Yemi Alade

Lore & 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.

Reader's Guide

Yemi Alade's significance lies in her role as a pioneering African female artist who achieved international recognition and broke multiple barriers. She was the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (2015) and the first female to win the MTV African Music Awards for Best Female consecutively (2015 and 2016). She was also nominated for the BET Awards for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016. Alade is the second Nigerian and Afrobeats artist and the first female to hit 100 million views for a single video on YouTube after Davido. Her song 'Tomorrow', the lead single from her sixth studio album Rebel Queen, earned her first Grammy nomination at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance. She won The Headies Award for Best Performer twice, in 2018 and 2019, being the first artist to win that category after its initiation in 2018. Her creative stage performances, fashion, and music videos have been widely applauded. Alade's music has influenced several countries across Africa, and she has performed at global events such as The Global Goal: Unite for our future, sponsored by Global Citizen, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

Did You Know?

• Yemi Alade won the Peak Talent Show in 2009, which was her debut appearance on TV.
• She was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2015, following Angelique Kidjo's nomination in 2007.
• 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.