INTERVIEW: simi
Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, better known by her stage name Simi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress. She started her career as a gospel singer, releasing her debut studio album in 2008, titled Ogaju, since shes gone on to release many more and have over 1 billion streams globally!
Tirade World sat with her to discuss her 6th album “lost & found” career highlights, ger famous partner Adekunle Gold, FAVE LONDON SPOT TO EAT AND WHATS UP NEXT.
Interview: Vicky Osinlaru
Hi, how are you today?
I'm great, I'm happy and healthy. I thank God!
Congratulations on your 6th album! Describe how you feel in three words?
Excited, a little anxious, and grateful
Those feelings are understandable. Before we dive into the album "Lost and Found," let’s talk about you, Simi. How was your experience being raised in Lagos?
I mean, for the majority of my life, that’s all I knew. You're exposed, you're seeing other places on TV, you're reading things in books, but it's not really the same thing. Lagos inspires quotes like "there’s no place like home." Lagos was kind of safe, like the relationship you have with your family and friends.
Speaking of family, Tirade world is aware that you are the last born out of four. How many brothers or sisters do you have, and what was it like living with your siblings when you were younger?
I grew up with three elder brothers. I always wished I had a sister. I was a little bit of a tomboy; I don't think I could've avoided that, but I was always very vocal. I was a sharp kid and knew how to stand up for myself. I was also a homebody; I didn't go out much, I liked my own company, and I used to love reading books. I wouldn't say I was close with my brothers, but we had each other's backs. My oldest brother was very protective, and I liked that he was.
That's wonderful! I'm aware you were in the choir at your local church, singing and dancing. What was your favorite praise and worship song??
Laughs "Sings in Yoruba." The song is called "Eledumare," and with Praise, there are too many to choose from. I don't think I like one better than the others laughs. As long as I'm bopping to the beat in church like "Yay Jesus, go!" it's a vibe.
Church must’ve been very fun for you. While growing up, who were the artists you used to listen to?
I didn't listen to a lot of music as a kid, but when I was a teenager, I loved Lauryn Hill and Asa. They were big inspirations for me. I loved Natasha Bedingfield. There's this Gospel artist called Stacie Orrico—I don’t know what she's up to now, but I used to love her as well. I didn't listen to many artists, but those were my top favorites.
As well as being an artist, songwriter, and sound engineer, you are also a wife and a mother. How do you juggle all of those roles at once?
I try to be as intentional as possible. I don’t do things just to tick a box or to say, “Oh, I did it too.” Everything that I’ve done—got married to whom I got married to, had my daughter, dropped music and albums—I think about it before I do it. However, regardless of what I think about something, it's still hard. I heard this advice once, and I think it was such a great analogy: “In all the things in your life, you have glass balls and rubber balls, and sometimes you can afford to let the rubber balls drop, but you can't afford to let the glass balls drop. So sometimes you have to compromise on certain things.” There were times I had to do things for work, which would have me compromising things in my personal life. As long as I’m not dropping the glass balls, I think I’m going to be okay. That's how I think about it. If you're holding two glass balls, that’s when you have to prioritize.
That analogy is very interesting. How do you manage being married to the superstar artist Adekunle Gold, who is also in the same industry as you? With both of you having extremely busy schedules, how do you make time for each other?
The things that are important to you, you will make time for. The moment you stop trying to make time for things that matter to you, you’ll have to examine the importance of that thing in your life. We’ve had quite a very interesting journey as a couple in how we started. We didn't start as two blown artists; we started as two people that were drawn to each other and started to build a life together. Remembering that even in the midst of whatever chaos you're currently in definitely helps you to focus on each other's energy. Even though he is a superstar, that's not the first thing that comes to my mind. The first thing I see is that he’s my partner, my husband, the father of my child, and that’s how I interact with him. That’s what I receive before anything else. I believe that's the same thing he thinks with me. When we continue to prioritize our relationship, it’s great with each other, and if we’re not, we always find our way there.
That is so lovely. Last week was "World Sickle Cell Day" (20th June), and Tirade world is aware that your husband deals with sickle cell. For other people who also deal with sickle cell disease, what words of encouragement would you give to them?
I know it's not easy to deal with, and it's a life they didn't choose. I would encourage them to stay as strong as they can be, and on the days that it's too hard to be strong, it's okay to take a break.
”Ouu, Girly! I love "Smile for Me." I think that’s my favorite song that I’ve written ever because I just think it's a beautifully written song. I like "Joromi" because it was a very innovative song; it was different but it stood out for me. Overall, my best Simi song is "Smile for Me," but there are different songs that apply to different things. I like "Complete Me" because it's such a visual song, and I like the fact that my songs are songs that people can connect to. I like "No Joy." It’s on my last album called "To Be Honest." I like it because it’s kind of in your face, and I'm cussing at people and stuff laughs. It's not something people expected from me because people always come up to me and say, “My mum loves you; my daughter loves you,” because that's the image that people mostly see of me. But it's a very honest and in-your-face song.”
In response to ; Out of all the songs you’ve released for the world to listen to, which songs stand out for you and are iconic for you till today?
What artists are you currently listening to at the moment?
It I don't listen to a lot of people laughs. I don't know why, I really don't. However, my favorite artists are J. Cole and Rihanna. There are a few artists whose sounds I like, such as Lojay and Ayra Starr. I don't really listen to a lot of artists, and if I do, I would do my research and listen to them over and over again. My creativity is very emotionally driven, not just as a creator but also as a consumer.
Fair enough, you’ve now had over a billion streams worldwide. How does that make you feel?
WOW! I didn’t even know that. I feel incredible because I think about where I started. My mum used to run this daycare, and my house used to be quite far. Just to be close to town, I used to stay at my mum's daycare. I'd be up all night and sleep at 4 am, then I’d have to be up early because it’s a workplace. I didn't know what was going to happen. A lot of people ask, "Did you think you were going to be this big?" and my response is like, “Why wouldn't I think that?” I hoped for it, but to think about how far I’ve come through all that and everything I've been through, through everything I've seen—all the good and bad days—it's just incredible. I'm actually shocked. I didn't know that I had 1 billion streams worldwide. I'm very wowed and blessed, thank God.
Your new album "Lost and Found" has a range of beautiful songs to sing along to and dance to. How was your experience working with amazing artists Bella Shmurda, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, Ladipoe, Asa, and Tiwa Savage?
My experience with all of them was very different because they have different personalities, not just as people but as artists. The journey was great, and the interaction with all the artists was also different in a good way. It went so calmly, and I love when an artist is very involved with the music we make together. I'm a person that doesn’t chase, and if I have to chase you to make music together, that means you don't want to do it. If you don't want to do it, I don't want you to do it anymore, which is fine, no hard feelings. I reached out to all the artists that were on the album, and it went smoothly. No one was stressing me out laughs.
I’m glad the journey of making this album went smoothly. What’s the mood, feeling or take away you want from fans after they listen to it?
I want them to feel reconnected to me because I did have a phase where I was experimenting a lot, and I needed to hear my voice in something else. I feel like I've come full circle by that experience, and I feel connected to my melodies again. I feel like I'm making music that I want to make, and I'm not trying to do anything that I'm not or sound like someone else to fit in. This is where I built my fans and my sound in the beginning. To come full circle back, I want people to listen and connect to Simi. I want my fans and supporters to hear what they heard the first time they listened to my music. I hope that's what they feel.
This is your 6th album release. What have you learned about yourself during this journey?
I love that question. I’ve learned that I don't have to have it all together all the time. What I mean by this is not necessarily that things should go my way, because even when I don’t have everything I want, I’m very content. Even in that contentment, there's self-confidence. I’ve had moments where I’m not as sure of myself, which is where the “Lost” came from in the title of the album. I’ve learned that it is okay to have days where you don't have things figured out or when you don’t feel as sure or as steady or as calm, when you feel a little nervous. Also, I feel like it has made me stronger because I used to think, “This is who I am, this is who I have to be all the time,” but I don't feel that way anymore. I can be all kinds of things, and I’m still me.
Now, I’m aware you have your own independent label called Studio Brat. What kind of artist are you looking for to join your label?
Well, I'm not looking for any artists right now. People have been asking if we're signing. The reason why, is because I've been a signed artist to someone else's label before, and I feel like for you to sign someone, you must be truly committed. It’s not a pet project; that's someone's life. You must be fully committed even when it doesn’t turn out how you think it would have. You have to be willing to continue to commit. You have to be there a hundred percent. Until I feel like I'm able to be that person for someone else, I'm going to leave people alone. I'm not going to sign someone just to say, “I did it,” and I'm not quite there yet. Until I get to that point.
For the young ladies that look up to you and want to be in your position one day, what’s your advice?
The industry keeps changing, and the way the industry was to women when I got my break is different from now. The one thing that I think is constant is how much you want it. I don’t think music for women is accidental. I feel like you have to really, really want it, and if you want it, just keep showing up and doing the work because it takes a lot of work. One thing I would say is to refuse to take the word “NO.” Believe in yourself because I know a lot of people that counted me out—not because they didn't think I could sing. It's not just about singing. Usually, for women, there is a template, and I never fit the template, and I never wanted to. People assume that they know exactly how my journey would go, but I refused to let them tell my story. Be in charge of your story, know exactly what you want, and chase it.
Whilst you’ve been in London, have you found a fave spot to eat?
I like Enish. That's all I know. I'm usually in London when there's work, but I like the seafood okra.
Ooh yes Enish is such a nice restaurant. What is next for Simi?
I'm a very present person. The album is about to be out, and there are a lot of things that I want to do. I want to write a book; I want to make a children's project. There are so many things I want to do. I like the idea of “one day at a time” because the way my brain works is when I overwhelm it, sometimes I end up doing nothing. So, the next thing is the next thing I do laughs.