The gospel music scene in Nigeria has not grown quite as rapidly as its more mainstream sister, Afrobeats. Perhaps it’s due to the seemingly repetitive and formulaic sounds and lyrics that often bedevil the genre. Or perhaps it stems more from societal descriptors of what is “cool” and in the now and what is not. Regardless of the reason, it is very rare that a gospel song makes it to mainstream but Ayo by gospel musician, Ife has been making some waves since its release in 2020.

Ife is a gospel singer, song writer, producer and music arranger with a lot of experience in church choirs, crews and bands. He has had a steadily growing followership from gospel music fans and his single, Ayo, meaning Joy, has been growing in popularity. He also won a contest organised by political juggernaut, Fela Durotoye, who began a search to find a jingle for his presidential campaign and finally settled on the one created by Ife.

While Ife’s time in the limelight is just beginning, it is impossible to ignore the passion the artist has put into this song. It stands out from most gospel sounds out there with its distinctly catchy beat that is a mixture of mid-tempo highlife with a more modern sound. His vocals are light and joyful, a perfect medium for the lyrics that explain all the ways joy differs from the widely understood perspective.

He states that joy is not about money or any of the flashy things the world has ascribed to the meaning of joy. He sees joy as something that is overflowing, indescribable and incredible, something that can only be given by God. He tells us God is responsible for all the good things in his life fueled by Joy, by peace, by his ever understanding countenance. A sentiment that flows through his vocals to the listening ear of the audience.

The thing about Ife is that he’s not shy in luxuriating in the joy he gets from worshipping God. You can tell that this song is an ode to the goodness of God and all the ways God has shown up for him. For all the things God has done, he feels a deep sense of gratitude and invites the listeners to hear his testimony. And from his voice, the joy radiates. Which is why by the time he sings;