Salle: A Budding Icon in Nigerian Music

Salle always wanted to do music, yet fame caught her unawares.

Her music foray began at a young age when the self-groomed talent saw the spotlight in 2021 after a freestyle she did caught the attention of people.

While she remainder under her parents’ roof, music record labels were mesmerized by Salle’s viral freestyle, as they competed to have the prodigy touted as being capable of taking Nigerian music to the next level.

A good listener, Salle has a great regard and value for the art of other people. Being a crucial part of her upbringing, she knows that respect for the work of others which she believes has helped to fine-tune her potential and given her that unique spark.

“I enjoy listening to a lot of artists like Asa, Jon Bellion, John Legend, James Authur, and Sia because I like their type of music. I like singing along and just freestyling while listening,” Salle talks about how she retouches songs that she is in love with, which gives her the opportunity to shape her identity and hone her freestyling abilities. 

It was at her first attempt at freestyling and sharing on Instagram that she trended. For an artist who did not anticipate the immediate breakthrough, the moment took her by surprise.

“There was no plan. I wasn’t ready for the attention I got, and everyone around me was as shocked as I was because we were all excited and unprepared for that moment,” Salle muses over the experience after her freestyle went viral.

Having being taught from experiences, the lessons have remained useful to her growth and put her in a position for inevitable success.

“I learned from the mistakes and corrected those I can,” she says. 

Salle’s self-awareness is outstanding for a young and emerging talent of her age; and this is one of her sources of artistic inspiration as evident in her musical style.

Marking her debut in 2021 with the single Let Me See, Salle proved that she was an artist with keen interest for fine details. Her commendable songwriting is a significant part of her talent, and her penchant for music imbued with a good dose of sense-awareness enables her to invoke emotions that sufficiently expose her state of mind which the audience can tap into. 

Salle joined street pop act T.I Blaze in the song Soul, in which she displayed her velvety vocals and brought her impressive R&B style into the street anthem.

In her latest R&B single Icon, Salle teams up with Garage Bounce, as she explores the conspicuous self-awareness that is typical of her music. It’s only two years into her career, yet Salle has undergone a roller coaster of experiences. This takes effect on Icon, where she expresses pains, self-doubts and addresses her detractors while reminding herself that she has the potential to be an icon.

With soothing melodies and smooth vocals, Salle is able to thrill her audience. Yet her writing is the icing on the cake, as it makes a channel through which her emotions are passed and her audience derive the motivation they need.

“It’s a very intentional song. I believe in expressing myself and making music that captures my mood. If I’m sad, I want to put out music that captures my state of mind. I don’t believe in being sad and putting out club bangers,” Salle comments on her single Icon. 

“It’s a stepping stone to the kind of music I want to be making and I’m glad people like it.”

In a similar way that Libianca’s People became a people’s favourite for capturing sobriety and evoking self-awareness through an exploration of pain, Icon is equally a self-aware effusion.

While it’s important for an artist to remain committed to their identity, Nigerian mainstream music is enhanced by music with street-conscious and party-starting ingredients. Salle is conscious of the nature of mainstream music in Nigeria even though she believes in being faithful to her personal style without the pressure to bend to any musical conventions.

“Maybe at some point, I will make such music my way but for now, I don’t feel pressured to make them. I like to make music that captures who I am.” 

In anticipation of her debut EP slated for release in 2024, Salle’s Icon is the first of a set of singles to be dropped that would reveal her intentions and make her audience aware of her uniqueness.

A fast-rising star, Salle is sure about the kind of music she wants to make. As she chases her dream of being an icon and her abilities continue to evolve, she remains on the track to creating a strong music community.