5 years later, get layd is still a classic

In 2020, a boy from Port Harcourt whispered “Damn” into our speakers—and suddenly, Afrobeats had a new voice of heartbreak and bedroom vulnerability. Omah Lay’s Get Layd, a five-track debut EP, dropped quietly but left a loud impact. Five years later, its influence still ripples across the scene.

From the dreamy pianos of “Damn” to the stuttered Afrobeats shuffle of “Lo Lo,” Get Layd didn’t just introduce Omah Lay—it etched his name into the future of Nigerian music. At the time, Apple Music thought so too, launching its “Africa Rising” program with him as the face. And rise, he did.

The Making of a Star

Before Get Layd, Omah Lay was a producer quietly sculpting beats in the shadows. But the EP shifted everything. It wasn’t just his vocals or songwriting; it was the mood—the aura. He brought a new wave of vulnerability and finesse, delivered with a whisper but felt like a roar.

The project, only 14 minutes long, became a cultural reset. “Bad Influence” became an anthem for the heartbroken. “You” made its way onto everyone’s “thinking about them” playlist. And “Ye Ye Ye”? Well, let’s just say a lot of babies might’ve been made to that one.

Beyond Get Layd

But classics don’t stop careers—they launch them. In the years that followed, Omah Lay dropped What Have We Done, doubling down on his mysterious, late-night lover aesthetic. Then came his debut album Boy Alone, a brooding, emotionally raw collection that confirmed he wasn’t just chasing hits—he was carving a lane.

He didn’t stop experimenting either. He’s floated between genres, collaborating with the likes of Justin Bieber on “Attention” and flirting with R&B, dancehall, and even trap influences while still staying rooted in his sonic DNA.

2025: Back in the Spotlight

Five years after Get Layd, Omah Lay is still everywhere—and nowhere all at once. He remains a bit of a recluse, more likely to trend for his music than any scandal. But every now and then, he pops out to remind us who he is.

This year, he did just that with With You, his standout feature on Davido’s 5ive album. The track feels like a matured echo of Get Layd—same emotional honesty, but with a new confidence. Where Get Layd felt like a diary entry, “With You” feels like a letter written after therapy. Growth, in sound and soul.

A Classic, Revisited

So what makes Get Layd a classic?

It’s not just nostalgia. It’s that even today, songs from the EP still hit. Still relevant. Still quoted. Still remixed in the lives of listeners who heard themselves in Omah Lay’s melodies. And for an artist who came in soft, he’s proven to have staying power.

As new stars rise and sounds evolve, Get Layd remains a timestamp—a reminder of when the sound got softer, the emotions got louder, and a Port Harcourt boy changed the game with a whisper.