When you talk about music or a soundtrack for Africa, not a lot of names pop up. Yemi Alade is one of the few. So it makes sense that, seven albums in, her name has finally made it onto the cover. Most artists put out a self-titled album early in their career, when people still need to learn the name. Yemi waited, and in the end she didn't choose the title herself. Her fans named the 15-track record It's Yemi Alade for her, which tells you a lot about what she has built. After all these years, the name has become a sound people recognise.
It's Yemi Alade is out now on Effyzzie Music. On it, the woman fans call Mama Africa goes back to the highlife that first shaped her, then refuses to stay put. Afrobeat, disco, house and afropop all pass through the same record. She describes it as "something new, something old, something borrowed," and calls the whole project her "diary of melodies." Each song holds a feeling she believes listeners will recognise in their own lives. Track titles like 'Alhaja', 'General Market' and 'Minister Of Enjoyment' read like a Saturday walk down any Nigerian street.
Track list of “It’s Yemi Alade”, Album, by Yemi Alad
The guest list reads like a map. Bien, Njerae and Sofiya Nzau come in from Kenya. Don Jazzy, Teni, FAVE, Spyro and Jeriq hold it down at home. Ferre Gola and Singuila bring Congo into the room. You can already hear the range in two early singles. 'Don't Be Shy' with Bien went viral, and 'Ala Bekee' with Don Jazzy is highlife at full celebration.
What stands out is the timing. Yemi has a GRAMMY, a billion streams, a feature on Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift, and performances for the British Royal Family and the United Nations. An artist at that level usually reaches for something bigger and more global. Yemi went back to her roots instead and brought the rest of the continent with her. It's Yemi Alade shows an artist confident enough to stop introducing herself and just tell you who she is.