Global AfroPop artist Yemi Alade has released ‘Rebel Queen’, her tenth body of work released through Effyzzie Music.
The album title is a testament to Yemi’s reign as Africa’s Queen of AfroPop and her unapologetic love for her originality, heritage and love for the African continent.
“To be a Rebel is to travel the path less travelled,” Ms Alade says. “To Rebel is to continuously be true to oneself even when one’s personal choices are not regarded as popular opinion.”
The second single off the new album, “Peace & Love” featuring 8-time Grammy-winning Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley, is a powerful reggae-infused duet imagining a borderless Africa in a utopia where war, disease and injustice would not exist but peace and love.
This release follows “Tomorrow” – the first single off ‘Rebel Queen’ with over 7.5 Million YouTube views a month since its release.
The timeless piece honours the aspirations of the future and the ongoing pursuit of turning them into achievements.
The 16-track album also features collaborations with Konshens & Femi One in “Baddie Remix”, Angelique Kidjo in “African Woman” and Innoss’B in “Lipeka”.
From AfroPop, Dancehall, Amapiano, Lingala, Afrobeats to Reggae and R&B, ‘Rebel Queen’ is a cocktail of different genres with multiple flavours that will appeal to every single music lover from any corner in the world.
“I was inspired by the core African music of high life and different genres that got us excited as Africans.
“I created this album with the sole purpose of creating music I grew up loving and the variety I have grown to love now,” says Ms Alade.
‘Rebel Queen’ also speaks of Yemi Alade’s bold spirit and global domination to a great degree.
“I am a true rebel in words and in action. I have always charted my course and walked the path less travelled.
“A lot of albums tend to have monotony in genre and style and it bores me easily most times. This album has something new, old and borrowed.
“Every song is unique and a capsule of my thoughts, melodies and truck load of nostalgia.
“All the collaborations excite me! I couldn’t wait to share, especially because I am a fan of these artists.”
Yemi started the year 2024 by performing at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opening ceremony.
The ‘Rebel Queen’ launch parties, attended by fans and industry stakeholders have taken place across the globe – Paris, London, New York and Lagos.
She will this year embark on her ‘Rebel Queen Tour’, following a successful ‘African Baddie’ world tour alongside her African Train Band which stopped in 22 countries through Africa, America and Europe in 2023.
“Growing up, African pop music was a mixture of music that carried messages and helped us through different situations in life.
“This album is a blend of what my playlist consists of right now e.g. the new and old pop music that cuts across generations and boundaries.”
