Yemi Alade

Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), better known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. She hails from the Akoko area of Ondo State. Her musical style draws from Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop, and R&B, and her work has had a notable impact across many African nations. She performs in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili, and Portuguese.

Alade first gained attention by winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009, which led to a recording contract with Effyzzie Music Group. Her breakthrough came in 2014 with the single "Johnny." She followed this with the albums *King of Queens* and *Mama Africa*, and then embarked on consecutive world tours. In 2016, she appeared on the Billboard charts at number four on the Next Big Sound Chart. She won the MTV African Music Award for Best Female in both 2015 and 2016, becoming the first woman to win that category twice in a row, and also earned a nomination for Artiste of the Year in 2015. In 2015, she became the first African female artist nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award, and she received BET Award nominations for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016. Alade is also praised for her energetic stage presence, fashion sense, and music videos. She won The Headies Award for Best Performer in 2018 and 2019; the category was introduced in 2016, and the first winner was Falz.

Alade is the second Nigerian and Afrobeats artist—and the first female—to reach 100 million views on a single YouTube video, following 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.

Alade grew up in a multi-ethnic household. Her father, James Alade, was a police commissioner from Ondo State in southwestern Nigeria, and her mother, Helen Uzoma, is from Abia State in the southeast. Alade draws from both her Igbo and Yoruba heritage. She attended Victory Grammar School in Ikeja and later the University of Lagos, both in Lagos State. During her university years, she entered and won the Peak Talent Show, her first television appearance, which brought her widespread recognition and led to her signing with Effyzzie Music Group.

Her debut album, *King of Queens*, came out on 2 October 2014.