Between Big Baller by Flavour and Do I by Phyno, whose hit song is the bomb for Christmas 2023? Why?
In a way, I guess it is also unfair to make this comparison. Phyno and Flavour may be Enugu homeboys but they are not in the same league. In terms of internet presence, for instance, Flavour is a billionaire while Phyno is still struggling with his millions of views. What they both enjoy is massive love from the Coal City where it all started for the duo.
My choice however is very clear and I will let you into the reasons why.
Phyno is given an “F” for not giving an “F” on the lyrics of a superb song that he released during the season of love.
Musicians promote new songs to please people during this season, and make an extra Naira as well.
Consequently, Phyno dropped Do I and even got his homie, Burna Boy, to do a remix. Meanwhile, Phyno’s Enugu buddy, Flavour, came up with Big Baller and has so far hoisted it all alone to a roaring success.
Do I and Big Baller turned out to be massive hit songs with a huge difference. If we look at Phyno’s first stanza lyrics and Flavour’s second, they each address the same theme – a celebration of riches and the pride associated with those who made it. It is clearly stated in Flavour but hear Phyno here:
Touch down oso ga eme
They know that I’m not one of them
Odogwu looking like a million bucks
Clean like a religious song
Scoring the hits
Here is how I would score both of them to determine which song wins big in a season like this:
| Appeal/Reach of each song among society segments | Phyno (Do I) | Flavour (Big Baller) |
| Nightclubs have no problems playing both danceable tunes and have giving them generous time | 25% | 25% |
| Radio OAPs must do some editing before they can play Do I but have no inhibitions slotting in Big Baller. | 0% | 25% |
| Parents doing celebrations (weddings, funerals, launchings) in Southeast may not play Do I but will definitely feature Big Baller. | 0% | 25% |
| Those with the money to spare will definitely invite Flavour to perform his hit song in their billionnaire parties (Ask Tony Elumelu). | 0% | 25% |
So, there you have it. Phyno with his massive hit song scores a miserable 25% to Flavour’s solid 100% in every respect. Phyno is given an “F” for not giving an “F” on the lyrics of the song to release in a season of love.
There is a lesson that Phyno, one of the best producers Nigeria has, must know. It is still about the money. Those who don’t give an “F” hardly make it big. It is still an OAP game. When they edit out the “F” words in a song they must play, the output is often disjointed, at least to people who listened to it raw.
Also Phyno is not getting younger. He must find a way to fine tune his lyrics. It is also to his commercial credit. All he needs to be convinced is to take another look at his YouTube videos to learn an important lesson. The most viewer hits go to the hits with crossover appeal, songs like Fada Fada (34 million hits) and Connect (14 million). Other songs that come close are the duets he had with other stars. And it is Fada Fada that gave him the title of Ezege that has stuck with him to this day, a song that was popular on radio, in night clubs, churches, and in campaign hustings.
It’s the money, Phyno
Even if Phyno decides that he will be young forever, he should at least aim at not giving radio producers extra work to air his songs. This assures continuous airplay that translates to money, premium or nothing, the very words taken out of his buddy’s Big Baller hit:
Undefeated
Undisputed
Unopposed
Luxury or nothing
Money is talking
Money is talking
Blessings on blessings
Fa ga-ekwete na o na-eme yeah (They must agree that this happens).
One billionnaire agrees, as shown in this video from the annual Tony Elumelu White Party.
Merry Christmas all.
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