BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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Some songs pull you in gently, like a whisper in the dark. Others grip you from the first note, commanding your attention. “Why Love” does both. With this track, Asake reminds us why he remains one of the most captivating voices in contemporary Afrobeats, effortlessly blending sound and story, rhythm and raw emotion.
Released on February 11, 2025, “Why Love” marks a new chapter for Asake. It’s his first single under his self-owned label, Giran Republic, signaling a shift in not just his career but his creative control. And yet, despite this evolution, his signature remains untouched: the amapiano-infused beats, the heartfelt lyricism, the irresistible groove. This is Asake at his best–smooth, confident, and undeniably in love.
From the very first note, Why Love grips you. The song opens with a smooth, hypnotic saxophone intro, its jazz-infused elegance painting the perfect contrast to the afrobeat foundation that Asake builds upon. Then the Magicsticks produced beat kicks in, a mid-tempo rhythm laced with log drums, carrying that signature amapiano pulse that has become synonymous with his name. It’s hypnotic, it’s rich, it’s Asake.
But beyond the sound, Why Love is an expression of affection–pure, unfiltered admiration for the woman in his life. “You be my type, sabi girl… Your confidence, e dey burst my head.”
He sings to her, appreciating her confidence, her presence, her aura. She’s a baddie, a queen, his bestie. The fire between them? Eternal. It will never cool down, only burn brighter. And though he’s in his military era–a time of focus, discipline, and self-mastery–when it comes to her, he’s soft. He’s gentle. She is his calm, his balance, the exception to the rule.
A song this rich in emotion deserves a visual just as compelling, and Asake delivers exactly that with a music video directed by the brilliant Edgar Esteves.
Set against a backdrop of opulence and mystery, Asake is seen in a stunning 1989 Lamborghini Countach, an automobile that isn’t just a car but a symbol–of status, of timeless luxury, of unrelenting ambition. But what makes the video even more intriguing is its subtle narrative.
With model and influencer India Love Westbrooks playing his love interest, the video captures intimate moments between them–moments of unspoken tenderness, of connection, of something deeper than just physical attraction. They sit together, draped in army fatigue, adorned in diamond-stacked jewelry, locked in their own world.
Asake has always been an artist who knows how to blend sweetness with grit, romance with raw energy. And with Why Love, he has found a way to create a song that feels both powerful and intimate. The jazz elements give it sophistication, the amapiano beat makes it addictive, and his lyrics? They make you feel.
This is not just a love song. It’s a man standing in his power, acknowledging his dominance in the game yet letting the world know that for one woman, for the right woman, he will always be soft. Always be present. Always be hers.
With Why Love, Asake is not just making music. He’s making magic.
