Paul Okoye: Social Media Has Changed the Power of Music Videos

Nigerian singer Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy, has said social media has fundamentally changed the relationship between music stars and their fans, reducing the excitement that once surrounded music videos.

The former P-Square member said the widespread use of platforms such as TikTok has made artistes more accessible to their audiences, taking away some of the mystery and anticipation that previously surrounded popular musicians.

Speaking in an interview with Lun Lifestyle TV, Okoye said artistes in the past were rarely seen outside their official appearances and music videos, which helped create a strong sense of curiosity among fans.

According to him, fans could previously go for long periods without seeing their favourite artistes, making appearances and music videos major events.

He argued that the situation has changed because artistes now regularly share videos and personal moments on social media.

Okoye said fans can see musicians dancing, eating, attending events and promoting their songs online, meaning that the visual appearance of an artiste is no longer limited to professionally produced music videos.

He consequently described spending heavily on music videos as increasingly difficult to justify in the current digital environment.

The singer, however, acknowledged that social media has brought significant positive changes to the entertainment industry.

He said the downside is that excessive exposure has reduced the sense of mystery surrounding artistes and contributed to what he described as “see-finish”.

Okoye noted that even activities that were once private, including artistes’ outings to clubs and other social events, are now routinely captured and shared online.

He argued that this constant exposure has affected the way fans perceive music stars and may have reduced the intense reactions that artistes once received from their followers.

Using the example of late American pop star Michael Jackson, Okoye suggested that constant social media exposure could have reduced the extraordinary level of fascination surrounding such a global star.

He also questioned the current expectation that artistes should constantly post content online, arguing that musicians should not necessarily feel compelled to reveal every aspect of their lives to remain relevant.