No Turning Back: How Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor’s Gospel Anthem Sparked a Jesus Revolution in the Digital Age
A digital earthquake has struck the music industry—and no, it’s not what you think. It’s not another flashy Afrobeats track laced with billion-naira visuals, celebrity cameos, or scandalous lyrics. It’s something far more unexpected, and dare we say, sacred. Ten days ago, on a quiet and seemingly unremarkable afternoon, something extraordinary happened. The remix of “I Have Decided” by Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor dropped on the internet.
In what has now become one of the most talked-about disruptions in Nigerian—and global—digital music history, “No Turning Back II” has shattered records, overturned assumptions, and announced what many are calling a new era of gospel dominance in the digital space. The numbers? Astounding. The impact? Reverberating from Lagos to Sydney, from TikTok to church pulpits. The message? Loud and clear—Jesus is trending.
Let’s be honest—when a gospel remix hits streaming platforms, it rarely triggers mass hysteria or digital stampedes. But on May 17, 2025, that narrative flipped. The new rendition of the classic hymn “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”, reimagined by Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor as “No Turning Back II”, was released.
In the first few hours, it showed promise. Then something unusual began to happen.
By the end of the first day, the song had broken the record for the biggest first-day streams for a Nigerian gospel song on Spotify, racking up 417,000 plays. Not just big for a gospel song—historic.
By the end of the first week, No Turning Back II had done the unthinkable. It broke the YouTube Nigeria record for most weekly views of any song, gospel or secular, with 1.54 million streams. For context, it surpassed Davido’s recently released hit “Funds” featuring ODUMODUBLVCK and Chike, which had 1.31 million views—a collaboration that had previously dominated the charts and headlines.
A gospel song outperformed Davido—the undisputed heavyweight of Afrobeats—in YouTube Nigeria’s weekly music stats. And this wasn’t some fluke or algorithmic trickery. This was organic. This was grassroots. This was real people hitting “play,” over and over again.
But more than a digital milestone, it was a cultural moment.
Let’s break down the dominance of No Turning Back II across the digital spectrum as of May 26, 2025:
- Number 1 – Boomplay (Top Searched)
- Number 1 – YouTube Nigeria (Trending)
- Number 2 – Spotify (Nigeria Gospel Charts)
- Number 6 – Boomplay Top 100 Nigeria (climbing steadily)
- Number 7 – Shazam Nigeria (up 15 places in 3 days)
- Number 18 – Apple Music Nigeria (up 1, still climbing)
This is more than a viral moment. It is a movement. And the world is watching.
Lawrence Oyor is no stranger to prophetic declarations in music. He’s a psalmist, a revivalist, and a messenger of the Spirit. When he sang in the song’s bridge—“We will shape the culture, the Jesus way”—many took it as a beautiful lyric. Now, it’s looking more like a fulfilled prophecy.
In the face of a world saturated with morally ambiguous content, where viral success often comes packaged in controversy, a song boldly declaring unwavering allegiance to Christ has become an unlikely anthem. But isn’t that how God often works? Through the foolish things of the world to confound the wise?
“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is not a new song. It’s not even remotely modern. It’s an ancient anthem, sung in Sunday school classes, morning assemblies, and baptism services for generations. Some sources trace its origin to Assam, India, in the late 19th century, rooted in the martyrdom of a Christian convert.
The hymn has always been powerful—but never pop. Until now.
What Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor did was take this timeless tune and remix it with rhythm, cadence, and language that Gen Z and millennials could not only relate to but share, dance to, and post across their timelines.
The result? A cultural revival disguised as a musical remix.
Go on TikTok, and you’ll see videos of families dancing in Australia, youths in Uganda, and church choirs in the UK all singing along to No Turning Back II. It’s showing up in workout playlists, wedding receptions, gospel dance challenges, and morning devotionals.
One viral video from Melbourne shows a multi-ethnic children’s choir performing the song in front of their school during an International Day parade. The caption read: “Jesus is international.”
One could argue that the success of No Turning Back II is a case study in spiritual timing. In a world grappling with chaos, war, confusion, identity crises, and anxiety, many are returning to the basics—the old rugged cross, the simple gospel, the timeless truth.
As one online user commented:
“This song isn’t just catchy, it’s healing. It makes me cry and dance at the same time.”
For decades, gospel music in Nigeria and much of Africa has operated in a corner of the mainstream—respected but rarely celebrated on the same level as secular counterparts. The biggest gospel artists could sell out churches but not arenas. They could trend on Sundays but disappear by Monday.
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It proves that gospel doesn’t have to play second fiddle. That Jesus-centered art, when done excellently and released with faith, can thrive on the same platforms as secular giants—and even outperform them.
There’s a powerful lesson here for aspiring musicians, creators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries: You don’t always have to come up with something new to break through. Sometimes, God’s power is released when you take the old and give it new expression.
What Gaise and Lawrence have done is akin to what Steve Jobs once said about creativity:
“Creativity is just connecting things.”
They connected the ancient with the modern. The sacred with the trending. The eternal message with a contemporary sound. And God blew on it.
Let this be a reminder: If God calls you to something—no matter how “crowded” or “done before”—He can make room for you.
Now that No Turning Back II has pierced the mainstream, what’s next? Can gospel music maintain this momentum? Can this moment be sustained and expanded?
Here are some possible trajectories:
- Revival Music as Mainstream: Songs rooted in prayer, fasting, and scripture may become the next wave of popular music.
- Collaborations Across Genres: Secular and gospel artists might explore joint projects, with gospel musicians being viewed not just as spiritual leaders but culture shapers.
- Faith-Based Influencers Rising: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram could see a rise in Christian content creators building movements around worship, discipleship, and faith-centered content.
- Global Christian Revival: The virality of the song may spark fresh revivals in universities, prayer movements, and youth fellowships worldwide.
Some critics might argue: “It’s just one song.” But ask David what one stone did to Goliath. Ask Moses what one rod did to Pharaoh. Ask the early disciples what one sermon did on the Day of Pentecost.
Sometimes, all it takes is one sound. And the ripple effect lasts for generations.
Stories have emerged in the comment sections of YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter):
- A young man in Kaduna wrote: “I was on the verge of depression when I heard this song. It reminded me of my commitment to Jesus. I’m standing up again.”
- A woman from Nairobi shared: “I played this during labor. It gave me peace and strength.”
- A pastor from London: “Our entire youth service last week was just testimonies and dancing to this song. Revival has started.”
Let’s not miss the forest for the trees. This isn’t just about digital stats. It’s about spiritual momentum. In a world where darkness seems louder, light is winning. Jesus is reclaiming spaces previously considered unreachable.
This song is a signpost. A trumpet. A flag in the ground.
And the lyrics say it all:
This is more than music. It’s a declaration. It’s a war cry. It’s a movement. And now, the question is: What about you?
Are you still waiting for the perfect opportunity? Are you hesitating because you think the market is saturated? Whether it’s music, business, content creation, or ministry—if God is calling you, there is room for you.
As Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor have proven: When Jesus is in it, there’s no ceiling too high to break.
No turning back.
No fear.
No shame.
Just Jesus.
