Rolling Stone has released their best 50 songs of 2020 and Nigerian singer Oxlade made the list with his song Away. This year has been quite good for Oxlade, who has had many hits and basically “blew up”.
Away is one of the tracks off Oxlade’s OXYGENE which he realeased in March 2020. The 6-track EP, which recieved a lot of acclaim since its release, is a mix of Oxlade’s Afrobeat, hip-hop, R&B and country influences.
Describing the Oxlade hit, Rolling Stone wrote: “There are no words wasted here. Away is composed of just two four-line verses, a pair of lovely prehooks consisting of two repeated couplets, and a chorus made up of one word: “away.”
“When merged with a sunny beat from Spax, all springy bass and splintered guitar, the result is a miracle of economy, not to mention highly danceable. Nigerian singer Oxlade allows just two indulgences — a pretty vocal arc before the repetitive rush of the chorus; plus a succinct guitar solo during the outro — and both are welcome.”
Oxlade comes in at number 23. The singer shares the list with Meghan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, BTS, and lots more.
He gives credit for the success of this song to music producer, Bizzle Osikoya.