Johnny Drille Says No Artist Can Predict a Hit Song: “You Don’t Know What’s Going to Hit”

 

Nigerian singer-songwriter Johnny Drille has shared his honest thoughts on what truly makes a hit song — and according to him, no artist ever really knows.

Speaking on a recent podcast, the Mavin Records artiste reflected on his creative process with Don Jazzy, revealing that even one of their most successful songs wasn’t initially expected to top the charts.

“I don’t think when we were making it, we thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be a huge song,’” he said. “I don’t think anybody ever knows what a hit song is going to be until it just goes out and does its thing.”

Johnny Drille also poked fun at artists who confidently tag their upcoming releases as “hit tracks.”

“Sometimes I laugh when I see people say, ‘I’m about to release my next hit track,’ and I’m like, bro, you don’t know what’s going to hit. A lot of the time, people who release the biggest songs didn’t even know it would be a hit,” he remarked.

The soulful singer explained that music success goes beyond talent or production quality, emphasizing that even the most carefully crafted projects can fall flat.

“You can make fantastic music, be hopeful, tick all the boxes, and still, it just doesn’t pop. I think it’s a combination of good luck, timing, and the audience liking what they like. They just do what they want with the song,” he said.

He concluded with advice for fellow artists: focus on what truly matters — the art itself.

“For the artist, there’s not really much you can do beyond creating beautiful music,” Johnny Drille added.