Happy Valentine’s Day.
I made you a playlist.
It's called Love in the Trenches — 8 Nigerian songs that detail all the love stories interrupted by economic hardship and unrealised ambitions. I deliberately removed Davido’s Aye because we all know he’s not really about that life.
I made a video walking through the playlist, with some help from two iconic Nollywood scenes that capture the exact energy: parents roasting suitors who showed up with nothing but audacity and good intentions. In one clip, Patience Ozorkwor (the usual suspect) isn’t even dragging her daughter’s suitor — she’s dragging her own son for not having money to spoil his girlfriend on Val’s Day.
Chai.
The video says everything I want to say about these songs, so I won’t rehash it here. Just watch, then go listen.
