Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), who is better known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist.
Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop and R&B, and has been of influence in several countries across Africa.
She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese.
2009
Alade won the Peak Talent Show in 2009 after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single "Johnny" in 2014.
Following the releases of her albums King of Queens and Mama Africa, Alade embarked on world tours consecutively.
2014
Alade's debut studio album King of Queens was released on 2 October 2014.
Alade collaborated with producers such as Selebobo, Sizzle Pro, Shady Bizniz, Philkeyz, Young D, GospelOnDeBeatz, DIL, OJB Jezreel, Mr Chidoo, Fliptyce, EL Mcee and Beat Nation.
The album was preceded by the singles "Johnny", "Tangerine" and "Kissing".
It features guest appearances and skits from Bovi, R2Bees, Phyno, Chidinma, DIL, Selebobo and Diamond Platnumz.
Alade promoted the album by touring several African countries, including Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
The album's deluxe edition was released in November 2014; it contains French versions of songs originally performed in English.
The cover art for the deluxe edition was unveiled on 21 October 2014.
According to the music platform A Nation of Billions, King of Queens sold over 100,000 copies.
2015
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.
The album was nominated for Album of the year at the 2015 Nigerian Entertainment Awards and the 2015 Headies Awards.
2016
In 2016, she debuted on Billboard as No 4 on "Next Big Sound" Chart She won the MTV African Music Awards for Best female in 2015 and 2016 consecutively 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.
Alade's second studio album Mama Africa was released on 25 March 2016.
Alade disclosed its title was Mama Africa and said it would focus on the strengths and weaknesses of an African woman.
The album combines elements of Afropop, highlife, R&B, coupé-décalé, hip-hop and pop.
Alade said recording the album was a struggle because she was constantly traveling to different countries every day.
She also said she recorded the album to "capture all of Africa in one CD".
Alade told The Fader magazine she collaborated with artists from West Africa, East Africa and South Africa.
She enlisted GospelOnDeBeatz, DJ Coublon, Selebobo, Philkeyz, BeatsByEmzo, Masterkraft, Rotimi Keys and Mr. Chidoo to produce the album.
2018
Alade is also applauded for her creative and overwhelming stage performances, fashion and music videos, 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.
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.
2020
On 9 June 2020, Alade was mentioned to be among the forefront artists/musicians from across the world to perform at The Global Goal: Unite for our future sponsored by the Global Citizen aimed to highlight the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic especially in the most remote places in Africa and across the world.
On 27 June 2020, Yemi Alade performed in the Global Goal: Unite for Our future alongside Miley Cyrus, Shakira, J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson, Coldplay, Usher, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Christine and the Queens and Chloe X Halle.
In 2022, Yemi Alade bagged a Grammy nomination for her song "Dignity" with Angelique Kidjo.
She alongside Kidjo were nominated for the category of Best Song for Social Change Social Merit Award.
She likewise has a Grammy certificate for her collaboration with Beninese music icon, Angelique Kidjo on her Mother Nature album.
She also is the first afrobeats artiste to get a Latin Grammy nomination for the song "Cónexion Total" with Bomba Estéreo, Both the song and (Deja) the album it featured in was nominated for the awards.
In 2022, The Scoove Africa ranked Yemi Alade "The Best Stage Performer in Nigeria" for the year 2022.
Emma Dabiri, in an article published on Norient, named Alade as a revolutionary artist "simply rediscovering some of the freedoms to which colonialism and its immediate legacy once barred them access".
Alade was raised in a multi-ethnic home from Nigeria, Her father James Alade was a commissioner of police from Ondo State, Nigeria while her mother Helen Uzoma is a native of Abia State, Nigeria.
According to Yemi, She taps from the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities of her parents.
Alade attended secondary School at Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, and the University of Lagos, (both in Lagos, Nigeria)
During her university education, Alade took part in a TV talent show called Peak Talent Show where she emerged winner.
That was Alade's debut appearance on TV and where she gained popularity.
