Stanley Enow's New Song and the Machinery of Relevance
The writer examines the sharp public backlash to Stanley Enow's song "Tu Vas Lire L'Heure," acknowledging its lyrical weakness while defending its commercial intent and infectious energy. The piece pivots to argue that the song's real function is not artistic but strategic—a calculated move to sustain a personal brand that has already peaked, and that audiences are complicit in keeping that machinery turning.
If you have been remotely connected to the internet these past 48 hours, you have no doubt come across sprinklings of conversations addressing Stanley Enow’s new song. “Tu vas Lire L’heure” was released on Friday and the reactions to the song have been rather strong.
I went across a number of platforms to read comments and reactions to both the song (first) and then the video. I looked at popular platforms like BIMStr and 237Showbiz and even the protagonist’s own Facebook page and maaan, were people brutal in the way they expressed their opinion. People overwhelmingly gave negative comments to the song in the most acerbic of manners.
I mean, I understand that you may not like a song but I think as humans, we need to have more empathy sometimes. Stanley tried to play it off in the comments section but I want to think that wherever he is, he must have been hurt to a certain degree. I will not necessarily call myself an artist, but as a creative, I know the pangs of putting in work towards a project and having it rejected. And I’m sure Stanley meant well. He recorded the song and put out a video - not by any chance a small investment. All that effort being rejected will hurt anyone
But to come back to the song, I am tempted to ask “but what did you guys really expect?” I want to focus particularly on the lyrical part here. Stanley Enow is not known to have lyrical prowess and I want to believe he writes all his songs himself and has no doubt waved away the idea of a ghostwriter. Maybe that is a splinter in the framework of his artistic integrity, and we cannot blame him for that either. Somewhere, we have to even respect him.
And so for that reason, I had hoped that we, members of the audience, will look away from the lyrical part. I honestly didn’t expect much. Right from the moment that he put out the teaser video, in my mind I was like “yehum!”
But like the Pentecostal pastors would ask - Can i shock you? Well, let me shock you. To be honest, I actually LIKE this song! Yea, me, Wandji Wilfred. I do like this particular song. The beat is great! The ad-libs are to die for and the energy of the song is just infectious. I liked it from the very first listen.
The truth is, this song was never meant to be a serious song. It is one of those songs that are meant to be strictly commercial and people are just meant to vibe to it with crazy antics. It is one of those songs that will come on at a party when everyone is half-drunk, and they will all jump around and dance to it and sing to it, shouting at the top of their voices.
If a different rapper had put his voice to this song, I daresay the reception would have been different. The problem is that it is Stanley; and the audience listened with an established bias - that he was going to mess up on the lyrics.
Could he have done better on the lyrics? I honestly think he should have. Anything half as decent as what we got on ‘Hein Pere’ maybe would have given some “lukewarmth” to the reception. But it is what it is. Alea iacta est.
But while we are squabbling about this, I also think we are missing the big picture. And what is the big picture? Stanley Enow is basically just doing the minimum to keep him in the spotlight - and to keep him relevant. That this is basically a tactic in his marketing. And this tactic and every other one is meant to keep in place his most valuable asset - his personal brand.
Yes. Stanley and his team have no doubt that realised that music is the thing that keeps him in the public eye. He just has to come every now and then to remind us that he is still there by dropping a song. That is why he has released just two albums in 7 years. In that time, his best enemy has released 3 albums and 7 EPs
Everything he does now is meant to boost his personal brand. That is why he invests so much in his PR. That is why he appeared on CNN and is a UNICEF ambassador while other prominent rappers and musicians barely have a brand partnership to their names. Jovi and Mr. Leo have released music as well these past three days, but who is everyone talking about? Exactly!
The music suffered. I was angry, like every other person, when the music suffered. I was mad that the person who did Hein Pere and made the WHOLE country dance could not really keep up in the music genre that pushed him to prominence. His Afropop songs like ‘Caramel’ and ‘My Way.’ did really well, especially the latter. But where everyone waited for him to confirm, in rap, he did not deliver.
And I don’t know if he ever will. I don’t count on it. I honestly don’t even bother anymore. The truth is whether you love him or you hate him, Stanley Enow has long established himself as an urban music icon. He will continue to be invited for the big shows and will continue to be paid big bucks. Hein Pere did 90% of the work for him. And as long as you continue to rush to his page to insult his music, he continues to stay relevant and continues to milk the cow that you guys are fattening for him.
So, buy yourself a bottle of beer, turn up the volume and try to enjoy “Tu Vas Lire l’Heure.” There is nothing more any of us can do. That is you, and me. We are getting played. So, just let things be.
Wandji Wilfred.
*Special shoutout to Dijay Karl for those fire beats and to Adah Akenj for that great video.
In late 2020, Cameroonian hip-hop and urban music remained intensely consumed and publicly scrutinized, especially for artists who had achieved mainstream crossover success. The post reflects a moment when social media commentary on music releases was immediate, blunt, and often unfiltered, and when a single song release could dominate local digital conversation within hours.
The piece captures a tension that persists in contemporary music culture: the difference between artistic integrity and strategic relevance, and the role of audience attention in perpetuating both. It is also a rare moment of self-aware critique from within the Poise voice—one that acknowledges personal enjoyment while maintaining clear-eyed skepticism about the mechanics of celebrity and consumption. The writer's final note to audiences—that they are being 'played'—remains unsettling and worth revisiting.