Yemi Alade
Nigerian Afropop singer known for 'Johnny' and multiple awards.
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Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), who performs as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. She comes from the Akoko area of Ondo State. Her sound blends Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop, and R&B, and she has built a following across multiple African countries. She records in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili, and Portuguese.
After winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009, she joined Effyzzie Music Group. Her 2014 single "Johnny" became a major hit. She later released the albums King of Queens and Mama Africa and went on consecutive world tours. Alade was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award in 2015, following Angelique Kidjo's 2007 nomination, and she won the MTV African Music Award for Best Female in consecutive years, though Amani had previously achieved that feat in 2010 and 2011.
Background
Yemi Alade was raised in a multi-ethnic home in Nigeria. Her father James Alade was a commissioner of police from Ondo State, while her mother Helen Uzoma is a native of Abia State. Alade attended secondary school at Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, and the University of Lagos. During her university education, she participated in the TV talent show Peak Talent Show, emerging as winner, which marked her debut on TV and led to her signing with Effyzzie Music Group.
Alade's debut studio album King of Queens was released on 2 October 2014, preceded by singles including 'Johnny', 'Tangerine' and 'Kissing'. The album featured guest appearances from artists such as R2Bees, Phyno, Chidinma, and Diamond Platnumz. Her second album Mama Africa was released on 25 March 2016, combining Afropop, highlife, R&B, coupé-décalé, hip-hop and pop. It featured collaborations with P-Square, Sarkodie, Sauti Sol, and others, and won the World Beat Album at the 2016 Independent Music Awards.
Alade's third album Black Magic was released on 15 December 2017, featuring guest appearances from Falz and Olamide. In 2017, she was announced as a coach in the second edition of The Voice Nigeria.
Her fourth album Woman of Steel was released on 30 August 2019, featuring Rick Ross, Duncan Mighty, Angélique Kidjo, and Funke Akindele. In September 2019, she signed a multi-year licensing deal with Universal Music Africa and UMG France. Alade starred in Beyoncé's Black Is King visual trailer, which premiered on Disney+ on 31 July 2020.
Did You Know?
- Her song 'Johnny' was a massive hit, though it no longer holds the YouTube record for most-watched African female music video; artists like Tems and Ayra Starr have since surpassed it.
- She reached one million subscribers on YouTube in July 2019, around the same time as Tiwa Savage, with the exact order disputed.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Yemi Alade (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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