Oxlade Drops the Sizzling New Song and Video For “Arabambi”
The Nigerian star promotes the vitality of love and community in the TMXO-produced record.
Oxlade has proven himself one of the most talented artists in the Afrobeats hemisphere. With each new release, he’s consistently offered colorful iterations to his R&B-suffused style. The Nigerian star is now releasing “Arabambi,” his debut single of 2024 and the first from his forthcoming debut album, Oxlade of Africa, which is expected later this year.
“Arabambi” is a cool record, soundtracked by mellow drums and evocative guitar playing. These sonic choices supply a certain gravitas to the song, creating the perfect soundscape for Oxlade to flow over. In the first line, he interpolates Drake’s lyrics in Wizkid’s “Come Closer,” singing, “What would I do without you, my chargie / I don’t wanna see you with anybody,” in that signature lull of his vocals, stretched out to demonstrate the longing he sings about. The mellow production on “Arabambi” only serves to highlight Oxlade’s honeyed vocals, which he layers to heightened sensation as the song progresses.
“Arabambi means, ‘the child of the people,’” says Oxlade in a press statement describing the song, “‘the community gave birth to this child, ‘the one’. It’s also the nickname of K1 De Ultimate, an iconic Nigerian Fuji musician. The melody is inspired by the American singer Miguel and the way he uses his vocals. It’s a love song but it’s still me in my braggadocious elements. It’s the original song I was meant to perform for COLORSxSTUDIO before I swapped it for ‘Ku Lo Sa.’”
That song — “Ku Lo Sa” — represents Oxlade’s biggest song yet internationally, but he parlayed its success into cross-continental popularity, as American star Camilla Cabello got on its remix. Oxlade also collaborated with maverick U.K. rapper Dave on last year’s “Intoxycated,” while dropping a solo double release, with “‘Piano” and “Katigori.”
With Oxlade of Africa, the singer plans to bring an extension to the journey that began with OXYGENE, his debut EP and one of the standout offerings of 2020. Eclipse, a collaborative effort with DJ Coublon, also produced the gem “Ojuju,” all of which makes the album one of the most anticipated this year.
If anything, “Arabambi” surely takes those expectations even higher.
Watch the music video for "Arabambi" below.