Recorded 2013 Length 03:05 | Genre Afropop Label Mavin Records | |
Released November 13, 2013 (2013-11-13) Format CD single
digital download | ||
"Surulere" (which translates to "Patience is Rewarding" or "Patience is Profitable") is a song by Nigerian Afropop recording artist Dr SID. It was released on November 13, 2013 as the first single from his second studio album, Siduction (2013). Don Jazzy produced the song and was featured on it. The song peaked at number 1 on MTV Base's Official Naija Top 10 chart from March 21 through March 27, 2014. It also peaked at number 2 on Pulse Music Video chart. Moreover, it was ranked fourth on YouTube's most watched Nigerian videos for the first quarter of 2014. In a nutshell, the song is a reflection of Dr SID's musical journey.
Contents
Background and meaning
"Surulere" literally translates to "Patience is Rewarding" or "Patience is Profitable". While on the set of MTV Base's Official Naija Top 10 chart in March 2014, Dr SID said that "Surulere" represents one's desire to achieve their goals and aspirations. He also said that the music video addresses the need for patience among parents who pressurized their children to have kids right after marriage.
Music video
The music video for "Surulere" was uploaded onto YouTube on January 23, 2014, and ran for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. The video features Don Jazzy and Dr SID dancing in front of an undisclosed house. The video stars Funke Akindele, Helen Paul and Blossom Chukwujekwu. It tells the story of a young couple (Blosson Chukwujekwu and Helen Paul) who struggles with childbearing. Despite Chukwujekwu's mother (Funke Akindele) attempt at ending her son's marriage, the couple overcame the stigma of childbearing that young couples often experience.
Cultural reception
In January 2014, fans of Dr SID began uploading pictures of themselves transitioning from grass to grace. They tagged the pictures with the hashtag "Surulere". Musicians such as Tiwa Savage, Don Jazzy, Jude Engees Okoye, Wizkid, Banky W., D'Prince and Ice Prince also uploaded pictures of themselves onto the social networking site Twitter.
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from music critics. Uche Briggs of YNaija concluded that "Surulere has a flavour that reminds one of Yam and palm oil – with salt, of course. From the very first listen, the easy flow laced with the afrobeat production makes for a remarkable tune. The Surulere hook, beautifully rendered in Yoruba underscores the power of deity in successful endeavours, laced on a sinfully melodious afrobeat something."
On the contrary, the music video for "Surulere" received poor to average reviews. Jim Donnett said that "Surulere mirrors nothing close to the patience virtue. Only material gain, accessories and more accessories not forgetting the end thereof – vanity! Like the bad struts of a failed runway model who falls flat on her behind, Surulere is a humpty-dumptyish fall that breaks the rigid surface of the platform upon which its balance rests."
Live performances
Dr SID and Don Jazzy performed the song for the second time at the Fire of Zamani album launch concert, which was held on November 23, 2013 at the Eko Hotel and Suites. On April 20, 2014, Dr SID performed "Surulere" at the Easter edition of AY Live. In May 2014, he performed "Surulere" with Phyno at the 2014 edition of Star Music Trek.
Accolades
"Surulere" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards. It was also nominated for Hottest Single of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. The remix of "Surelere" was nominated for Best Collabo at the 2014 African Muzik Magazine Awards. "Surulere" won the Best Collabo of the Year category at the 2014 City People Entertainment Awards. "Surulere" was nominated for Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2014. The music video for "Surulere" was nominated for Most Gifted West and Most Gifted Video of the Year at the 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards.
Surulere Remix
The official remix of "Surulere" features Don Jazzy, Wizkid and Phyno. It was included on the Siduction album. The song was also produced by Don Jazzy and recorded in November 2013 at the Mavin Headquarters in Lekki, Lagos. The song is a deviation from Dr SID's usual themes which includes love, romance and sex.
Critical reception
Upon its release, the song was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Jim Donnett of YNaija reviewed the track and said that "Wizkid sounds a bit rushed, at some point, he's losing timing on the beat and then later on, clashing harmonies with Don Jazzy. Phyno on the other hand, is genius. He gives a self composed, on point delivery and in his expected local dialect."
A writer for Fuse gave the song 3 out of 5 stars, adding that the remix would have been exceptional if Wizkid's verse was extracted from it. The writer also added that the production and hidden sound on the beat complements the overall feel of the song.
A writer for GTCrea8 also added that "As appealing as the prospects of having Wizkid and current indigenous hip hop darling Phyno on the same track are, their guesting on the first remix of Surulere was not particularly needed. Frankly, the entire remix sounded like a rush job."