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It takes a deeper reach into the human mind to create unique yet mind-blowing art. The average human depth has to be crossed, and this results in two things that are directly proportional to each other; creativity that is significantly greater than the average human’s, and a wondrous level of insanity. Sometimes, though, the mere awareness of the greatness of their minds overshadows their sense of normalcy, and to the average person, they’re perceived to be mentally unstable.
No wonder Aristotle said that the greatest of minds are blessed with a touch of madness.
From the classical era of art (1750-1830) to the modern era (the present day), some of the greatest creatives battled mental illnesses or were simply badly behaved. Vincent Van Gogh and Michaelangelo, both legendary visual artists, dealt with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, and some modern-day artistes can simply be identified as “unhinged”; case in point; Brymo.
We cannot deny the artistic prowess of the aforementioned artiste. His fans can testify that he has a unique sound that can’t be reproduced by others in the industry. Besides, he is one of very popular Nigerian pop artistes that I know who don’t play their songs in the background during live performances – Brymo actually sings. But every now and then, he gets backlash on social media for something he said or did.
Brymo, a known controversy magnet, is once again being taken to the cleaners by internet users over his controversial tweet claiming he demanded for sex from Simi and Efya to feature in their songs.
He tweeted: ‘There’s a part of me that wants to feel remorse for my requirement for a collaboration with the talented Simi.. yet I am reminded that I was indeed, and honestly seeking to experience the outcome of making music with a female act I was bedding.. I proposed same to Efya too then..’.
Brymo is known for making controversial and upsetting statements on social media and going left when the entire world is going right, and with the rate at which this happens, it’s starting to seem deliberate; a thirst for clout, perhaps. During the 2023 elections, he made a string of snide comments on the internet that riled up many Nigerians and put him at loggerheads with Peter Okoye of P Square and other artistes. He didn’t stop there, he blatantly doubled down by going live on Instagram to stand by his words. Whether or not these are all publicity stunts, it is easy to believe the talented artiste might have a need for mental health evaluation.
Nigerians witness a lot of behavioural abnormalities so often that we overlook them, but truly, a lot of these things can be attributed to mental illnesses and this is a call for an upgrade in the health sector of the country. The inadequate mental health awareness is contributing greatly to the rapid growth rate of destructive behaviour.
The audacity of Brymo to publicly talk about his inappropriate behaviour shows us two things; that he does need to be checked, and the blatant sexualisation of women in the entertainment industry. Whether or not he was open or clandestine about it, sex should never be a requirement for work. Brymo owes Simi a big apology for bringing up the subject in the first place and talking about her in such regard in a public space. It is totally unacceptable.
In this era when the “cancel culture” is prevalent, this episode is worth cancelling Brymo over. Maybe it could serve as a lesson to other artistes to reduce the chances of this sort of thing recurring. But somehow, after these episodes, these artistes go back to their element to create magic for their fans who are yet always willing and ready to take in their art. It’s the perk of being a genius artist; their art speaks louder than their actions and words. It’s quite an interesting cycle, isn’t it?
The post Brymo: Where Do We Draw A Line Between The Art And Artist? appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
