Yemi Alade is a force. Fresh off her first solo Grammy nomination for her album ‘Rebel Queen,’ the title embodies exactly what Alade represents—African, driven, and spiritual. Her words to describe herself have all been deeply rooted in her music. With a career spanning two decades, Alade has remained unapologetic and the staunch keeper of African culture and values. As one of the continent’s biggest superstars, Alade effortlessly unites people from across the world. The African pop star isn’t defined by language barriers, she knocks them down as if they don’t even exist. The multilingual superstar successfully speaks six to seven languages.
A Career Built on Legacy and Impact
The Nigerian singer/songwriter saw great success in 2014 when she released her highly popular hit “Johnny.” The single is now considered a classic tune, with the accompanying music video garnering critical acclaim and making her the first Nigerian female artist to hit 100 million views on YouTube. Since then, the icon has had a remarkable career working with the music industry’s biggest artists, including Rick Ross, Angelique Kidjo, Ziggy Marley, and, of course, the Queen herself, Beyonce.
Affectionately known as “Mama Africa”, Alade worked with Beyoncé on the visual album Black is King and contributed to The Lion King: The Gift with the track “Don’t Jealous Me”. This collaboration was a full-circle moment for Alade, who has been inspired by Beyoncé since childhood.
Although Alade has been in the game for years, she is only just getting started. She will continue to evolve, merging and blending cultures and showcasing the beauty in her African roots. Read on as she talks with MEF about her music, language barriers, and her latest album ‘Rebel Queen.’
What’s your favorite thing and least favorite thing about being a musician?
“Fave thing would be how my music brings people from different ethnicities under the one umbrella. My least favorite thing is how media can be a tool for sharing unresearched information and how the wellbeing of the subject or artist is least considered.”
You have been working in the music industry for over 15 years. What has been your most significant lesson so far?
“A significant lesson for me is learning every day that being rooted and connected to God is pivotal, especially because this industry can be very fleeting. So it’s important to have my roots deep in a foundation bigger than me. That way I’m secure no matter the weather.”
The Rebel Queen of Africa
Congratulations on your sixth studio album. It’s a beautiful project that perfectly encapsulates the African sound, heritage, and culture. The sound is fresh and authentic to your African roots, and the title is perfectly fitting.
Almost four years after releasing your last album, ‘Empress,’ you’ve unveiled another body of work. What was the inspiration behind this album?
‘REBEL Queen’ is a victory title for every time I made choices that truly served me and my calling, and not necessarily going with popular choices. My choices and way of life continue to rebel against “popular culture” and sticking to my REBEL CULTURE.”
Describe the creative process that went into making Rebel Queen
“The ‘REBEL QUEEN’ album is a mix of genres I grew up loving and a sprinkle of everything nice; from Highlife, coupe decale, afrobeats and afropop, ragga, amapiano and dancehall with a sprinkle of R&B.”
From listening to the album, I can hear elements of Amapiano, African Gospel, Afrobeats, dancehall, and Afropop. Can you describe the sound to someone who hasn’t listened to it?
“The sound is holistically African. A slice of Africa from North, South, East, and West.”
You collaborated with the iconic Angélique Kidjo on one of the songs, “African Queen.” Given your previous work with her on “Shekere,” it’s evident that both of you are incredibly talented. What led you to choose her for this song in particular?
“The song “African woman” is a love letter to my fellow African women. We deserve all the love, and I just want them to know Angelique Kidjo embodies the strength and resilience of African women, and I wanted her to shine her light on the song.”
What do you believe sets this album apart from your previous five albums?
“Each Album I have is uniquely encapsulated into my time stamp of music. ‘Rebel Queen’ is an album that encouraged me to dig further into my roots and explore sounds deeper than I have in previous albums.”
You sing in many different languages in the album; can you name them and tell us the significance of you using them?
“They were English, Igbo, Yoruba, Swahili, and French. Languages help communicate to the listener. Each time I sang in a foreign language, it was solely to express a feeling deeper than English would.”
You have achieved international success with your music featuring on global charts, as well as winning and being nominated for multiple prestigious awards such as the MTV Africa Music Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, etc. What do you feel you still need to achieve as an artist?
“I always wanted to win a Grammy or 10 of them, and getting my first solo nomination is an achievement I am still processing. I still hope to continue hitting milestones with my music as I enjoy the ride.”
Would you say that your music has evolved over the years?
“Yes, my music has continued to evolve, and I’m here for the ride.”
You’ve always embodied the true essence of an African icon. What message about Africa do you hope your music sends out to the world?
“Africa is the bedrock of the world and I would remind the world every chance I get. There is so much to love about Africa. Those are the things that the world could emulate.”
Yemi Alade will continue to be unapologetic in life and her music. She has more stories to tell and more people to reach in more corners of the world. Alade continues to evolve both musically and personally, using her songs to comment on societal issues that plague her as well as the ones around her. She will not be quiet. She will always be a rebel Queen with a cause.
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