How Asake Has Hacked Live Performances

In modern times, only a few Afrobeats artists have the range required to deliver spectacular live performances. In terms of energetically arousing the audience and delivering an immersive experience, Burna Boy has often been praised as one of the finest live performers Afrobeats has ever produced. With his Outsiders band, Burna Boy owns and turns the stage to African music irrespective of wherever he finds himself or which audience he is performing to.

But beyond energy, there are many things that make live performances great. There is the ability to command a stage, connect with an audience, deliver songs with the same or even greater intensity than the recorded versions, and create moments that feel spontaneous and memorable. Great live performances also require musicianship, thoughtful arrangements, strong vocals, and an understanding of how to build and sustain a show from beginning to end. An artist can have all the energy in the world, but without these elements, a performance can still feel flat. Asake has almost everything required.

Using his two famous live performances, the Red Bull Symphonic and Spotify Live Show, we can explore how Asake has mastered the art of live performance and why audiences remain eager to attend his shows.

The first time I saw Asake perform live was in 2023 at the Flytime Fest in Lagos. He has only released Mr Money With the Vibe and Work of Art, but the momentum before releasing the two albums had sealed his name as one of the fastest-rising global stars from Nigeria. What made watching Asake memorable for me was how he performed his songs as though they were yet to be released. Arguably, everyone in the room knew every single song…