Nigeria: Victony drops debut album Stubborn

The 14-tracker, out via Encore Recordings, was heralded by singles like ‘Everything’ and the Asake-assisted ‘Stubborn’. It follows Saturn (2020) and Outlaw (2022) EPs. 

The project, which boasts an eclectic blend of sounds such as Afrobeats, amapiano, R&B, funk and even echoes of Afro-Cuban jazz, is thematically centred on perseverance and positivity. 

“With Outlaw, I tried to let people know that [I am] different,” Victony said. “Here, I’m continuing with that stubbornness, telling people we haven’t switched lanes. I’m still about being me regardless of who likes it or not. And just reflecting on everything that I have been through and where I’m coming from because it’s not necessarily a land of dreams. It’s not easy to be from Lagos. You have to be hopeful because there’s not much to give you hope. Victony is resilient, and I feel like this album truly represents who I am now.”

On the LP’s title track, Victony said: “‘Stubborn’ inspired everything. When we were done with the session, I kept playing it. It became my favourite song at the time. I thought a collab would be interesting because it’s a new sound. I felt like it’d be interesting to have someone on it, and obviously the melodies and the character and the song were such a perfect match for Asake. I told him, ‘This is just me reflecting on life and just being grateful, but reaffirming that I’m still on course, I’m still about what I’m about. I’ve never changed. I’m not changing for anybody, this is me, this is Victony, right?’ We had that conversation, and he was tapped in and he did his thing.”

Victony, who began his professional music career in 2016, boasts 1.5 billion streams. He has scored collaborations with industry heavyweights like Burna Boy and Rema.