Singer Asake has come under criticism on social media over a lyric in his newly released album M$NEY, which some listeners interpreted as support for President Bola Tinubu.
The controversy centres on a track titled ‘Amen’, where the artiste reflects on the power of words and manifestation.
In the song, he references Tinubu’s “Emi Lokan” statement and his eventual victory in the 2023 presidential election.
The lyric, “Presido sope emi lokan, e dey win election,” quickly sparked reactions online, with many listeners accusing him of praising the president despite current economic hardship and public frustration.
On X, formerly Twitter, some fans expressed disappointment and even threatened to stop supporting the artiste.
@tazethegreat tweeted, “Why was Asake praising Tinubu in ‘Amen’? With the way the country is right now, that’s another reason the album flopped.”
@gmltony wrote, “With everything wey dey happen for Nigeria, Asake still get mind praise Tinubu for him album. I no fit lie, that thing weak me. My guys don already talk say dem no go stream am again.”
@amara_views added, “Some artistes really forget say na the same ordinary Nigerians struggling every day still dey stream their music and buy tickets. This one no sit well with many people.”
Others, however, defended the singer, arguing that the lyric was being misunderstood.
@JiddaGram tweeted, “He only used Tinubu as an example of speaking something into existence. People are overreacting honestly. The line no even sound like campaign or praise to me.”
@theonlysammie added, “Music listeners for this country too dey emotional sometimes. Not every mention of a politician means endorsement.”
Released on Friday, M$NEY contains 13 tracks and has generated widespread discussion online, with the Tinubu reference emerging as one of the main talking points around the project.
Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, rose to prominence in 2022 and is known for blending Afrobeats with Fuji and street pop influences. He has released several successful projects including Mr Money With The Vibe (2022), Work of Art (2023) and Lungu Boy (2024).
