10 questions for Nigeria’s Asikey

Two years later, she released an EP titled Human. That EP bears the song ‘Earth Attack’, which won Asikey the AFRIMA for Best Female Artist in African Inspirational Music. Her neo-soul track ‘Dark’ received a nomination, this time for Best R&B/Soul Song at the same awards ceremony a year later. She has also released the singles 'Love With You' and ‘We (Don't Let Me Go)’.

Asikey recently spoke with Music In Africa about her latest EP, Yellow. The project, which was released on 30 April, features popular Nigerian act Brymo.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: Congratulations on the release of Yellow. It’s such a wonderful work. How long did it take to write, record and release?

ASIKEY: Thank you. It took roughly 15 months to write and compile, although some songs, specifically 'The Kind That Live Forever' and 'A Miracle', were written in 2017.

Why the title Yellow?

Yellow, as used in the EP, is a symbol of hope and positivity. It reflects the "strength to pick ourselves up when we fall", as the song says.

You won an AFRIMA in the inspirational category in 2017. And there are songs on Yellow that fall in that category. There are also songs that seem to allude to romance and religion. Is that a fair assessment?

I'm not religious but I believe in the spirit. I mean, the spiritual is more real than the physical. So when I said, 'This is where I saw God, not in the crowd at the chapel / I saw Him in yellow", it's nothing religious. I'm saying that I saw the concept of God in hope and positivity, which is what yellow symbolises.

And "Here's to all the hearts who still believe in love" is not about romance. Romance is too narrow to describe it. It's really about a kind of love that is the force of love in its purest form. The kind that holds our universe together.

It's tempting to say you make music in the soft rock genre because on songs like ‘Paranoia’. You bring to mind Avril Lavigne’s style of singing. Would you agree that soft rock is an accurate label for your music, and do you see that label changing in the future? Perhaps you’ll make mainstream Naija pop?

Soft rock is definitely not far from it. I honestly don't know about the label change. But there's no telling where the music can take you. Mainstream Naija pop… We shall see.

You probably hear this a lot, but your style is not exactly what one usually hears from Nigerian acts. Where is that style from?

Yes, I hear it a lot. The style is from Asikey. As to what informs it, I think it's partly a product of my musical influences, the kind of music I listened to growing up and what I still listen to now. Also, I write mostly in English and that further gives my music that apparently non-Nigerian quality.

What do you say when you're told that your sound has little commercial appeal in Nigeria, and that it hasn’t been tested across Africa yet? Do you become anxious about this?

Anxious? Not anymore. But I was anxious earlier in my career. Now, I'm easing more and more into my process and style, and with more and more people beginning to appreciate it, my anxiety has waned. Also, it's more important to me that I express myself in exactly the way that I want and, being a true artist, that's more important to me than even commercial appeal.

What is your approach to songwriting?

When I write, for me it's about getting myself out of the way. Like just opening myself up and letting in infinite intelligence. I think every honest artist will acknowledge that they're just a channel for the divine stream where music and everything created comes from.

Is there a reason why you have chosen to release an EP rather than a full album?

Well, I should say I'm testing the waters with an EP – getting people to have a detailed feel of what Asikey sounds like before there's an album.

What was it like working with an accomplished artist like Brymo?

Brymo is an easy soul, a powerful songwriter and an artist. It was the greatest experience having him on 'The Kind That Live Forever'.

What's next for Asikey?

There's going to be more, more, more. There's a lot of creating I have to do. My life is one devoted to music, so there's no comprehending all that's going to come out of it.

Stream Asikey's Yellow EP here.