Behind The Scenes Of Lawi's Exclusive Album Release On Vwaza

For the past three days, our website has been more like a besieged fortress than a digital storefront. The gates were flooded with traffic. Everyone - and I mean everyone - was trying to sign up and grab a copy of "My Father's Land", the latest masterpiece from Malume, Lawi.

Honestly, this album drop was the biggest deal we’ve ever touched. Our technical and engineering teams have been running on fumes, working behind the scenes for weeks to make sure everything was ready for this moment. They were prepping for a surge, but they weren't prepping for a tsunami…

As a brand, and speaking frankly as myself, I knew the anticipation was high, especially after the private listening session at Mount Soche, where people left buzzing. We did everything right: the promo videos were fired, we engaged the right influencers, and our graphics team was cooking up some beautiful countdown and release artworks.
I live in the world of customer service. I experience the daily highs and lows, the little glitches, the expected rushes... So, yes, I knew we’d have a lot of traffic on release day.

But I was not mentally prepared for what came next…

Man, did all hell break loose! The complaints started pouring in like a broken dam:

• People couldn't sign up
• Songs were only playing for a few minutes before skipping to the next track
• The purchase section vanished into the digital ether for some
• Purchases were successful, but the music wouldn't play

And the cherry on top? Social media, especially Facebook, was on fire.

It was a digital riot, fueled by passion for the music and frustration with the tech. In the moment, it felt like the entire world was watching our biggest moment turn into our biggest nightmare.

Now, here’s where things got interesting. While many users were genuinely frustrated and came forward with constructive feedback that helped us improve our system, others were just tagging along — posting complaints they’d copied from others without ever even trying to buy or use the platform.

From experience in customer service, you can always tell the difference between someone who truly needs help and someone who’s just chasing the trend because they saw others saying something was wrong. Still, we took every piece of feedback seriously, because in every noise, there’s always a signal worth hearing.

Then came an article from MBC Digital claiming users were dissatisfied with the platform. While we respect the role of the media, it was disappointing to see a story published without our comment and with several factual errors — including the claim that My Father’s Land has 12 tracks when it actually has 33.

Our Media Relations Officer, Thoko, addressed the situation professionally, clarifying that while users faced challenges during the first days, most issues had already been fixed, and the platform has since been optimized. She also extended an open invitation for MBC to tour the platform and see the improvements for themselves.

Because that’s who we are at Vwaza — open, accountable, and determined to build something better for artists and fans alike.

This whole experience reminded us of something deeper: how “free” has crippled the music industry. We’ve normalized getting art for nothing, and in the process, we’ve made it harder for creators to earn from their craft.

That’s exactly why Vwaza exists — to change that mindset.
To bring value back to music.
To give artists ownership and fans the chance to support them directly.

So to everyone who showed up, purchased, shared feedback, or even criticized—thank you. You helped us grow and prove that people are ready to pay for quality music again.

If you haven’t yet, go experience My Father’s Land on Vwaza Music. Support the art. Support the artist. Support the movement.