Afrobeats musician Kojo Blak says breaking through with a first hit song is the most difficult point in an artiste’s career, arguing that establishing an audience requires more work than maintaining recognition once it has been achieved.
Speaking on the On The Line podcast, Kojo Blak described the early stage of an artiste’s journey as the period when the greatest effort is needed. He said gaining public attention can make the path ahead slightly easier, but that achieving that initial breakthrough remains the biggest hurdle.
“Getting your first hit is the hardest as an artist. That is where there’s more work. When you get people to know you, it becomes a little easier.”
His comments focused on the challenge faced by emerging artistes attempting to gain a place in the music industry. Kojo Blak contrasted the demands of building a name from the beginning with the task of continuing to remain relevant after an audience has already been established.
The Afrobeats musician also said he does not measure his progress against other artistes. Rather than viewing fellow performers as rivals, he said his priority is to improve on his own previous work.
“I’m not in competition with anybody. I’m in competition with myself. I want to do better than I did before, even with my live performances but I don’t feel pressured.”
Kojo Blak said that approach also applies to his live performances. He explained that he is focused on doing better than he has done previously, rather than feeling pressure from comparisons with other artistes.
The musician further clarified that his upcoming album is not being created primarily to secure appearances at major shows during the festive season. He said the project’s purpose is not tied to obtaining performance opportunities at that time of year.
“I don’t really care about festive seasons. I’m not making the album to go and perform on big shows.”
Kojo Blak is preparing to release his debut album, which is expected to include several collaborations. The project will follow his comments about the importance of developing independently and improving his craft, rather than working with the specific aim of competing with other artistes or securing major festive-season performances.
His reflections on the album and the demands of establishing a career came during the podcast discussion, where he outlined what he considers the difference between gaining initial recognition and sustaining it. For Kojo Blak, the first hit represents the point at which the greatest amount of work is required; once people know an artiste, he believes continuing the journey becomes somewhat easier.
