"Pray for Me" is a song by Nigerian singer Darey, released on 7 July 2015 as one of the dual lead singles from his fourth studio albumNaked. It features additional vocals from the Soweto Gospel Choir, and was produced by Oscar Heman-Ackah. The song tells the narrative of a young man who leaves home against his father's advice, struggles to survive in the city, and asks his parents to pray for him as he tries to find his way.[2] "Pray for Me" received multiple awards and nominations, Best Recording of the Year and Best R&B Single at The Headies 2016.[3] At the ceremony, Darey and Oscar Heman-Ackah received nominations for Best Vocal Performance (Male) and Producer of the Year for "Pray for Me" respectively.[4] Darey earned the Best Male Artist (Inspirational) award for the song at the 2015 All Africa Music Awards.[5]
"Pray for Me" was first recorded in December 2014. During a live session in London in February 2015, he listened to it and felt the track needed a choir. He later contacted the Soweto Gospel Choir, and they recorded their parts in March 2015.[1] On 27 March 2015, the Soweto Gospel Choir posted a tweet to confirm the song's existence.[6] Darey explained in an interview with Africa Interviews that the concept of "Pray for Me" was inspired by the story of Nigerian duo P-Square.[7] The producer, Oscar Heman-Ackah, told him about how when P-Square first left Jos to pursue a career in entertainment despite the disapproval of their parents.[7] The story inspired him and led him to write the song.[7]
Music video
The official music video for "Pray for Me" was directed by Mex and shot in Abeokuta, Lagos, and Johannesburg. Featuring guest appearances from Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva, the story follows a young man who leaves home to pursue a future in the city and struggles with the challenges he meets there while dealing with his strained relationship with his father. Darey said the idea drew from P-Square’s experience and that Jacobs and Silva helped strengthen the narrative.[8] A review from Soundcity called the video "simply beautiful" and saying it's "so compelling, it will move you to tears."[9] Jim Donnett of tooXclusive praised the video’s artistic direction, writing that it "will move you to tears" and called it "so emotionally entertaining and with a gripping edge" that it holds attention for its full five-minute length. He highlighted the father-son dialogue at the start and noted the "proper detailing" in the costumes, locations, and cinematography. Donnett described the video as a "strong contender for Video of the Year" and credited both Darey and Mex for their roles in the production.[10] Aribaba of Jaguda commended the video for its emotional impact and storytelling. He noted the storyline of a young man leaving home and facing city life, the "color balance between past & present," and the strong performances of all characters, including Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva. He concluded by calling it "one of the more special videos of 2016 so far." [11] The video went on to receive a nomination for Video Wonder of the Year at the 2016 tooXclusive Awards.[12]
Critical reception
Princess Abumere of Pulse Nigeria commended the song for Darey's powerful voice and songwriting, stating that it "reminds us why he sits amongst the royalty of the Nigerian R&B kingdom." She concluded that with "Pray for Me", along with "Asiko Laiye", Darey "found a way to connect with lovers of several different genres of music."[13] Oghene Michael of 360nobs described "Pray for Me" as a "renovation of a masterpiece," comparing it to Timi Dakolo's "Wish Me Well" and noting its message about leaving one’s comfort zone and praising the Soweto Gospel Choir for enhancing the track.[14]
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