Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade
Alade in 2024
Born
Yemi Eberechi Alade

(1989-03-13) 13 March 1989 (age 35)
Abia State, Nigeria
Alma materUniversity of Lagos
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Musical career
BornOndo State, Nigeria
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active2005–present
Labels
Websiteyemialadeofficial.com

Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), better known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist.[1] Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop and R&B, and has been of influence in several countries across Africa.[2] She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese.[3]

Alade won the Peak Talent Show in 2009[4] after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single "Johnny" in 2014.[5][6][7][8] Following the releases of her albums King of Queens[9] and Mama Africa, Alade embarked on world tours consecutively.[10] In 2016, she debuted on Billboard as No 4 on "Next Big Sound" Chart[11] She won the MTV African Music Awards for Best female in 2015 and 2016 consecutively[12] and was nominated for Artiste of the Year in 2015, making her the first female to win the MAMAs for Best female consecutively twice and nominated for Artiste of the Year. In 2015, Alade was the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and she was nominated for the BET awards for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016. Alade is also applauded for her creative and overwhelming stage performances, fashion and music videos,[13][14][15][16] She has won The Headies Award for Best Performer twice, 2018 and 2019. The slot was initiated at The Headies 2018 and she was the first artiste to win the category.[17][18]

Alade is also the second Nigerian and Afrobeats artist and the first female to hit 100 million views for a single video on YouTube after Davido.[19][20] Alade's song "Tomorrow"- the lead single from her sixth studio album "Rebel Queen", earned her her first Grammy nomination, it received a nomination at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.[21][22][23]

  1. ^ "Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade joins UNDP's call for urgent action to protect those hit hardest by COVID-19 surge". UNDP. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Yemi Alade celebrates African heritage in new video 'Shekere'". Pulse Nigeria. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. ^ punchng (16 April 2017). "Being Yoruba and Igbo is a plus for me, says Yemi Alade". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  4. ^ "PEAK TALENT SHOW TURNED MY LIFE AROUND – YEMI ALADE". Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. ^ "New, sexy singers on the loose". vanguardngr.com. August 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  6. ^ Johnny - Single by Yemi Alade, 14 October 2013, retrieved 18 December 2022
  7. ^ "My looks have helped my career –Yemi Alade". dailyindependentnig.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Africa's biggest music stars". CNN. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  9. ^ Yemi Alade - King Of Queens, retrieved 18 December 2022
  10. ^ "Yemi Alade on Tour with 'Queendon Come'". THISDAYLIVE. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Yemi Alade". Billboard. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  12. ^ "MTV Awards: Yemi Alade emerges Africa best female singer". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Best Dressed Female Musicians in Nigeria". Reterdeen. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Pulse List: The current top 15 best live performers in Nigerian music". Pulse Nigeria. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  15. ^ "The Best Nigerian Music Videos of 2018". OkayAfrica. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  16. ^ "The 10 best Nigerian music videos of 2020 so far". PAM - Pan African Music. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  17. ^ Togejoy (19 January 2020). "Yemi Alade's Top 15 Outstanding Ankara Designs That are Trending". African Vibes Magazine. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  18. ^ "4 Things You Can Learn on Branding from Yemi Alade". She Leads Africa | #1 destination for young African ambitious women. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Yemi Alade's Song Johnny Hits 100 Million Views On YouTube". allAfrica.com. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Yemi Alade's "Oh My Gosh" with Rick Ross Hits 1 Million Views in a Day « tooXclusive". 2 May 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  21. ^ Oladokun, Itoro (8 November 2024). "Yemi Alade gets first Grammy nomination in Best African Music Performance category 2025". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  22. ^ BellaNaija.com (8 November 2024). "Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, Yemi Alade, Tems & Lojay Among 2025 Grammy Nominees". BellaNaija. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  23. ^ Africa, The Scoove (8 November 2024). "Yemi Alade Earns First Grammy Nomination for "Tomorrow"". The Scoove Africa. Retrieved 18 November 2024.