Yemi Alade is a household name. Her breakout song Johnny, released in 2013 instantly secured her place in Afrobeats Royalty. She has now released her 10th studio album, Rebel Queen, a body of work that exudes jubilation through what we traditionally know to be afrobeats sounds, with influences from amapiano and reggae. The album is also anchored on Alades’s childhood, a time where she fondly reminisces as one where music allowed people to dance and have fun.
Songs like Peace& Love featuring Ziggy Marley perfectly encapsulates this theme of constant joy she wants listeners to feel. Yemi Alade is an artist who isn’t afraid of shifting her sound in different directions, infusing many genres but in a way that still sounds undeniably her.
In this interview, she shares her experience navigating the music industry, how she evolves into different versions of herself through time, and how she stays true and authentic to herself through them all.
What were your intentions whilst creating Rebel Queen? And what did you want people to take away from it?
So, Rebel Queen is my 10th body of work. My aim with this one was to make music that resonates with the sounds I enjoyed as a kid, the music that I listened to when my parents would take me to family parties, the Owambes, the high life especially. I wanted to go back to the roots of afrobeats and give my own rendition of that. That was the idea behind the music on Rebel Queen. It’s the sound that I think the world needs right now.
What does the title Rebel Queen mean to you?
I mean Rebel Queen is a title of victory. I believe that’s how I’ve lived my life, a rebel in many significant ways, in my choice of hairstyles, in my choice of clothing. When I say rebel it's because popular opinion would say that popular people should look and dress a certain type of way but I’m saying no, this is what I want, this is how I feel the most comfortable, this is the version of me I want to show the world. When I look back at where I’m coming from I see that I have been rebellious. I don’t have to break things and smash things to be called a rebel, especially when I have been rebelling in my actions, and in my life.
What is your favourite track on the album and why? What importance does it have on you and how do you want that track to resonate with your fans and listeners?
Omg that’s impossible to pick. You know what’s crazy I was telling someone earlier, it turns out that every day I have new favourites, because every song has its mood, every song has the answer to certain situation at a certain point in time. But I would say for today I really love the song Tomorrow and I also really love the song I’m Sorry. Those two are my favourite for today, maybe even for this hour.
You have been in the game for so long now which is a huge accomplishment in itself. Tell me a little about how the Yemi Alade we were introduce to with Johnny has evolved to the Yemi Alade we see today dropping Rebel Queen.
Every album is representation of who I am and how I’m feeling at that very point in time in that year so I think each album pretty much revealed my state of mind. You see the metamorphism of who I started off to who I am today. The bottom line is, I’m still the same but a lot of layers have been added on because I started off as a girl who loved music as a hobby. I didn’t think I would become a professional musician because the world I live in didn't make musicianship look like a real career. Although I realised my voice had an impact on people, I wasn’t sure how seriously to take it professionally. And now I have become the girl that is touring the world, meeting a lot of people I never thought I would meet in my lifetime. What I would say has really powered me through this stage of my life is being authentic to myself because I never lost who I am deep down. And yes layers have been added, yes I am more exposed and more experienced, yes I continuously jump over hurdles and overcome obstacles, but I try my best to remain who I truly am at the core of myself and the only way to do that is to deal with my conscious and be true. I have also stayed unapologetically African; that is my super power, it is who I authentically am.
Do you feel pressure to pay attention to Afropop trends, whether that is following them or going against them?
Let me say this. The Afrobeats scene is a very interesting scene and just like every industry there’s a lot of trends. I definitely wanna stay trendy, but I don’t want to lose myself. A trend manifests when a huge number people wash and repeat the same sequence over and over again. If it’s a sequence I fancy I might give it a try but with the Yemi Alade twist of course, I’m not gonna lose myself in trying to follow a trend. Give me an example of a trend.
Amapinao sounds infused in Afrobeats.
Oh I’m guilty. I’m guilty. The thing with music; when it hits you, you feel no pain. So, if you love something, just go with it. And Amapiano is very African at the end of the day, it has been there for so long too. I'm enjoying it. I know its becoming a lot but I’m not getting lost in that. It’s exactly why there might be a slice of Amapiano here and there but my core sound is all over the album. I’m not getting distracted , but every now and then if I like a trend I will participate.
You've dabbled in acting too over the last few years. Could please tell me more about that?
You only have one life but when you play a character in a movie you get to be someone else, you get to live someone else’s life it's make belief. I really like fantasy movies. I like cartoons too, they are not real but there are some with a story so emotional that it could make you cry. Movies can be just as magical as music, especially when they have story lines that can make you feel.
What are you most excited about currently in your career?
One thing I’m happy about is that I meet people every now and then that confess to the fact that my music gives them joy and happiness and it liberates them in a way. That has always been the purpose of my music; to spread joy and love. So, when I meet people like that I feel very accomplished. I do not know what's to come in the future but I’ll say I am very optimistic and excited for what God has ordained. I will walk through the right doors, I will make more banging music, I will definitely go on some more tours, and create more content that everyone loves. I will continue to do so as long as I can, that’s the game plan.
What still feels surprising and what still feels like a challenge at this point in your career?
That’s a good question. What surprises me still is that even though there are a lot of female artists now who are breaking boundaries, it’s almost as if people don’t have expectations for us. Whether a female artist conquers or not, both are cool, no one has great expectations of us. And that is very surprising despite how great female artists are doing right now. Think of Ayra Starr, see Tyla, see Tems, see myself. Everyone is putting the right foot forwards and just doing it and I just want every female that has ever felt overlooked to know that the battle is not for the meek minded. Seeing your efforts and your existence counts to a lot people. It counts to other women and to the human race.
And the one thing that continues to be a challenge for me, I think honestly would be integrity. I believe I am someone who has integrity and the biggest challenge is to always show up in a way that lives up to your words. To continue to be disciplined in a very undisciplined industry, and to continue to do what I believe is right not just for myself but also for the people around me. I think that it is a challenge not being selfish because it is far too easy. It is so easy not to consider people at all and for life to remain bliss I must say. But when you have to weigh your own and other people's circumstances and make your choices based off that information, that is difficult and it continues to be challenge. Especially because a lot of people see me as a role model. Showing up, doing right and continuing to be my true self, that’s a challenge.
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