D'Banj has released the video of 'Top of the World', the theme song he composed for the 2013 African Cup of Nations. It looks low budget but classy with the right message.
After so many spectacular hits that earned him a place in the hearts of music fans in Nigeria, getting the rare privilege of penning the theme song for the 2013 AFCON in South Africa confirmed D'Banj's position in Africa's music hierarchy.
His rendition was, however, received with mixed feelings because that was the first time his fans were noticing a radical sound, and concept different from what he is known for. It obviously elicited insinuations that this would also bring about a shift in his fan base, a factor that was also buoyed by his separation from Mo'Hits Records to GOOD Music.
Of course, Top of the World with a somewhat global sound is a good transition in the bid to capture the global market. It resonates with D'Banj's determination to elevate his game in terms of sound and lyrics, and the fact that it was coming to celebrate the continental soccer fiesta, portrays a good platform to realise this.
Hearing the song, and lyrics, most people were not in doubt that the song would be an issue; but now that the video has finally been released with a clear cut message of dedication to the Nigerian Super Eagles team, it is obvious that D'Banj is set to take advantage of two things that keep Nigerian youth excitedly on their toes –soccer and music. It also comes in a timely fashion considering that the nation's football is presently at its best in years.
The video opens with the artiste mounting a podium riddled with microphones, where he first announces his name in a manner that has become characteristic of his career.
This is followed by the rendition of the first lines of the lyrics that remind his audience of a work being backed by a Kanye West. Costuming also sets his video apart as D'Banj is mostly seen in bespoke suits –a costume that also represents his international outlook. His suit does not betray the fact that he belongs to the hip-hop genre. Then his lyrics unite with the images to drive home the theme of the song which dwells on victory.
Another spectacular thing that stands this work out from what D'Banj has previously been known for is the fact that it is probably one of his cheapest music videos ever. The location shots lavishly leveraged on the scenes from the African Cup of Nations, which intermittently show D'Banj, hugging and playing with some of Nigeria's soccer stars like Mikel Obi, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo and Victor Ikpeba.
It also shows some scenes where the artiste is raised shoulder high by fans at the stadium, and it is obvious that these scenes, which would appeal to the average African audience, came at no cost at all.
The video, however, records a slight short fall at the point where D'Banj starts to mention the names of some African countries, because one would have thought that the ideal thing to do at this point would be to identify the countries being mentioned with perhaps their flags. It got so confusing at that the point when his lyric was talking about Zambia and Tunisia, the images were showing the Nigerian national flag.
But the lyrics obviously mean that he has done something that is pan-African, which is commendable. For those doubting what would become of D'Banj's career after Mo'Hits, he is still on top of his game.
Source: Music video: On top of his game (http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/music-video-on-top-of-his-game/)