In July 2022, Omah Lay released his debut album ‘Boy Alone’ which has enjoyed both critical and commercial success. A large part of the album is dedicated to the pain that came with fame and how he managed to cope.
In a recent interview with Steph TV, Omah revealed that he dealt with a lot of pain and s*icidal thoughts when he made the album. When answering questions as to the motivation behind the album and his creative mental space, Omah Lay shared that he was in a deep hole and he was able to turn the pain into art.
“I was suicidal. I was really f**cked up. I think I had to be there to actually help people who are there to get out of it. It will take a very bold person to speak about it so openly.”
‘Boy Alone’ has been comically described as “Afrodepression” by listeners due to its content that captures Omah Lay’s pain. In the interview, Omah Lay shared that it takes a real musician to make art from pain and there are not a lot of Afrobeats artists making such music.
“Everybody is out there saying Afrobeats is not so deep and it’s just vibes. This is because everyone is out there making hype the real music is dead. That’s why people like me will always try. I’m one of the realest you can find and I’m putting it on Afrobeats.”
Omah Lay stated that while listeners might not fully comprehend the message in the album and the essence it carries, ‘Boy Alone’ is a piece of art that will stay relevant even after a decade.
“People call Afrodepression but don’t worry. In Ten years you will go back to the album because everyone goes through things.”
Omah Lay also advised people who go through things to always take time to fix their minds because life is beautiful when you feed your mind right.
