Lagos-based Afrobeat and highlife artist Prime-M addresses the pain of fake relationships head-on with a reflective new single titled “Pretense.”
Everyone has dealt with pretenders at some point. The friend who smiles to your face but moves differently behind your back. The partner who says the right things but never means them. Prime-M taps into that universal frustration on this record, and he does it in a way that feels personal rather than preachy. “Pretense” is the type of song that makes you stop and think about the people around you, and if their actions match their intentions.
What gives Prime-M credibility on a topic like this is his track record of making music rooted in real-life experiences. Songs like “Oga Adviser” with Zoro, “Supremacy (Onowugonabo),” and “Ndi Wayo (Scammers)” all deal with similar themes – navigating a world where people are not always who they claim to be. So “Pretense” fits naturally into a body of work that has always been honest about the darker side of human behaviour. He is not stepping outside his lane here. He is digging deeper into it.
Prime-M operates in that space where Igbo highlife sensibility meets modern Afrobeat production. His earlier projects like Ego Mbute Special and Authority & Power established that blend clearly. On “Pretense,” that signature style remains intact. The instrumentation carries warmth and melody while the subject matter goes somewhere heavier. That contrast between a pleasant sound and a painful message is what makes the record stick. You find yourself nodding along before the weight of the words fully settles in.
In a Nigerian music landscape currently dominated by party anthems and love songs, records like “Pretense” offer a necessary counterbalance. Not every release needs to make you dance. Sometimes a song just needs to make you feel seen. And for anyone who has ever been burned by someone they trusted, this record will hit close to home.
Prime-M has been consistently putting out music since 2018 without chasing mainstream hype. That kind of dedication speaks for itself. “Pretense” is another solid addition to a catalogue built on honesty and cultural depth. Go stream it now across all major platforms and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
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