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Yemi Alade has charted an illustrious musical path, including the release of five studio albums, four extended plays as well as GRAMMY nominations and wins—all of which contribute to her legacy as Africa’s Queen of Afropop. Her sixth and latest studio album, Rebel Queen, represents Yemi’s endless, unapologetic love for her African heritage and her […]
Yemi Alade has charted an illustrious musical path, including the release of five studio albums, four extended plays as well as GRAMMY nominations and wins—all of which contribute to her legacy as Africa’s Queen of Afropop. Her sixth and latest studio album, Rebel Queen, represents Yemi’s endless, unapologetic love for her African heritage and her dedication to maintaining a unique identify in the cast African musical landscape. The album brings together a range of sounds, including Afropop, dancehall, Amapiano, lingala, reggae and R&B, showcasing her eclectic musical taste and appeal to a global audience.
Popularly regarded as Mama Africa for her celebration of African heritage, Yemi Alade’s multilingualism takes the spotlight in Rebel Queen, as she switches between Yoruba, English, Igbo, French and Swahili. With this cross-cultural approach, she proves her commitment to conveying African values and worldviews through music to an international audience. Tracks like Karibu, a Swahili-infused intro, pay homage to Africa, while Tomorrow exposes the wisdom of living in the present moment. The singer talks about being joyful and resilient on Happy Day, and then she proceeds to acknowledge the strength and elegance of African women in African Woman. Still in the moment of optimism, preaches compassion in Peace and Love, adding to the poignant atmosphere of the album.
There are times in the album when Yemi Alade focuses on personal themes, such as in Ije Love where she delivers a serenade to a lover, and I’m sorry and Chairman where she treats the subject of living life on one’s terms. She teases a dancehall vibe in Bop, focusing on the reality of staying positive while surmounting one’s challenges. In Big Connection, Yemi acknowledges her superstardom, relishing her luxurious lifestyle. The singer lets down her guard in Big Vibe, exploring her sensual side as she longs for emotional connection with a lover, after which she reflects on the enjoyment of life in Looking Nice.
Across the 16-track album, Yemi Alade is often kept company—with the talents of Beninois legendary singer and GRAMMY winner Angélique Kidjo, Congolese rap star Innoss’B, Jamaican artist Ziggy Marley, and dancehall sensation Konshens lighting up different songs on the project. These collaborations signify Yemi’s ability to easily bring together different genres and styles for a dynamic soundscape. In each track, the artist exposes a unique capsule of her thoughts, melodies and a wave of nostalgia, connecting the dots between the new, old and borrowed and triggering a wild emotional experience.
Yemi Alade traces the inspiration behind her latest album to the authentic African music of highlife as well as other genres. “I channelled older African music that could be played at parties, weddings, clubs, and all sorts of occasions, where we really started enjoying African music, and spreading our culture and heritage across the continent,” she says. “This album has something new, old, and borrowed. Every song is unique and a capsule of my thoughts, melodies, and truck load of nostalgia.”
Growing up, Yemi Alade was exposed to African pop music with its varied messages and relatability. This influenced her approach to music over the years, and is currently responsible for the rhythmic heterogeneity of her latest release. “This album is a blend of what my playlist consists of right now including the new and old pop music that cuts across generations and boundaries,” she stresses. “There are a lot of discussions about ‘what is African music’, ‘what should afrobeats or afropop sound like’, so I wanted to strip everything down and go back to the core and essence of African feel-good music that has heavily influenced Africans globally, and reflects our different sounds across the continent. I am a true rebel in words and in action. I have always charted my own course and walked the path less traveled, and this album shows that.”
Considered one of Africa’s biggest acts and liver performers, Yemi Alade will be commencing a new world tour this summer to mark the release of her new album. The tour, tagged the African Rebel Tour, kicks off at Pop-Kultur Berlin on August 30, and Zénith Paris on September 21, coming on the heels of last year’s incredible ‘African Baddie’ summer world tour, which spawned sold-out shows and electrifying live performances across Royal Festival Hall in London, Chicago’s Millennium Park, Nuits d’Afrique in Montreal, Sweden’s Uppsala Reggae Festival, and Melkweg Amsterdam, just to mention a few.
With this album Yemi Alade does not only remind musical fans of her position as one of the most celebrated modern African female artists but also extends an invitation for the appreciation of African music to her global audience.
Rebel Queen is out on all streaming platforms from June 26, 2024.
Listen to Rebel Queen now.