With Mavin Records Behind Him, CupidSZN Is Poised to Make an Impact on Afrobeats

Before settling on CupidSZN, the newest Mavin Records signee went by his initials NSA: Njoku Stevenson Anyinachiso. Then he had a dream where he was on stage and the audience chanted the name he now goes by. “ I woke up the next day, I decided to change all my socials to Cupid,” he recounted recently to OkayAfrica, “but [the handle] Cupid was taken. So I just put the Szn, and it became a thing.”

Even as this origin tale seems to blend reality and dreamstate, the music of CupidSZN mirrors those qualities. Influenced by the psychedelia-evoking states of trap music, the Port-Harcourt-born act used to create from such sensibilities. “Growing up, I listened to a whole lot of Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert. I really gravitated towards their sound,” says CupidSZN, “I used to trap before, but my dad told me if I wanted to conquer, I had to conquer from home. That made me, now, for lack of a better word, learn Afrobeats. But yeah, my inspiration was these names that I called, but I’m also really inspired by our legends.” 

Growing up in Port-Harcourt gave young Cupid the space to work intensely on his music. Having discovered his love for music at 14, he started creating shortly after, prioritizing his craft over the strict conditioning of formal education. He’d record over trap instrumentals from YouTube, share with his friends, and post freestyles. Although the first of four children, his parents provided him with the necessary support to pursue a music career. 

CupidSZN definitely made the career work, even before Mavin Records came calling. “I was posting freestyles [in] 2023, back to back every day,” he shares about his promotional tactic. “In 2024, when I turned 20, I dropped my first song on my birthday. The reason why I did that was to be able to track myself, and that’s how it started for me. I’m reaping the fruits of my consistency, ‘cos I was dropping music independently.” 

During this time, he got the attention of the Mavin-affiliated producer Ozedikus, who has established a running connection with some of Nigeria’s best rising talents. CupidSZN made music with the producer of Rema’s breakout single, which somehow brought him closer to the Mavin office, even without knowing at the time. “It was 2024 when I dropped maybe four singles. And after that, Mavin reached out,” he said, “which came as a shock to me because I didn’t expect that they would want to sign me ‘cos I was already putting out music.” 

Now, CupidSZN is releasing his debut EP under a label almost synonymous with contemporary Afrobeats itself. With its current iteration of stars led by Rema and Ayra Starr, there’s a charge the 21-year-old arrives into, bolstered by an assured showcase of the genre’s prime ideals. Named MYTH-ERA, it’s an ambitiously titled work by an artist yet fresh in his power. “[Myth and era] are both standalone words, but I had to merge two of them together to give it my own meaning,” he explains, “obviously, we know what myth is, they’re mainly ancient stories; they’re not real, they can be sometimes fictional, but people do believe in them.” 

Channeling Cupid: The Inspiration for His Debut EP

The artist channeled a similar inspiration in his project. “Cupid is a character in Greek mythology, and I had to go back to the roots,” he says. “Myths are stories, and every song I make is a story. Every song is a new myth, and I’m about to go into a new era.” At its best, the music upholds these ambitions: “Palava” combines Afropop’s sweet talk with fruity production from Ozedikus. “You too like talk, make we stand on business,” he urges over the Latin-esque strings, a sensual, riveting performance which opens the project.

One quickly learns that ‘sensual’ describes a lot of the music CupidSZN makes. Perhaps due to his unique musical background, he’s able to frequent that sweet spot between longing and ache, a double sensibility well accentuated on “Tuka Tuka.” While “Super” and “Zesty Money” chart the up-tempo feels of the club, CupidSZN shows himself capable of introspection on “Famous,” a rise-to-fame tale beautifully inflected with the searing intensity of a love record. The seven-track EP ends with “Your Love Is Mine,” whose vintage qualities reveal Cupid as one who’s truly studied the greats. From language to melody, it’s in sync with the more resonant elements of the movement.

“They’re all different, sonically and story-wise,” he says about the songs on the project. “Every song serves its own purpose when listening to it as a curated EP, as a project. The process of making it was beautiful. For a song like ‘Famous,’ I had to touch my inner self, and remember why I was doing this, and be grateful for where I am.” 

Now emerging finally from Mavin’s famed artist development program, and more so signifying a slight shift in approach from the label, CupidSZN has every reason to be elated. “I’m pumped,” he says towards the end of our conversation, “the OGs have made the road smoother, easier for us to break even, but we still have a lot of work to be done. I’m so happy for the work that has been done already, and how easy it’ll be for us to find our way and make our own impact. That’s the most exciting thing for me, and also just seeing people connect to the music, and even impact the next generation to want to do great stuff.”