Afropop queen and global music superstar YEMI ALADE returns with her highly anticipated seventh studio album It’s Yemi Alade, a vibrant, resonant and expansive 15-track record shaped by two years of writing, recording and creative exploration. Conceived around the guiding idea of going back to her roots, the album sees one of African music’s most celebrated artists reconnecting with the highlife foundations that have long informed her artistry, and reimagining them through the perspective of the musician she has become. Highlife, afrobeat, disco, house and afropop move freely through the record, reflecting Yemi’s longstanding resistance to being confined by a single genre and placing her musical versatility firmly at the centre of the project. Capturing Yemi’s reflective and grateful new chapter, It’s Yemi Alade is nostalgic without looking backwards, and adventurous without abandoning its foundations, while bringing the past and present into conversation as Yemi continues to expand and evolve the possibilities of her sound.
At the heart of the album are love, life and lessons, with Yemi Alade’s storytelling providing the thread through a collection she describes as her diary of melodies. Each song draws from an emotion, experience or moment she believes others will recognise in their own lives, moving through love, resilience, identity, reflection, celebration and spiritual grounding, while establishing its own distinct mood and musical character. Yemi describes the project as “something new, something old, something borrowed” sonically, an approach that captures both the freedom and intention behind the record of embracing musical evolution while remaining connected to the traditions that made that evolution possible. The album is also an affirmation of individuality, created for listeners who welcome new sounds without losing sight of where they come from and who are unafraid to experience every emotion as themselves. That relationship with her audience is woven into the album at its most fundamental level, with Yemi’s fans ultimately choosing the title It’s Yemi Alade on her behalf, giving an already deeply personal record an added sense of community and connection.
That spirit of connection extends across the continent through a formidable pan-African cast of collaborators, bringing Bien, Njerae and Sofiya Nzau from Kenya, Nigerian music royalty Don Jazzy, Teni, FAVE, Spyro and Jeriq, and celebrated Congolese musicians Ferre Gola and Singuila together to bring the record to life with Yemi Alade. Rather than flattening those different voices into one sound, Yemi uses the album’s breadth to create space for contrasting musical traditions, perspectives and energies, while remaining grounded in her unmistakable artistic identity, with each song contributing a different chapter to its wider story. The project’s range has already begun to reveal itself through the recently released viral track ‘Don’t Be Shy’ featuring GRAMMY-winning Kenyan musician Bien and the celebratory highlife-inspired ‘Ala Bekee’ with afrobeats legend Don Jazzy. Taken together, these songs reveal an album built to move between intimacy and exuberance, reflection and release, while reinforcing Yemi’s enduring commitment to African musical dialogue and cross-continental collaboration.
It’s Yemi Alade arrives at a defining point in Yemi’s career that has been built on artistic excellence, fearless musical dexterity and an unwavering commitment to placing African culture at the centre of a global conversation. After winning a GRAMMY and two Headies, earning a solo GRAMMY nomination and two Latin GRAMMY nominations, with more than one billion global streams, a catalogue of essential afropop classic including ‘Johnny’, ‘Baddie’, ‘Africa’ and ‘Oh My Gosh’, and landmark collaborations with Beyoncé and Angélique Kidjo, Yemi Alade approaches this new album not by distancing herself from what came before, but by drawing more deeply from it. The result is a record grounded in gratitude for the sounds, people and experiences that have shaped her while remaining open to everything still ahead. With that refusal to stand still creatively, It’s Yemi Alade opens another expansive chapter for one of African music’s most influential voices, rooted in the highlife foundations that shaped her, driven by storytelling and created with the confidence of an artist still finding new ways to evolve.
MORE ABOUT YEMI ALADE
With an award-winning discography that already includes six critically acclaimed albums, four stellar EPs, and a plethora of essential hit singles such as ‘Johnny’, ‘Baddie’, ‘Africa’, ‘Tumbum’, ‘Oh My Gosh’, and ‘Tomorrow', renowned Nigerian musician YEMI ALADE is revered as the biggest female afropop artist on the African continent. Fondly known as ‘Mama Africa’, Yemi Alade’s deep-rooted love for her African heritage adds a unique charm to her artistry. Her incredible music and electrifying live performances have captivated audiences all over the globe, from sold-out world tours to surpassing one billion streams, to exclusive performances for the British Royal Family and the United Nations.
The recognition and accolades bestowed upon Yemi Alade illustrate her immense impact on African music and global music at large. She is a GRAMMY Award winner, solo GRAMMY nominee, two-time Latin GRAMMY Award nominee, two-time BET Award nominee, two-time MOBO Award nominee, and the first African artist to be nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award. She also comes with two consecutive ‘Best Female Artist’ wins at the MTV Africa Music Awards, and two HEADIES Awards under her belt. Beyond her musical achievements, Yemi Alade’s commitment to making a positive impact is evident through her ambassadorial roles for UNDP and the ONE Campaign, as well as her dedication to philanthropy through her own charity, the James and Helen PathWay Foundation.
While she is often lauded for her live performances, Yemi Alade’s massive popularity extends far beyond the stage, with over one billion global streams of her music, while her hit single ‘Johnny’ remains one of the most viewed videos from an African female artist ever, a testament to her worldwide appeal. Yemi Alade’s 2019 collaboration with Beyoncé on the compilation album The Lion King: The Gift marks one of afrobeats’ global breakout moments, while her collaboration with Angélique Kidjo on the 2022 album Mother Nature earned Yemi her first GRAMMY Award. Her multifaceted talents and dedication to her craft make Yemi Alade a powerhouse in the global music industry, captivating audiences worldwide and leaving a lasting impression as the #1 female afropop artist on the continent.
‘IT’S YEMI ALADE’ ALBUM TRACKLIST
1. Alhaja
2. General Market
3. Coco Na Yam (featuring Ferre Gola)
4. Little Kiss (E Good)
5. Yemi Mi Lova (featuring Spyro)
6. Ala Bekee (featuring Don Jazzy)
7. Owa
8. Minister Of Enjoyment
9. Don’t Be Shy (featuring Bien)
10. Titanium
11. Earth Song (featuring Sofiya Nzau, Njerae)
12. Paradise (featuring Singuila)
13. Away (featuring Teni)
14. Overtake (featuring Jeriq)
15. Worry (featuring FAVE) [Bonus Track]
16. Ashawo (Sawa Sawa) [Bonus Track]
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