How Upcoming Artistes Can Be Relevant In 2022: By Amechi Okoli

2022 has already gone halfway, but there’s still a full 6 months to go. And that’s more than enough time for something good to happen in your music career.

The harsh reality is, not every upcoming artiste will score a hit song before the year runs out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t push forward and remain relevant.

Here’s what you need to do to remain relevant as an upcoming artiste in 2022.

1. Collaborate with as many talented artistes as you can

You may experience brain-blocks sometimes, and this makes writing your own songs a bummer. But that doesn’t mean you should give recording a break and disappear.

Have you forgotten that out of sight is out of mind?

Why not collaborate with other upcoming artistes on their projects (especially the serious ones).

By doing so, your name will keep popping up here and there, and your collaborator’s fans will become yours in the process.

2. Do weekly freestyles

Gone are the days when you needed to be in a studio to record a simple freestyle. Now you can just turn on your phone's camera, do head-busting accapellas, and share across your social media platforms.

It’ll help if you gave your freestyle series a name. It’ll also become a thing among your followers if you released them on a weekly basis.

If your freestyles are dope, then your fans will be anticipating each week's release. And just like that, your freestyles will be included among the content your followers consume on the internet!

An extra tip here is to theme your freestyles according to trending topics in and outside Nigeria, as that can make your freestyles more catchy and shareable.

There are a bunch of topics to choose from – Owo church shooting, APC primaries….You get the idea!

3. Perform at the popular spots in your neighborhood

A lot of upcoming artistes have forgotten the importance of growing a local audience, and are more focused on growing an online audience.

First of all, performing at popular clubs and hang-outs in your neighborhood helps you perfect your stage-craft. Secondly, performing at such places on a regular basis makes you a celebrity already, even if it’s on a small scale.

After all, acts like The Notorious B.I.G and Young Jeezy were first local celebs before they blew internationally.

Also, imagine if a big artiste like Tuface was coming to perform in your hood. As a neighborhood celeb and an already-familiar face at the local spots, it would be easy for you to get a slot to perform at the show.

Can you smell a record deal? Ask Portable (Zazu).

4. Contribute positively to music discussions

If you want to be taken seriously as an upcoming artiste, then contributing positively to music threads can help you achieve that.

Positive and informative comments are good for two reasons.

Firstly, readers will respect you when you sound like a reasonable person. Secondly, dope comments can be shared (retweeted), thus exposing you to a wider audience, who may end up following you on social media.

Don’t go online and argue blindly or get into internet quarrels.

5. Be consistent

Having a strategy or a dope song is good, but being consistent with it is even better. In whatever you do regarding your music career, make sure you do it religiously.

Don’t release a song today and disappear for the next 8 months. Don’t post today and keep silent for another 6 months.

That’s a one-way ticket to being forgotten, and the complete opposite of being relevant.

Being consistent also makes you better at what you do. Always remember that!

If these tips were helpful to you, then kindly share this article, as other upcoming artistes might need to read it.

My name is Amechi Okoli, and I write entertainment articles, songs, press-releases, music reviews, and much more!

Send me a DM on Instagram @amechi_okoli or WhatsApp 08033422206 if you need my services

Peace!