#ThrowbackThursday: why Styl Plus remains Nigeria’s favorite “boy band”
I saw seasoned musicians Styl Plus turn back the clock with what, in my opinion, was an incredible performance.
When Tunde, Shifi, and Zeal arrived on stage, the crowd immediately burst into screaming. Styl Plus delivered hit after hit for the next 20 minutes as the already ecstatic audience applauded them on.
This piece was inspired by their performance that evening. It also prompted several inquiries. How is it that despite Styl Plus not having released any new music in nearly two years, fans are still eager to see them perform? How is it that a new generation of Nigerian music fans still sings their songs verbatim over ten years after they were first released?
The sentences that follow make an effort to provide answers.
- They produced quality music
Styl Plus was founded at a time when Nigerian popular R&B groups were not at the peak of their game. This is not to say that singing groups didn’t exist; rather, there weren’t any that consistently released RnB songs with a largely Nigerian theme. All that changed when St Plus arrived. Despite the fact that they first formed as a church group, their songs were approachable, well-produced, and—most importantly—singalong-friendly.
- They benefited from the Boy band period.
As previously established, Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi, Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi were the founding members of Styl Plus, a gospel quartet. After Lanre’s death in 1999, Zeal Onyecheme joined the group. The ensemble started singing inspiring and love songs in 2001, moving away from singing only gospel music. Naturally, women were their largest supporters.
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They were popular not only because they sang primarily about love and other matters of the heart, but also because they were attractive men who were merely Nigeria’s equivalent of the dominant worldwide boy bands of the time. To put it simply, Styl Plus was the equivalent of Westlife, Boys2men, Backstreet Boys, etc. in Nigeria.
- They created timeless music
Nothing will indicate that Call My Name, Imagine That, or Olufunmi were released in recent years if you listen to them for the first time today. These songs’ subjects will continue to be discussed for a very long time. They made a wise decision by doing this. Additionally, the production, mixing, and mastering are of the highest caliber, which makes their music feel current even years after it was released.
- No one took a solo trip
Their most well-known tune They were able to praise God for the fact that they were progressing together and that no one had gone it alone after four years. A person did go solo, though, years later. With the moniker Tunde TDot, Tunde left to start a solo career. Despite having released multiple tracks, he was unsuccessful in his mission. Maybe he returned and the rest is history after deciding he was happier being a part of the gang.
