Kenyan RnB and Bongo sensation Willy Paul, known for delivering one of the biggest wedding anthems of his career, has made a surprising confession saying he has no plans to marry.
The singer, whose collaboration with a Jamaican artist gave countless couples a soundtrack for their big day, says the overwhelming rate of infidelity in modern relationships is what’s keeping him from tying the knot.
Willy Paul is the voice behind ‘I Do’ (a 2017 hit with Alaine), a song that remains a fixture in wedding receptions and ceremonies across East Africa. Its success is a towering contradiction to the star’s current view on committed relationships.
The song ‘I Do’ is considered a staple at East African weddings and it celebrates the promise and joy of marriage, but despite the song’s popularity, the singer himself is pessimistic about everlasting love.
The singer pointed to the high rate of unfaithfulness as the main reason he’s keeping his distance from marriage. He suggests that today’s dating landscape is so riddled with cheating that commitment simply doesn’t seem worthwhile.
“I see the way things are going. Everyone is cheating on everyone. Why would I bother with a ring and a ceremony only to have my heart broken?”
His comments reflect a growing anxiety about commitment in the digital age, where dating apps and social media have arguably made discreet infidelity easier.
Willy Paul’s concerns are echoed, in part, by relationship statistics. While global figures vary, research into modern relationships suggests that a significant number of partnerships encounter infidelity.
Some global surveys indicate that over the course of a marriage, rates of infidelity can be as high as 20% for men and 13% for women.
One study even found that approximately one in five people admits to cheating before getting married, and technology has also changed the game, with dating apps being cited as a factor making extramarital affairs more accessible.
For the artist, the decision to remain single is about self-preservation. He seems to view a wedding ring not as a symbol of eternal love, but as a ticking time bomb.
“I’ve heard too many stories. I see it every day. I’d rather be alone than be in a relationship where I’m constantly looking over my shoulder.”
He concluded that until the relationship landscape changes, or people become more dedicated to monogamy, he will continue to sing about the joy of ‘I Do’ from the sidelines.
The irony is, for many of his fans, that song is their soundtrack to a hopeful future, a future he currently refuses to entertain for himself.
By Erastus Omondi
