Rollout is gradually introducing a new product, service, feature, or campaign to the public or an audience. This term is often used in marketing, technology, and project management. Rollouts are frequently carefully planned and executed in phases to ensure smooth transitions.
In music, “rollout” refers to the strategy for launching a new project such as an album, single, or EP. A typical rollout consists of a series of mutually coordinated promotional actions aimed at creating buzz, building excitement around, and maximizing the effect of its release. Pre-release singles, Media Appearances, Social Media Campaigns, announcement artwork, merch, and Video content usually are part of roll-out strategies.
Rollout culture is one of the best things to happen to the Afrobeats scene and there are a few artists continually investing in it. A well-executed rollout sticks in the minds of the audience making them eager and curious about what is about to be released and I won’t lie, I’m a sucker for a well-executed rollout. Some of the artists on this list are well-known for impressive rollout strategies prior to the release of an album, EP, or single. These artists have set the bar for effective rollouts in the Nigerian music industry, combining creativity, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of their audience to maximize the impact of their releases. Here are a few artists that have blessed our eyes with the sweetest rollout lately.
Victony
In my books, the king of rollout. You can tell this artist has a handful of creative people on his team and Victony himself is a creative genius. Rollout for every project has everyone wondering what’s about to happen and keeps everyone talking until the project drops, then another wave of conversation starts after the project drops because the rollout was so smooth and the project itself is solid. When the artwork of OHEMA was released, conversations broke out and everyone was trying to figure out who each character represented in the artwork. The rollout for his debut album was solid; the short teaser videos, and pictures. Everything solid!
My favorite has to be the rollout for Angelus. Each time I see that cap, I always want to listen to Angelus or sing a few lines subconsciously. Oh, I even had to get the cap too.
Joeboy
Since the early days of his music career, this artist has been known for his carton music videos made by Poko Studios for every one of his buzzing latest releases. Now, he has us seated with his new rollout pattern. He got us in a chokehold recently when he made a three-part short movie alongside Qing Madi for their hit single Adenuga.
From the plot of the short movies to the music itself and finally the music video.- everything made so much sense together and I’m sure it left a wild number of audience anticipating the song before it dropped.
Shallipopi
I wasn’t aware of his game until he dropped a sick rollout video to announce a joint tour with Odumodu. IT FELT LIKE A MOVIE. Well, it was, a short one.
I thought it was a one-off thing for Pluto Presido but he caught everyone’s attention with the rollout of his last album. I mean the visuals and storytelling gave us insight into the Shakespeare persona he has. The voiceover, appealing visuals, and royalty aesthetics as well. I don’t know about others but that video made me anticipate the album even more.
Who do you think we missed from this list, and which artist roll out do you enjoy most and look forward to?
The DIY Collective 