Review of D'BANJ's OLIVER TWIST music video

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

Song: OLIVER TWIST

Artiste: D’BANJ

Video Director: SESAN

If one of the qualities of a good musical video is an urge to see it again, then D’banj might as well have shot himself in the foot with this one.

Again, if the rating of this music video were to be assessed like an O level academic work in Nigeria, then Oladapo Oyebanji popularly knows as D’banj would find himself dancing around the edges of an F9.

Without upsetting his teeming number of music fans across the globe, we would subtly state here that we are proud of what D’banj has become today; a musical figure celebrated all over the world with an incredible number of followership.

In this video, D’banj finally delivers a visual offering to fans who have always enjoyed the groovy beat and instrumentals of his hit single, Oliver Twist.

With a cameo appearance from America’s celebrated rapper, Kanye West, the ‘Koko Master’ as he is fondly called drives home his ranking as one of Nigeria’s biggest musical exports in the last one decade.

Also, despite the ongoing controversy between him and his erstwhile partner, Don Jazzy, D’banj sustains his consistency by releasing the video that millions had looked forward to for so long.

However, the quality of the video opens up a sore point that stands in sharp contrast to the classy, interesting, melodious and visually appealing videos that his fans have come to attach to the Mo Hits brand.

The use of a foreign setting might have made a massive difference if the video delivered in terms of depth and appeal.

Not only boring in its presentation, the video fails to capture the essence of the Oliver Twist concept as it lacks drama, style and connection on a very broad spectrum.

One singular scene that attempts to rescue this video from falling off the cliff of creative damnation is the point where the tall white dancer steps in to impress D’banj with his dance skills for a total of 21 seconds. This scene blends originality and drama without faltering or constituting as overkill.

Also, choreography, flexibility and synchronization all sit comfortably on the fence of average statistics.

With the fusion of Mo Hits Records and Kanye West’s, expectations had remained on the heights of Mount Everest before the release. However, like a square peg in a polygon shaped hole, the video tethers on the horizon of creativity in its dying moments.

Ironically, the comical video, which had Don Jazzy, D’banj, Wande Coal and Dr. SID in it, recorded more applause than the official video and that indeed becomes something to worry about.

Whether D’banj will bounce back with a better video or reclaim the admiration that his music videos have always earned remains something to ponder over.

Also, for the very first time, Don Jazzy does not appear in a music video that carries a Mo Hits production tag and was shot for D’banj’s song. I’ll leave you with the writings on the wall.