuring US R&B singer Fridayy (best known for his contribution on DJ Khaled’s ‘God Did’), an aerial silks performance, an unplugged rendition of his verse on Davido’s ‘No Competition’, taken off his Timeless album, and interludes featuring saxophone and guitar shredding, and neat transitions. 

A heartwarming moment unfolds when, after performing ‘Sunshine’, he invites Tunde Baiyewu from British duo Lighthouse Family, whose ‘Ocean Drive’ served as the sample for Asake’s ‘Sunshine’.

‘Awodi’ ushers in the party session, which is heightened by ‘Amapiano’, and when Asake looks to the side of the stage, we know label boss Olamide, the song’s other star, will appear. He does, staying on for ‘Omo Ope’, their first big collaboration that marked Asake’s breakthrough. The hits keep coming with ‘What’s Up My G’, ‘Lonely at the Top’, ‘Basquiat’ and ‘Great Guy’.

The crescendo is signalled by pyrotechnics accompanying DJ Spinall’s ‘Palazzo’, and Tiwa Savage graces the stage for ‘Loaded’, slivering in silver, like something from the future.

The show concludes with a lacklustre ending, with notable tracks like ‘Sungba’ and ‘2.30’ absent from Asake’s setlist, likely due to time constraints. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during Asake’s O2 Academy Brixton concert in December 2022 when two people lost their live due to overcrowding. Tonight, his priority is to avoid the same thing happening.

Following London stadium successes by Burna Boy in June and Wizkid last month, I have contended that the stadium concert is now the benchmark for Afrobeats’ peak. Still, he who fills the 20 000-capacity O2 is a couple of years away from stadiums, or maybe months. And so, despite potentially falling short of establishing the genre’s live performance standards, a crucial element of major shows nowadays, Asake’s latest achievement, in just two albums, remains impressive, positioning him as the next closest contender after Afrobeats’ Big Two to tackle stadium shows.

While Asake’s debut at the O2 might receive some leniency, there’s an urgency for him to enhance his live act. ‘Calm Down’ star Rema, who is up next this November, would be hoping to offer some redemption.