When Arike became one of 2025’s defining breakout records, it did more than introduce Kunmie to a wider audience. It also turned all eyes toward what he would do next. For many, the obvious response would have been to chase another viral moment, but Kunmie chose something riskier; he turned his attention to building a body of work that reflects the artist he believes himself to be.
In his debut album 22, Kunmie explores identity, faith, self-doubt, ambition, and the experiences that have shaped him, embracing sonic versatility as readily as emotional vulnerability. Success, charts and streaming milestones feature in his story, but they rarely occupy the centre of it. Instead, he returns repeatedly to the work itself: the writing, the experimentation, and the pursuit of great music.
In this conversation, Kunmie reflects on his creative process, why the success of Arike never felt like pressure, the deeply personal songs at the heart of 22, and the kind of artist he hopes to become long after this album’s release.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
You’ve described 22 as an album about freedom, survival, and refusing to live a life designed by other people. Why did that feel like the right way to introduce yourself through your debut album?
Nobody even knew that I was going to go for an album, but sometime last year, I had a conversation with my friend and collaborator, Kizz Daniel, that opened my eyes to the power of my music. He gave me the nudge to go for an album. Ordinarily, people would expect a new artist to release an EP before dropping an album, but Kizz Daniel helped me see the necessity of a fuller body of work.
It means something for an artist that is being labelled an R&B act to do insane things with sonics across a full album —it would make a statement. So, I went for it. With this album, I kept an open mind, I embraced versatility, I enjoyed the process, and I made great music.
Throughout the album, you explore identity, faith, self-doubt, purpose, and even self-sabotage. When you were writing these songs, were you documenting lessons you’d already learned?
Songwriting is funny because sometimes, you are writing about your future, but you don’t even know it yet. I subconsciously document lessons as I learn them. I tend to process emotions through my music, and sometimes I listen back to my tracks and the lyrics will literally make me cringe. Like, why would I even say this? I bring my entire self into the creation of my music, and on this album, you can really hear that.
Which song on the album feels the most personal to you?
The songs that are out right now, Confession, Gorgeous, and Solace II are the feel-good songs. The radio songs. I sectioned the album into 3 parts. There are the feel-good songs, the more sombre songs, and the high-energy upbeat songs.
I think every type of emotion is important. Every phase of my life and the emotions attached were important for me to express on the album, but the most personal songs to me would probably be 22 and Prisoner.
Prisoner evokes a lot of emotion. I’ve always wanted to create a song that could move people to tears, and I get that feeling from Prisoner. People often enjoy my music but don’t really listen to the words I’m saying, they’re only hearing the melody. This song makes you listen to the words.
22 tells the story of my life. It takes me on a journey, and when I listen, I feel the high of remembering where I came from and where I started. That’s why it’s the title track, it encapsulates the album the best. I wrote that song for the album.
It’s been just over a year since Arike went viral and changed everything. Looking back now, what surprised you most about how your life changed after that song? Was there a moment when the success finally felt real?
I have been on the go since I put out Arike. I haven’t really had a break long enough to sit down and take it all in. My mind is always on the next thing. As we speak, I have already started mapping out my second album. I have a song on 22 called Pressure. It talks about my state of mind after releasing Arike.
I wasn’t thinking about the numbers or the charts at the time; I was thinking about making more music. It may sound cliché, but I always tell people that my happiest moment was the day I finished the song. No money, awards, or shows comes close to the joy I felt on that day. I had experimented a lot and it took me about 3 months to complete it, so when I finally did, I was so happy that I walked home from the studio. I’m talking about a 20 to 30 minute walk. I just could not sit still.
I can’t take full credit for the success of the song because with music, there’s so much that goes into the success of a song behind the scenes. I can only take credit for the creation of the song, so yeah, that felt real.
A breakout hit can be both a blessing and a burden. Did you feel the pressure to prove that Arike wasn’t a one-off while making this album? How did you keep yourself focused on making an album you truly wanted instead of simply trying to one-up your last hit?
God forbid, I try to one-up my last hit. I think I’m too special for that, to be honest. When I was working on 22, I could tell that my team felt a lot of pressure. But for me, I understand that my job as an artist is simply to make the best art I can make.
I mean, you have to put your best foot forward; sound engineers, marketing, and the wider team play their part, but I think ultimately God gave me that song. I wasn’t stressed while making the album because I have a gift.
Gorgeous came from watching someone close to you struggle with confidence. What was it about that experience that made you think, “This needs to become a song”? Why do you think it resonated so widely?
I wanted to make a song that reminded people of Brown Skin Girl. I wanted to make a self-love song.
When I heard Brown Skin Girl for the first time, and I saw how it made my friends feel, how they would post a picture on Instagram with the song over it and feel even more confident, I decided that I wanted to make a song that evoked the same feeling. I wanted to create a reminder that they were beautiful even on the days that they felt they weren’t.
I think the most important thing in life is love. Whether you are a thick-skinned person or a bad guy, or a good person, love still hits. So when you make a song that discusses love in any capacity, even if it’s the love of self, people are always receptive to it.
Lojay has such a distinct voice and artistic identity. What made him the right collaborator for Gorgeous, and what did he bring to the song that surprised you?
Lojay is my friend, before anything else. We have a lot of respect for each other as artists, and I loved his music before I even started releasing my own. We linked up one day and we talked about new music ideas, so I sent him a bunch of tracks to listen to, and Gorgeous stood out to him.
It took us a while to finish the song because just like me, Lojay is a very intentional writer. You can tell when you listen to the track that it was carefully mapped out and well put together. It took about a month to finish. He sent me his finished verse and I just knew in my heart that this was a great song.
Ordinarily, I go for solo tracks because I’m a selfish writer. But I understand the value of collaboration, and how good it feels for fans to see their favorite artists working together. I understand what collaboration does business-wise, but most of the time, I would rather do my thing myself. That’s not the case for this track though, I think it needed Lojay.
When people listen to 22 five or ten years from now, what do you hope they’ll understand about the twenty-two-year-old who made it? And when you look ahead to the next chapter, what kind of artist do you think you’re becoming?
Have you ever done something, and just thought: “A thank you would mean a lot to me”? That’s how I feel about 22. I want people to see the effort I put in and appreciate it. I cannot tell you how much stress I have endured throughout the process of creating this album, and how much of myself that I have poured into the project. I think it’s a great body of work, it’s very special and I want the listeners to feel the same way.
Listeners, please don’t be too shocked when you hear some songs. Pay attention. Don’t go to the album to judge it, be open to experiencing the album the way it is.
When I look to my future, I see an experienced artist. The kind of artist that you fall in love with after you see them perform live. That’s my biggest dream. I want to be an artist that people will put money aside to go and see in person, and I think I’m well on that path.
