Released 1 October 2013 Length 3:43 | Genre Afro-ragga
dancehall | |
Format Digital download, Radio airplay Recorded September 2013
Street Rhymes Studios
(D-line, Port Harcourt) Label Street Rhymes Entertainment | ||
"Oh Na Na Na" is a song recorded by Nigerian recording artist Slim Burna, released on 1 October 2013 in celebration of Nigeria's 53rd Independence Day Anniversary. The song was produced, mixed and mastered by Slim Burna and his co-producer P Jaydino at Street Rhymes Studios in Port Harcourt. "Oh Na Na Na" premiered on Port Harcourt's Rhythm 93.7 FM on 28 September 2013. Burna uses the song to convey his feelings for a Nigerian girl he lusts after, lyrically, comparing her physical beauty and sexual attractiveness to those of an Indian and a Brazilian girl.
Contents
- Background
- Content and lyrics
- Critical response
- Chart performance
- Live performances
- Remix featuring Edem
- Background and release
- References
Critical reception to "Oh Na Na Na" has been generally positive-to-mixed. One reviewer complimented its feel-good vibe and catchy quality, while another felt that its production was a little too boisterous, and tends to be dance floor-friendly rather than listener-oriented. The song became the first radio top ten hit of Slim Burna's career, when it entered the TGIF Chart at number ten, and eventually reached the number two position.
Background
"Oh Na Na Na" was produced by Slim Burna himself, along with longtime collaborator P Jaydino. The song was recorded, mixed and mastered at the Street Rhymes Studios in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to the singer, he had initially thought about Nigeria turning 53 on 1 October and wanted to make that day a special one for himself and his fans. After he had recorded "Oh Na Na Na" in September 2013, he thought the song was special and eventually decided to release it on Independence day to celebrate Nigeria at 53.
On 28 September 2013, few days before "Oh Na Na Na" was released, the song premiered on Port Harcourt's Rhythm 93.7FM.
Content and lyrics
"Oh Na Na Na" has a running duration of three minutes and forty-three seconds.The infectious, club-ready song features heavy rhythms, lewd lyrics, and afro-ragga melodies that also border on hard-hitting and pulsating production that stands out and ramps up the tune's jiggy groovy and catchy nature. The lyrics are in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Patois and describe Burna's infatuation with a Nigerian girl, whose beauty and movements he feel, are comparable to those of an Indian and a Brazilian girl.
Critical response
Yeside Akindele of Lhardells Blog commended the song as fun and delightful, by saying: "After carefully listening to Slim Burna’s Oh Na Na Na, I must confess I really had a nice time playing this beautiful song, I can always play it forever in my memory." Raphael from No Hype Fx felt that the song, although danceable, was not so much an entirely listenable one.
Chart performance
As of the end of November 2013, "Oh Na Na Na" had entered the TGIF Charts at number ten and would go on to reach the number two spot the following week. It stayed there for another one week before finally dropping out a week later. The song also became Slim Burna's first top ten hit.
Live performances
Burna performed "Oh Na Na Na", as well as "Claro" (from I'm on Fire), at the Pre Carniriv concert on 6 December 2013, at the Liberation Stadium.
Remix featuring Edem
A remix of "Oh Na Na Na" featuring guest appearance from Ghanaian rapper Edem was released on 6 January 2015. This version of the song features new verses by Burna, along with a rapped verse by Edem. Recording sessions for the song took place at Street Rhymes Studios and Magnom Studios while the mixing of the track was completed at the former. "Oh Na Na Na Remix" has an entirely different beat and was produced by Ayzed with co-production from Slim Burna.
Background and release
On 26 September 2014, via his Twitter, Burna posted a tweet stating that he and Edem (Ghanaian rapper) were working on a collaboration: "Burna and Edem, they just can't wait…” The message was immediately retweeted by Edem to his fans. On 14 October, Burna tweeted about the track, saying: "Mehn... This beat is banging.... Big ups to Ayzed, Oh Na Na Na remix with Edem coming soon," which Edem shared on his Twitter profile. On 5 January 2015, the song's cover artwork and a brief 60-second snippet of the instrumental was released exclusively on the Pulse website. The cover designed by Felix Orji shows Burna sitting on a black leather stool, legs spread open, while a bikini model in high heels stands in between them. He is wearing a pair of boots, shirt, snapback with black jeans and has one hand on her waist and her lower leg. Commenting on why he chose Ayzed and Edem, Burna said:
I wanted a completely different sound for the remix, and having Edem, Ayzed back me up with their unique contributions just did it for me. They really gave it their best shot and I don't think it would have come out the way it did if I had chose [sic] differently.