Ladé is a relatively new voice on the Nigerian music scene with Adulthood Anthem being arguably her first big hit. Born Oyetundun Omoladé, Ladé is a fast-rising, up-and-coming musician who has seemingly taken the Nigerian music scene by storm with her replayable and relatable song.

She currently has seven songs out with Adulthood being the most popular and the easily recognisable song. It blew up on TikTok with its empathetic lyrics, easy beats, and singable hook. We all know there is nothing Nigerians love more than a singable hook.

Adulthood (preview), Lade. Credit: YouTube

With lyrics like…

Ah! Adulthood na scam

You better get am for your mind

You gats to hustle, make a living 247 (Je ko ma shana shana)

Nobody go ask if you don chop

Nobody go send you free money

If you no get na you sabi

Adulthood na scam

…it is easy to see why.

Ladé talks about the reality of adulthood in a way only Gen Z can relate to. The feeling of having signed up for more than what was bargained for in the transition from a teen to a young adult, who has to fend for themselves is often, at least on social media, portrayed as one of life’s biggest scams. Ladé communicates this flawlessly by pointing out the challenges with no end in sight that beset young people, particularly the younger generation who have no solid life skills, to begin with, and are just learning the ropes.

It encapsulates the harsh realities that are thrust upon Nigeria’s young people who are in the main left with no support from the country they call their own. It exposes the seemingly straightforward, box-ticking path of primary to secondary to tertiary education as a means to living a good life for a scam. It does a fantastic job of saying what an entire generation is thinking without the maudlin tone that usually follows this declaration, lending a bit of that unflappable Nigerian humour to it.

Her delivery of the lyrics is brimming with passion. You can feel the artist’s dissatisfaction with life as it is. Though it is layered with a fun mid-tempo beat and a chant-like chorus and backups, woven with some very impressive vocalisation, she still manages to communicate the hard-knock reality she is living.

This is why Adulthood Anthem has such immense replayable value.

It is a familiar tale most youth can share and it still leaves the listener feeling joyful with its deceptively simple lyrics. It is, ultimately, that sense of togetherness, the idea that nobody has figured out anything and no one has left anyone behind. It is that validation that makes this song the hit that it is.

Didi Dan-Asisah is an art enthusiast and critic. She lives in Lagos.

Lyrics

Intro
Nobody go ask if you don chop
Nobody go send you free money
If you no get na you sabi
Adulthood na scam
Oh oh
Panra Panra
I heard that you’re looking for lade oh
Please don’t judge me
Cos I won’t judge you

Verse 1
As I wake up this morning (uhn uhn uhn uhn)
Landlord don call me (uhn uhn uhn uhn)
My padi don ring my phone say wey that thing wey you promise me
(Lade wey the level na?)
I no say you no go believe
Dem no tell me say na so е dey be
Abegi takе me back to days when e be say na just to play and chop ohh

Chorus
Eyy Ahhh
Adulthood na scam
You better get am for your mind (You better know this oh)
You gast to hustle, make a living 24/7
Nobody go ask if you don chop
Nobody go send you free money
If you no get na you sabi
Adulthood na scam

Verse 2
If you no get na you sabi
You no fit reason your padi oh
But if na dem need you, dem go come to you come dey give you different
Story oh (eh eh), Story oh (ehn ehn)
This is superstory oh
Though the story touch me oh
But I no fit send you money oh
If I say make I calculate (calcula)
Wetn I dey spend from Monday to Sunday (sunday)
Dey make me reminisce on those days
Wey pocket money go yapa for my pillow case (oh)
Now I gast send the money lole oh (lole oh)
Everything wey I want I must pay oh
Mogbe oh
I fit go give everything to become a child again

Chorus
Ahhh
Adulthood na scam
You better get am for your mind
You gast to hustle, make a living 24/7 (dem no dey person oh)
Nobody go ask if you don chop (dem no dey yarn person oh)
Nobody go send you free money (dem no go tell you yeah)
If you no get na you sabi
Adulthood na scam (big big scam oh)
Adulthood na scam (scam oh)
You better get am for your mind (oh oh oh oh)
You gast to hustle, make a living 24/7 (24/7 yeah yeah)
Nobody go ask if you don chop (24/7 oh)
Nobody go send you free money (dem no dey tell you yeahh)
If you no get na you sabi
Adulthood na scam (na na scam oh)

Outro
Leave me I wan become a child again
I wan become a child again
I want to play inside the rain
Cos Adulthood na scam

-Ends-

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.