Yemi Alade's heart was really broken by Johnny

 Yemi Eberechi Alade, like many of her peers claims to be just an ordinary girl who does regular things. “I’m more of an indoor kind of person who likes to cook, watch a movie with a bottle of wine and just chill around. I am more of stay-at-home kind of girl. Basically, I’m the girl next door."

Before I could finish pointing out how cliché the ‘girl next door’ phrase sounded, she quickly interjected, ‘For most of us that are into entertainment, it is like a means where we express our alter ego, while we might mostly be quiet introverts. ‘

For someone who was hardly allowed to frequent parties and unnecessary outings whilst growing up, Music has always been a regular feature in her life. She would explain, ‘I used to be in a girl group in secondary school, it was called ‘Naughty spices’, and I was ‘Ginger spice’, until Terry-Gee monopolized the ‘ginger’ term, so I had to drop the name. I had already started moving into the music direction, but we all got admission into different universities and we had to go our separate ways. I took music to the next level after I won the ‘Peak Talent Show’ in 2009. I then realized that I wanted to make a career out of it.’

Her parents always saw it coming because she had always been the one representing all her schools in music, drama, and several competitions. Basically, creative activities was her sole pastime, hence it was only natural for her to end up doing music. ‘I was that kid they didn’t allow to attend parties while growing up, so I directed all the energy stored up in me into creative outlets’, she added.

Over the past 12months, there has been an increase in the buzz around her, and she’s extremely grateful to God for that. ‘Yemi Alade is an artist, but behind me are a lot of people who are making things happen. I’ll definitely attribute it to my team and most importantly God. Basically, it’s been a lot of work, perseverance, passion for the craft and the favour and blessing of God.’

Some of these blessings was what took her on an extensive tour of major states in 2013. ‘Last year’s tour was just the first phase of the nationwide tour, which will commence later this year. It was very satisfactory and refreshing. I was able to meet people who did not know me and those who had been playing my song but couldn’t put a face to me.

In the short span of her presence in the industry, the ‘Johnny singer has been fortunate to work with some of the best producers in the land. ‘I had previously worked with El-dee who drilled me hard on ‘fimisile’, and when I worked with OJB, he made the same pointers to me. Recording with him was a very big blessing because he gave me my #1 record ‘Ghen Ghen love’.

I always relate with him till now, and I even send all my songs to him before I release them. Even when he was in India for surgery, I sent songs to him. He is a very great guy and I respect his opinion. He is even closer friends with my management. The singer, when asked said she’s in no rush to push an album out just yet, ‘My album has been ready for a long time.


I won’t call myself a perfectionist but when it comes to my music, I’m a people pleaser because I’m not making music for myself. I’m still discovering myself, so I’m trying to make sure that my album is the exact description of who I am, when I drop it. I am not exactly in a rush to drop it, but it will come out sometime soon. The working title is ‘King of Queens’. I worked with Eva and Dammy Krane, and I’m also working with a female international artiste. That’s all I will say on that.

Speaking on her latest single, ‘Johnny’, which is receiving massive airplay, she revealed it was actually her true life story. ‘I did not plan to write the song, but it was after it started getting a lot of buzz, and people began to ask me who ‘Johnny’ is, that I then realized that it had actually happened to me before. I had no idea that I was singing my story that happened a while back, but, I’m totally over him. Though I’m still looking for the real ‘Johnny’ to come and give me money after breaking my heart. He must pay for my surgery.’