Ayox opens up: From loss to legacy in Afrobeats journey

Reflecting on his growth, Ayox revealed how discovering his purpose redefined his artistic vision. With a debut EP Last Son of a Widow inspired by the loss of his father and the strength of his mother, Ayox channels his emotions into tracks that resonate with the loners, those quietly enduring personal struggles and seeking music that mirrors their mood.

Despite moments of joy in his music, songs like ‘Lonely Nights’ close his projects on a raw, honest note, reminding listeners that behind the rising star is a young man still navigating the solitude that fuels his sound.

How Ayox found his purpose in music

I listen to a lot of music, and I got to understand that there’s literally no kind of music that you can make, that other people cannot make. It’s not [about] how good of a singer you are. There are so many great, amazing singers in the world. My purpose is to come into this world, tell my own story, [and] share my own perspective of life through my own music. I feel like that helps me stand out—and regardless, whenever I grow old, someday my story will still be told through my music. [I won’t be] just another artist that came and went.

Why his music remains deeply personal

I mean, it took me seven years of dreaming music to having a project and an EP. I’d always dreamed of having a project where it is not just about me, but about a lot of people that are like me—the loners. I feel like sometimes you need a song that connects with your mood. If there's anybody feeling down or feeling like, “Oh, life is going crazy,” I feel like I wanted to have a project that [they] could always go back to. That was my first project, Last Son of a Widow, which was inspired by my dad's death and my mom going through the process of being a widow.

His collaboration with Yinka on ‘AYO’

Yinka reminds me so much of my childhood. I lost my auntie in 2016, the same year my dad died. That's the first time I realised what death was, because you don't get to see the person again. And my auntie used to be the one who played Yinka around the house. I used to go to church with her. And every Sunday we all played Yinka because he was very, very huge when we were little, and he’s still huge. I was just making this song on a random day, and I told my producer, “I feel like Yinka would do good on this.” A year later I texted him, [and] he did the song! He sent his part in 24 hours. Big love to him; he made my dream come true!

The ‘Lonely Nights’ track

The EP had to end with ‘Lonely Nights’. ‘Ayo’ displayed Joy and triumph [over] my enemies, but ‘Lonely Nights’ is a reminder that regardless of where I am progressing in life, there's still going to be who I am as a person, [and] what I represent, which is being a loner. So I just wanted to remind people that there's still times where I feel down in my lonely night time.