Psquare Are Sex Symbols, And There’s Nothing Wrong With That
It started with one tweet and one video. Then it quickly snowballed into something much bigger: a Psquare scandal – which is bewildering, considering the fact that the duo only recently ended their years-long feud. If you didn’t pay attention, you would have thought that the twin brothers got into another altercation, similar to what happened in 2016 when they had to be held apart at their lawyer’s office. “Peter, shame on you!” Paul screamed at his brother that day, with elder brother Jude contributing his part by saying, “I will beat you down now!”. So when the tweets started flying this past week that Peter was in some scandal, I tuned in, wondering what it was this time.
Except that it wasn’t a scandal. Not in the least. Yes, it was another video, and no, they weren’t fighting: it was from a show they had in Amsterdam where Peter ran down from the stage to plant a kiss on the lips of an excited female fan. The clip in question is only a few seconds long, so it doesn’t show the interaction between the fan and artiste beforehand. Still, in the much she and her friends recorded, she certainly didn’t mind as they all yelped excitedly – all the while Snapchatting and Instagram-living the moment. The reactions online, though, were not very approving. Many commenters were offended at his forwardness; some called it “creepy and disgusting” that he didn’t ask for the lady’s consent. Another section appeared shocked that he carried out the action without worrying about communicable diseases. The group was also offended that he was a “married man” casually kissing random strangers without regard for his wife. To all of them, I say: calm down.
One of the biggest fallouts of the Psquare beef all those many years was that they deprived fans and themselves of at least five years of major touring and headline concerts. There’s no argument that Psquare was the biggest entertainment act on the African content for a long stretch of time. Perhaps reverse recency bias prevents people from remembering when fans will throw underwear at the twins or when some will pass out on seeing them on stage. Or is it because they’ve been away from the consciousness that people don’t remember that they were considered sex symbols at some point, and they had to be peeled away from female fans who won’t let go?
And it’s not just them: it’s the same for other acts like Dbanj, Fally Ipupa, Diamond Platinumz, Burna Boy… even Wizkid. It’s not strange to see the interaction between male entertainers and adoring female fans take a sensual turn. It’s happened in the past that a female fan who crashed the stage while 2face Idibia was performing took off her top and clung to him… with his wife in the audience! Moreover, it’s not just the male entertainers whose interaction with fans can get naughty. Who can ever forget the 2008 Janet Jackson performance where she chose a lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you see it) to bring on stage for a simulated BDSM session? The man himself was giddy with excitement as the crowd screamed along. Now that’s an unforgettable experience.
The point is: music performances cannot simply be the musician singing to the microphone, and that’s it. Crowd interaction is an essential aspect of live shows. Sometimes, it can take a raunchy turn if the audience finds the act attractive. Of course, unwelcome advances are a no-no. It’s great that society frowns on sexual misdemeanours more than it used to. Artistes should know that, like any other citizen, they face the consequences if they sexually harass their fans. But that wasn’t the case here.
By the way, I don’t think Peter’s wife will mind very much. They got married at the height of Psquare’s popularity, and she must be well aware that she married a sex symbol – who still takes care of his body to look attractive. The twins are 41 years old and in better shape than many peers. Plus, he has had at least two movie roles where he has had to kiss other women. In the Netflix series Shanty Town, his character had a steamy sex scene with actress Nancy Isime. As the only Okoye brother who is still married (Peter and Jude are both divorced), he must be doing a few things right as a husband, and I doubt that kissing a fan during a show will be a problem.
Speaking of old timers still giving a great show, American singer Ginuwine made the news when he fell under the stage while performing. Ever the good sport, he made light of it by continuing to sing while underneath. This comes a few months after he went viral for his dance moves that exposed his age. At 52, the legs are not as sturdy as they used to be, and he might look funny if he tries the breakdancing he was famous for. But his age is not preventing him from getting shows. He’s an R&B legend who has not had a hit in a decade, yet he’s performing and having concerts everywhere. This means that good music is timeless, and you can continue to be on stage for as long as you want. I hope that inspires some older musicians to go on tours and hold concerts.
Jide Taiwo is a Lagos-based writer and media executive. He tweets via @thejidetaiwo.
Lastly, stay updated with all you need about African music at S.O.A. right here.
Psquare Are Sex Symbols, And There’s Nothing Wrong With That
