Singer Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy, has blamed the excessive use of social media for stripping musicians of their star power, arguing that constant online exposure has robbed them of the mystery and excitement they once commanded.
The former P-Square member said platforms such as TikTok and Instagram had created a culture of “see-finish”, making fans too familiar with their favourite artistes and reducing the thrill of seeing them in person.
Speaking in a recent interview with Lun Lifestyle TV, Rudeboy recalled when musicians deliberately stayed away from the public eye, allowing their music videos and occasional appearances to build anticipation among fans.
He argued that artistes now expose themselves too frequently through daily posts, dance videos and promotional content, leaving little room for the sense of mystery that once surrounded music stars.
“Music videos somehow now, because of this generation, is a waste of money. I am sorry to say this. But do you remember us [P-Square] before? You don’t see us anywhere. You just watch music videos, you see us and that’s it, or we come to your country, you see us,” he said.
The Reason With Me crooner further argued that the constant visibility of musicians online has reduced the intense reactions that once greeted their public appearances.
According to him, fans who see their favourite stars every day on social media are less likely to be overwhelmed when they eventually encounter them physically.
“The reason you don’t see people faint for artistes anymore is because they see them on TikTok every day dancing and promoting your music. If Michael Jackson was alive now and doing promotional content on social media, nobody would see him and faint,” he added.
Rudeboy also questioned the pressure on artistes to post content every day, insisting that musicians do not need to share every aspect of their lives to remain relevant.
He lamented that the demand for constant online engagement had made it difficult for entertainers to protect their privacy and maintain the aura associated with celebrity status.
“Unfortunately, it’s too late for us to bring back the era of artistes being mystiques. How can you advise an artiste to post every day? How? Post what? You don’t need to,” he said.
While acknowledging that social media had brought positive changes to the music industry, Rudeboy maintained that it had also made artistes excessively accessible to the public.
He noted that musicians once enjoyed some privacy during outings, particularly at nightclubs, where prominent entertainers could relax in restricted VIP sections without being filmed by everyone around them.
However, he said such privacy had largely disappeared, as people now record celebrities during their outings and share the footage online.
“Social media brought positive change to the industry but it also led to ‘see-finish.’ Artistes are now too exposed. Fans see how they eat and cry. Before when artistes go to club, they stay in restricted VIP areas, but now when they are clubbing, everyone is filming,” Rudeboy said.
