MONROVIA – Hype is becoming a far cry from what defines a hit song today. The tools are there—TikTok, social media, digital streaming platforms—to make almost any track go viral. But in this new musical economy, the beauty of a song seems less about quality or creative impact and more about reach: skyrocketing streams, airplay bought through heavily paid DJs, and on-air personalities who push trends because they’re on someone’s payroll.
Music is starting to feel like football—losing its soul to commercial gamesmanship. It’s all become about marketing gimmicks, financial muscle, and shortcuts. If you can force your sound onto the masses, the industry now calls it a “hit.” But when a song doesn’t catch on naturally, where’s the miracle in that?
That’s not to say marketing doesn’t have its place. Of course it does. But let’s pause and talk about CIC and Stunna’s new release, Happy. Is it a timeless sound? Or just another repackaged product dressed up in old genre garments?
We can’t rely on the timelessness of the highlife genre to carry a song’s success. Highlife, rooted in palm-wine music and intertwined with Liberian Gbema, is one of the oldest musical forms on the continent. CIC has shown mastery in this genre—but mastery and monotony are not the same. In fact, they often clash.
Take CIC’s previous release, One Day. It rode in on a wave of hype and high expectations. But as fast as it came, it faded. Pushed on the public with the potential of being the song of the year, it fell flat. Why? CIC’s vocal delivery is becoming predictable. Apart from catchy titles and well-produced visuals, there’s not much freshness. If Happy is a taste of what’s coming from his Local Champion album, fans may be in for a letdown. Is it a full-length project of forgettable songs?
Bringing in Stunna seems like a calculated move—a marketing trick to distract us from the reality that Happy doesn’t measure up to CIC’s past hits. There’s no denying CIC is a brilliant artist, but the question must be asked: Is he running out of steam?
And what about Stunna?
He brings his signature vocals to the track, but again, monotony looms. Stunna’s stagnation hasn’t gone unnoticed. His vocal talent is unquestionable, but his songwriting—once sharp and resonant—has dulled in recent years. Perhaps it’s time for a new A&R team, maybe even a new manager. He’s far too talented to be coasting like this.
Fans expected this collaboration to shake things up. Instead, it barely ruffled feathers. Sure, the song will enjoy massive airplay thanks to both artists’ legacy in the Liberian music scene. But that shouldn’t mislead us into calling Happy a timeless piece.
Because it isn’t.
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