A Nigerian singer, Ahmed Ololade popularly known as Asake released a new song titled, ‘Only Me’, saying the song “is a reflection of his journey to self-acceptance and contentment.”
However, the song’s video has sparked outrage among some Christians who accused him of disrespecting their faith.
The music video, which was released last week, shows Asake and his backup dancers wearing Catholic vestments and rolling on the floor. Some scenes also depict Asake holding a cross and a rosary.
The video which has gone viral on social media, saw many netizens expressing their displeasure and calling for its ban.
One of the critics, @martins.turner, wrote on Twitter: “Asake look at how you mocked the Catholic religion, your battle is with God, Asake do the needful and delete this video.”
Another user, @BG_Liberty, commented: “This video 2/10, who directed this? Who accepted the idea? What a disrespect to Christianity. I hope you can try this with your own religion.”
Some social media users also noted that Asake, a Muslim would not do the same to his religion. They cited the example of Logos Olori, a singer signed to Davido’s label, who faced backlash from Muslims for wearing a turban in his video. He later apologised and deleted the video.
Meanwhile, Asake has not responded to the criticisms yet. He had earlier shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram page, saying: “I honour the journey I’ve been on and the journey yet to come. Happy birthday to a resilient soul.”
Asake had received his first-ever Grammy nomination for his song ‘Lonely At The Top’, which was released in 2023. The song has also been nominated in the Best African Music Performance category. He later released the remix of the song featuring American singer H.E.R.
His album ‘Untitled’ peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s World Albums Chart and he sold out two major shows at London’s O2 Arena and New York City’s Barclays Center in 2023. He became the first African artist to headline and sell out the Barclays Center, marking his first arena show in North America.
