CNN
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It seems like there’s nothing Nigerian music star Simi can’t do.
A singer, songwriter, and one of the few women mixing and producing their own music, Simi is setting the stage for the future of Afropop and soul. Opening for 15-time Grammy-winning vocal powerhouse Alicia Keys on her 2023 tour and making waves on the Billboard World Album Charts has garnered Simi international stardom.
Simi, whose real name is Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, began her career as a gospel singer, releasing her first album “Ogaju” in 2008.
Other album releases came over the years, but she was still without a record label by the time she wanted to produce her “RESTLESS” EP in 2014. Simi “didn’t really have money to give anyone,” she told CNN’s Larry Madowo in a recent interview in Lagos, Nigeria.
So, the singer taught herself how to record, mix, and master her own music by watching videos on YouTube.
“It came to me so naturally,” Simi said. “I love doing it.”
Growing up in Ojuelegba, a busy area of Lagos, Simi realized her singing ambitions at just eight years old, after her first solo during youth day at church.
“On the day after I had done my solo, everyone was like, ‘oh, that was so beautiful.’ I think that sparked something in me,” Simi said.
Her 2008 debut gospel album laid the foundation for her career and future success. Six years later, after her “RESTLESS” release and signing with a record label, Simi transitioned into mainstream music with the release of her chart-topping hit song, “Tiff” – which was nominated for an award at The Headies, one of Nigeria’s preeminent music awards.
The move from gospel to Afropop “definitely happened organically,” Simi said. She followed up with her second studio album, “Simisola,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard World Album Chart.
“That album was about basically introducing myself and my sound to the world at large,” Simi reflected. “When you hear my name, when you hear my voice, this is what I represent and that was such an intimate process, and it was very important that I got it right.”
With her unique style and soulful voice, Simi’s music has amassed over one billion streams across various platforms.
Even with her growing success, she continues to write, produce and engineer her own music. In 2019, she launched her own record label called Studio Brat – a name inspired by the countless hours the singer spent in the studio.
“I would be in the studio 16 hours a day. I would just take breaks to eat and sleep,” she described. “It can be very tedious because it takes a lot of time and you have to be very precise about certain things.”
Simi’s hard work continues to pay off. Before she opened on Alicia Keys’ tour last summer, she had already played for fans across North America with her own “To Be Honest” tour in 2022.
Her most recent release, “Men Are Crazy,” features fellow Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage – a collaboration that “immediately” came to Simi’s mind as she wrote the track.
“It was just so great having that experience on the song,” Simi said, “and getting both our energies on the same song, and just vibing.”
Now her balancing act includes a busy personal life as a wife and mother, which blends into the professional, too. Simi is married to fellow critically acclaimed Nigerian Afrobeat artist Adekunle Gold, who has collaborated with musicians including Coco Jones, Doja Cat, and Kodak Black.
“We’re both very respectful of each other’s craft and we also respect each other’s opinions,” Simi said of her husband.
“I’m also protective of (my daughter) and my relationship with my husband. you know, we’re goofy and stuff on the internet, but the core of our relationship is ours.”