• Location: Lagos, Nigeria

• Genre: Afro-pop

• Key points of interest: recording, performance, lifestyle

• Influences: Tiwa Savage, Simi, BLΛƆKPIИK, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Aaliyah

• Performance style: vocal and contemporary dance

• Record label: Unsigned

• Contact information: hello@loladealaka.com

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lolade, Queen of Lagosians, is an unsigned Afro-pop musician from Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. She was born, raised, and still lives near her ancestral home in Surulere. Her great-grandfather was a large landowner there, a prince who lost his title to colonists. Her dream is to get it back for her family, but as Queen of people’s hearts, not just land, hence the title "Queen of Lagosians."

 

She started posting song covers on social media and YouTube in 2017, getting noticed by underground artists in and out of Nigeria, and established stars like Ariana Grande and Ayra Starr. She loves all the greatest music by the greatest musicians of all time, inspired by the spirit and energy of Nina Simone to Celia Cruz, Fela to Lagbaja, Miriam Makeba to Brenda Fassie, Madonna to Britney, Michael and Janet Jackson to Aaliyah; all the legends.

 

She loves today’s icons too. Rihanna introduced her to pop and was her first music obsession. Tiwa Savage introduced her to AfroBeats. Ariana Grande is a major influence, and the global star followed her on Twitter in 2018 until she disabled her account in 2021. She is also inspired by sounds from around the world: K-pop, South African house, amapiano, Latin pop, Europop… and underground music by amazing musicians that aren’t famous (yet).

 

She soaks it all in, and her sound shape shifts as a result. She makes genre-breaking music with the unavoidable Afro spice, channelling the side of being African and Nigerian that embraces pride and divinity, nature and the universe, through her soft, sweet, high-pitched voice. She performed at the BMT Live Sessions in July 2021 and has focused on composing and recording original music since then. Making and viewing all forms of art are her favourite pastimes (obsessions), evident in her songwriting and the creativity shown in her cover videos, self-made website, and homemade self-promotion film (seen above), all available online, her most popular cover being her version of Uyo Meyo by Teni.

 

Her debut single, happy, a sassy mid-tempo anthem that celebrates independence after a breakup, was released on Sunday, 20th February 2022. She performed it live for the first time at a Silverbird Galleria special film screening on 20th April, 2022.