I can walk into a studio and sing, using my life experiences to touch the lives of others - Yemi Alade
Nigerian Afropop singer, Yemi Alade was live with Femi Oke on The Stream, where she talked about herself, her music, women’s empowerment, and her activism on COVID.
She is a force to be reckoned with. In her own words, a “Woman of Steel”.
"I'm always singing about the things that happen in my life, and to be honest, it's mostly about men," she tells Femi Oke.
Why does she sing mostly about men?
She said there was a bitter experience that she had when she was in a relationship that had several other people in it.
"I made use of the experience in a song and the song became successful."
During the interview, a viewer asked if she's still looking for Johnnie, to which she said yes, she's still on the lookout for him.
She also reveals that she did everything, was involved in anything her family was doing, and even up till she got into the university, she still wanted to do everything.
What does she love about doing music?
"The thing I love about my career is that I can walk into a studio and sing, using my life experiences to touch the lives of others. I love the opportunity to live out my life through music."
She said the last time she woke up with a song on her lips was when she sang about poverty because she doesn't like poverty at all in her life. Here was COVID lockdown, and poverty was staring many people in the face. Fortunately, she said she was one of the few people who saved and was able to see it through. But the poverty and suffering in the lives of others were glaring to her.
Through music, she has been able to reach out to those who suffer. According to her, everywhere she has gone, she's seen women who tell her that they appreciate her music because it makes them strong.
Yemi Alade is on a US tour right now, but at the same time, she's also got a foundation that supports many people who need help in various ways. Alade has now become a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, working to highlight COVID-19 vaccine inequality.
She said she's actually working with some Nigerian female singers, although she can't discuss them right now.
Does she rest, as she's doing so many things online and offline?
She said she started to rest from last year when COVID made everybody stay at home.
Alade’s accomplishments in music are many. Her song “Johnny” was one of the biggest hits on the African continent in 2014. In 2015 and 2016 she won Best Female performer at the MTV Africa Music Awards and was nominated for Best International Act at the BET Awards. In less than a decade, she has released five studio albums and has collaborated with artists such as Rick Ross, Duncan Mighty, Angelique Kidjo, and Funke Akindele. But perhaps her biggest collaboration to date has been with Beyonce, contributing to The Lion King: The Gift album with “Don’t Jealous Me”.
