Mayozee’s “Sugar” Is an Upbeat Expression of Gratitude

By Abioye Damilare Samson

Although Gospel music traditionally draws heavily on worship and devotion, a new generation of artistes is incorporating elements of Afropop to create music that sits comfortably between both worlds. Mayozee, born Adenekan Mayowa Adebayo, is one of the emerging artistes building within this crossover. His new song, “Sugar”, reflects the appeal and limitations of this approach.

Even the title invites curiosity. “Sugar” sounds like the name of an Afropop love song, but there is no mention of the word throughout the record. That disconnect is deliberate. It reflects a wider trend within Afro-Gospel, where the language and presentation of pop music increasingly meet Christian themes.

The song opens with a flute passage over a fast-paced beat, immediately establishing its intention as an upbeat praise record. Mayozee enters with “Baba eh, baba eh,” before moving into a call-and-response pattern: “Na you dey give me joy,” followed by “Joy every day.” He continues with “Na you dey make my life turn,” answered by “Turn every day,” before arriving at “I will praise you, Lord; na you be God.”
The structure is simple, but it is effective.

The female choral backing vocals give the record a communal quality, while the flute returns throughout the song to add movement to the arrangement. The repeated “Halle Halle” section is particularly suited to a live setting, where a crowd can easily pick up the response and participate.

This is where “Sugar” makes its strongest case. Its appeal lies in the hook, the ease of its rhythm and its call-and-response structure, making it particularly suited to participatory settings such as churches and live gatherings.
Mayozee understands that praise music does not always need to be solemn to be devotional. There is room for joy, movement and pop sensibilities within Gospel music, and “Sugar” leans into that space.

However, the song’s biggest strength is also where its major weakness becomes apparent. Once the hook establishes itself, there is not enough lyrical development to give the record greater depth. The central ideas of joy, praise and gratitude are clear, but the verses do little to expand them.
That makes “Sugar” enjoyable, but somewhat limited as a complete songwriting experience. The hook does most of the heavy lifting, while the verses feel like they are primarily there to connect one catchy section to another.
A stronger verse could have explored what that joy means to him, where it comes from or what experiences shaped his faith. That would give the danceable production something more substantial to carry. The challenge for Mayozee going forward is not necessarily to abandon the simplicity that makes “Sugar” accessible, but to complement it with verses that give listeners a reason to return to the song beyond its rhythm.
As it stands, “Sugar” is a lively Afro-Gospel record built around an infectious hook and a straightforward message of praise. Mayozee has found a comfortable meeting point between Gospel expression and Afropop energy. What remains is to deepen the songwriting around that foundation. The rhythm can make people dance, but stronger verses could give them something to remember after the music stops.