YEMI ALADE
Interview by GRACEY MAE
Yemi Alade! Superstar, multi-award-winning, singer songwriter, all-round performer, ‘Mama Africa’. Welcome to Tirade World!
I'm just listening to you. I'm like “Is that me? Okay! Yeah, that's me”. Alright, Thank you, Gracey!
How are you?
I’m fine. I’m glowing. I’m doing good. I thank God!
You're looking cute, as always. Congrats on Empress. It's been a couple of months and it’s still climbing and climbing.
I thank the Lord. Every single song from the album has done exceptionally well. I’m just so, you know…I feel so blessed.
You've done four or five videos from the album now, right?
Yes. Ah! You’re good with the numbers! I Choose You, Deceive, Turn Up, Temptation and Dancina.
PHOTO: Empress album artwork
All of them have multi-million streams across all platforms. Were you expecting this kind of response?
You know, you never know what to expect. But the thing is, I'm always hopeful of getting my millions; always hopeful because we put in so much work. The hope and prayer is that my people vibe to this so much that they just keep watching over and over and over again. And that's what's been happening! You watch it then you send it to your mum, then you send it to your Dad who sends it to a friend like “Have you watched this? Have you seen this?” Then you go to a friend's place and then you play it on YouTube or on TV. It's been amazing! My Insta story is mad and ting!
Honestly, I was looking at your Instagram story today and your feed too. The fan love is crazy! From the TikToks to the Trillers to the covers. You’re adored.
It is babes! I can't say I won't ask for more but I am so content with the love that I get from my people. I still want more though!
Is there more to give? I was on your Spotify earlier today and you are currently on 1.3 million monthly listeners on just one platform. Talk less of Apple Music, Audiomack, Deezer, Boomplay, and the rest.
Babes! Are you stalking my page or something? [laughs] It's crazy, right? In a month, 1.3 million people just want to listen to you. That definitely makes me feel blessed. It’s one of the reasons why I'm always in the studio because I know that I need to give them more. My fans are the gluten of my music and I love to feed them and make sure that they’re well-fed. It's a good feeling for me. I know there are some people out there with almost a billion a month and I'm like, we'll get there!
Soon come! Let's take it back to the beginning. You are the Peak Talent Show 2009 winner. Is it true that you beat 80,000 other applicants?
I mean that is not an impossible number because it was a nationwide competition. Every single state [in Nigeria] was involved. So that 80,000 is definitely a possibility, if not more.
Given that you have a degree in Geography, was singing something you knew you wanted to do full time at this point or was geography still in your future?
The competition wasn't something I was ever going to participate in; let's just get that out of the way! A friend of mine, who I used to be in a girl group with. She went online and filled the form. She was like “Go! You're not doing anything right now. University is on strike! Go, what are you doing at home with your voice?” Just teasing the hell out of me and then she filled the form online. Out of curiosity, I said “Let's go and do this”. That's exactly how my journey to become the winner of the talent show actually started. It was a pleasant mistake because that eventually gave me the strength and determination to become an artist. I really wasn't going to be a musician. I was just going to do something on my desk.
Random question, what's your favourite spice?
I know where you're going to! [Laughs] I'm gonna say… is chilli pepper a spice?
I don't know! I was gonna go for Tamarind or Cinnamon…
Chilli should be a spice because…
As in ata rodo?
Yea naw!
It’s a pepper! Anyway sha, we’ll give it to you…
Even if it’s not a spice, it’s a spice in my house! It just makes everything all right. Sometimes you need to sweat some toxic stuff out from your skin pores [laughs] You need to eat in and sweat out.
You already knew where I was going with this! You just mentioned your girl bandmate. Let’s talk about the girl group Noty Spices!
I used to be ginger spice! Someone suggested the name because it just like the kick in Ginger you don’t always see me coming so I thought “good idea”.
I'm guessing you were inspired by Girl Power - Spice Girls.
Exactement Madame!
I couldn't find any footage from the girl group. Did you wipe the internet or was this before social media?
I have a few pictures but we were so young – we were 14/15, we were in school…I think there are more pictures of me in my school uniform than as a girl spice! [laugh] I don’t know why there isn’t any picture of me in a girl group!
Yeah, I'm gonna have to step up my 008 skills and try to find them.
Good luck cos I hid them! Haha. Please don’t look. I don’t trust you! You will find them [laugh]
Now, mum and dad were supportive to an extent. They came around to you doing music the long way. With Dad in the police force, and of course being Nigerian – where education is everything - I can imagine that was a difficult conversation. How did you tell your parents you were going to do music full time?
I didn't get to have the conversation and I'm thankful that I didn't because I don't know what I would’ve said! I feel like they sort of saw it coming. I’m not the first kid for my dad so I think he was probably more strict with his other daughters. I never got to have the conversation but there's one thing my mum always told me as a kid, she would say, “Yemi, I have noticed that you are very playful in school and that you are always involved in one social activity or the other. I need you to understand that whatever you do in that school, you have to make sure that you come out of school top two results”. So that was the rule. As long as every term, I came back with good news, both in social activities and in class, I was good. I think cos I was always coming back with Best Singer, Best Actress, I was a ballerina…I was everywhere; such an energy bunny. [Mum] saw it coming and I think my dad saw it too because I was always singing, you asked me a question and I would reply in song.
PHOTO: Still from Dancina video
We have a connection! We’re both Igbo (West Nigeria) and Yoruba (East Nigeria).
Oh wait, do you guys speak any particular language in the house except English?
French?
Well, my dad was funny! He never allowed us to speak any other languages in the house. He wanted us to have Queen’s English. Literally, he read dictionaries, he corrected Wole Soyinka’s books for fun, on his own… for fun…like on his own. I was just like “Right! This man is on another level”. He never let her speak any language other than English, but my mom was a rebel man because she needed to say stuff my dad couldn't hear. So she will always be that Igbo! [Laughs]
You've taken us to the beginning, we've touched a little bit on the middle, and now you're here! Multi-award winning, BET, and MTV nominee… the accolades are so long, but it doesn't just stop with the music, you do so much more. Tell us about your experience, as a judge on The Voice. This is your second season, right? How’s it been?
I would say it's always a pleasure to be part of such a musical show that allows me to sit down and watch other talents blossom. It's such a beautiful position to be in! Being a coach, I get to interact with them one on one, I also get to give them a few nuggets here and there, but for a change, I'm not the one on stage. It's just a very good feeling. Also, [it feels great] to see that you can actually guide young talent to do better. It's interesting just seeing me on TV, all poised and communicating my eyes, my face…
And your eyebrows ma!
My eyebrows, you know all of that all of that.
First of all, every single week you're turning heads with your fashion…
Hallelujah sister! You know it’s the glam team. My glam team came through! They understand my fashion sense and are able to translate that to actual physical pieces… which is just an amazing thing for me. I basically just have fun with my clothes and my fashion. Most times, I like to go big or go home, you know? I still keep it relatable in a way fashionable.
Since we’re talking about fashion, what happened to House Of Tangerine? You had a line a clothing line that just disappeared.
Baby, there are so many things! There's House Of Tangerine for the fashion. There is the accessory line that I had as well. To be sincere, 2020 was supposed to be the year that all of that was going to be rekindled. Unfortunately, COVID hit. The thing is that I have been I've been blessed with more time to really go back to the drawing board and try to understand how to provide fashionable options for my people sometime soon, so we're working on that. Trying to make it a little more urban and there are a few deals that we're working on as well. So everything is still in store from accessories to clothing, to hair, the makeup… as well. So you can look like Yemi Alade in five minutes.
You touched on COVID. The last 18 months have been difficult for all of us but how has it been for you?
2020 felt like three years in one. Like my Google just showed me a picture from last year and I was like, “This was last year?” It felt like three years ago! At the end of the day, 2020 was the year that things really came to a halt. Taking care of yourself personally became a priority and I definitely used that time to catch up on all the time that I needed to rest physically. Also, to structure myself mentally, to redirect myself mentally and spiritually. Really tried to enjoy some me-time, even with family. For the first time, I got to really live in my house…like to call it a home, so that happened! Unfortunately, I didn't get to perform which I miss so much performance… live performances with all my beautiful, Yemi Alade mafia, right there, front of stage, going crazy, singing with me word for word… I miss the energy. It's so electric. I can't wait to get back to that! 2020 was something to be sincere.
I think as a fan, it was really nice for me to see you like on holiday. I was like, home girl looks rested, and I was happy on your behalf because you have been back to back since forever.
I've only gone on vacation twice in my entire life and I intend to change that.
What was the biggest learning during this period of rest?
Yes! Rest is important for the mind, for the body, for the soul… and to be sincere, even when we can all go outside - 100% - it's going to be impossible to just jump back to the 150% I've been putting out there. Things need to grow gradually: mentally, physically so that we don't hurt ourselves. So I will be going on quite a few holidays. Even if it’s just to Ibadan [the next city over from Lagos]! Lagos to Ibadan is still a trip [laugh]
Energy! Now to do all this travelling, it’s recommended we get the COVID Vaccine. Tell us more about your work with the UN in promoting the vaccine rollout?
In 2020, one of the beautiful things that happened amongst everything for me, was that I got to be announced as one of the newest global ambassadors to the United Nations. And with that, we all know that one of the major goals besides relieving poverty, is to ensure that people around the world get vaccination. Ensuring that priority isn't given to the wealthier nations. We’re asking what happens to Africa? What happens to the third world countries? There are human beings there as well. So, the focus is to shine a little more light on such people. Being part of the rollout is important especially, knowing that it is a voluntary thing. At least let the COVID vaccines be available to people in need cos the entire world needs it.
I think the beautiful thing is that I've seen several rollouts in Lagos, Nigeria with people receiving free vaccines and it’s happening at the same time as countries like the UK, so kudos on all the hard work! Congratulations on being a UN ambassador. Now that you can go outside and since you've missed doing shows, what can we look forward to for 2021? Are we seeing you in person?
Ah ah! I need to start posting pictures and videos of myself working out. I'm working out every single day, at least five times a week to make sure that the energy doesn't drop. Look, I'm coming with fire.
Are we getting any more new music? You've given us a project every year for the last two-three years
I am always working on new music and I really can't wait to share this particular one that I've been working on. So let's see how it goes…
Any more videos from your last album, Empress?
There are always videos in store, I have so many videos that I have shot at the moment and I can't wait to shoot a few more. This year, expect new music, expect more videos, expect live concerts. Yo! My band has been rehearsing left-right-and-centre! We can’t wait to share that juice, to share the vibe, you know it’s electric and it’s contagious. Allathat!
You are the content Queen so we're ready! Quickly. Let me just give you your flowers. Your hit, ‘Johnny’ is on 132 million views. One question before we go, as a lover of Yemi Alade, I'm ready for you to get a Grammy, are we submitting this year?
I mean… What is my duty, if not to bring a Grammy home? I mean! Of course. I can’t wait for that to happen. I'm also very excited that the Nigerian, like me, also one that not long ago. So it's all just a mile away.
Bring it home Yemi!
From your lips to God's ears.
Hallelujah! Final words to our readers?
It's been a great chit-chat with you, Gracey. I would say that I miss the outside and I miss you. I hope that this little love letter, which is this interview, reminds you of how special you are to me and of course how special I am to you. If you miss me so much, or if you want to just see what's going on with me, at the moment, go on YouTube! Go online and search ‘Yemi Alade – Dancina’. You will understand my state of mind and you will come over to my side, the happy side of life! I am here to put smiles on your faces. With that said, much love! Thank you.