Nigerian Afro-pop sensation Yemi Alade has history with the Grammys. She\u2019s featured on a Grammy-nominated album by Beyonc\u00e9 and a Grammy-winning one by Beninese-French star Angelique Kidjo; but despite her popularity in Africa and her multilingual songs, Alade has yet to win a solo Grammy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On February 2, that could change, with her song \u201cTomorrow\u201d nominated in the Best African Music Performance category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Alade, her latest nomination is particularly special. \u201cThis time around it was for my own song, it was for my own crown,\u201d she told CNN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTomorrow\u201d features on Alade\u2019s sixth studio album \u201cRebel Queen,\u201d which the\u00a0Recording Academy said \u201csolidifies her reputation as \u201cMama Africa\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/strong>the title of a previous Alade album and a term associated with iconic South African singer Miriam Makeba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alade first found fame with her 2014 single \u201cJohnny,\u201d which in 2019 made her the first Nigerian female artist to hit\u00a0100 million views\u00a0on YouTube. She has also recorded the song in Portuguese, Swahili, and French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was inspired to record the French version by hearing her francophone African fans singing it word for word at her shows and thought that would show them her appreciation. As she began to tour Europe, she recalls the song became one of the pillars of her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParis is one of the cities that opened its borders to my music, and I fell in love with French even more,\u201d Alade told CNN. \u201cI wanted to communicate, so I decided to make versions of my songs (in other languages). That\u2019s how the love story with languages started off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alade was born in Abia State, southeastern Nigeria, to a Yoruba father and an Igbo mother, and historically, \u201cintertribal relationships were frowned on,\u201d she explained. As a teen growing up in Lagos, she and her friends were also immersed in African American culture listening to rap music and making mix tapes. That context played a key role in Alade\u2019s development as an artist and intentionality became paramount, from her lyrics to her album titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKing of Queens,\u201d \u201cWoman of Steel,\u201d \u201cMama Africa,\u201d \u201cEmpress\u201d, and \u201cRebel Queen\u201d all speak of her struggles as a female artist in the industry, women\u2019s empowerment and the unification of Africans across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI needed to be my own superwoman. I think that spirit became what you see today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebel Queen mixes genres like R&B and pop with dancehall, highlife, and amapiano, with Alade singing in English, French, Igbo, Yoruba, and Swahili. It is the climax of a decade-long musical career that has taken her on a rich cultural journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy love for Africa just genuinely grows,\u201d she said. \u201cI do not do this with an agenda. When I travel, I see the different cultures, I easily accept it, appreciate it, from the food to the language to the way of life. In every country I go to there\u2019s something that\u2019s culturally appealing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alade has become known as a champion of African culture and for her international collaborations. She\u00a0featured in Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s\u00a02020 musical film and visual album \u201cBlack is King,\u201d and on her song \u201cDon\u2019t Jealous Me\u201d from the album \u201cThe Lion King: The Gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n New album \u201cRebel Queen\u201d features Ziggy Marley on the song \u201cPeace and Love\u201d and Kidjo on \u201cAfrican Woman.\u201d The latter, Alade says, was one of the most challenging and fulfilling songs to make because she got to know one of her heroes even better, describing Kidjo as \u201cmy musical mother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite her growing success, Alade has chosen to remain independent, working with the same management team for over a decade in the music industry and recording with Effyzzie Music Group, rather than a major label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOther labels have made offers and we haven\u2019t accepted, not because they\u2019re not good enough. (But) if your goals are not in alignment with the goals that I\u2019ve set for myself for over 10 years, then we should not be in the same boat. If you have a team of two people, trust me, that\u2019s all you need,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nigerian Afro-pop sensation Yemi Alade has history with the Grammys. She\u2019s featured on a Grammy-nominated album by Beyonc\u00e9 and a Grammy-winning one by Beninese-French star Angelique Kidjo; but despite her popularity in Africa and her multilingual songs, Alade has yet to win a solo Grammy. On February 2, that could change, with her song \u201cTomorrow\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,31],"tags":[7,14,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-40122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-music","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-music"},"yoast_head":"\n\u201cMy own superwoman\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Staying independent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n