Late last year, Shallipopi created a giant sensation around the country, with the song “Elon Musk” on everyone’s lips. The attention has not dwindled as his fans, dubbed with the title, Plutomanians are still turning up. The Pluto World crooner is known for his tenacity as he keeps releasing record-breaking songs. Although being signed to Dvpper Digital, Shallipopi created his own record label, Plutomania signing other artistes, Zerrydl and Tega boi dc.
‘Shakespopi’ was released on the 11th of April, 2023 had 1.59 million streams on Spotify Nigeria on its first day of release. This feat makes the album the sixth-highest, first-day stream on Spotify Nigeria. It tallied 7.08 million on-demand streams (about 4,720 album units) during the tracking week of April 26th to May 2nd, 2024. Presently, the ‘Shakespopi’ album is gold with a total of 41.5m + on-demand streams and 27670 album units.
The nine-track album is currently on its third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official Top 100 Albums Chart in Nigeria making Ademola Toyeeb Alugo, the Head of Music Distribution at Dvpper Digital one of the Executives of May. The interview entails the scope of business in Dvpper Digital and how music distribution is overrun.
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TTC: Beyond the Numbers; Shallipopi's ‘Shakespopi’ achieved impressive chart success and streaming numbers. However, from your perspective at Dvpper Digital, what were the key factors that contributed to the overall success of the project beyond just the metrics?
ADEMOLA: Timing and strategic planning contributed hugely to the success of the project as well as all-round teamwork and every member of the team.
TTC: Distribution Prowess; Dvpper has facilitated distribution for a diverse range of established and emerging stars. Can you elaborate on Dvpper’s distribution strategies and how they cater to the specific needs of an artist like Shallipopi at a breakout stage?
ADEMOLA: We at Dvpper Digital operate on a strict “based-on-artiste” tailored approach. This means we don’t have a one-size-fits-all strategy. We always curate a plan suitable to our artiste’s personality, brand and online presence. Every star can shine brightly but they do differently.
TTC: The Art of Promotion; In today's industry, promotion goes beyond radio and music videos. How did Dvpper utilise innovative promotional strategies to amplify Shallipopi's sound and connect with a wider audience?
ADEMOLA: Past and continuously growing relationships with DSPs, media houses, and the like have helped us a great deal in this regard. Shalli is a superstar who knows how to keep Plutomanias engaged.
TTC: Building Momentum; Shallipopi's success follows a string of successful placements for Dvpper artistes like Seyi Vibez and Omah Lay. Can you talk about Dvpper's philosophy on building and sustaining momentum for their artiste roster?
ADEMOLA: Our philosophy is simple. Stay consistent, stay relevant and above all, always put out quality work. Find creative and innovative ways to drive home ideas. Like the Vibez Inc. project release strategy, it was a stroke of genius from Dvpper.
TTC: Future Forward; The West African music scene is constantly evolving. What are your predictions for the future of music distribution in the region, and how will Dvpper continue to be at the forefront of these changes?
ADEMOLA: My prediction is that a lot of hybrid alliances will be on the rise. And a lot of out-of-the-box dynamics would be the reason why the next set of superstars break out. We’d also see artistes be more entertainers, than just artistes. Through such untapped fields as live streams and more all-round lifestyle content beyond music. We’ve always been at the forefront of changes, rewriting history and disrupting the norm. Watch out for more!