Simi: The rise of Nigeria's love singer

By Millicent Akeyo

"Borrow Me Your Baby" by Nigerian Musician Simi is the 36-year-old’s latest official music video.

The song, which features Nigerian rapper and songwriter Falz, has already garnered over 800,000 views on YouTube, barely three weeks after its release.

Simi, who is known to many as "Nigeria's Sweetheart," is a Nigerian singer and songwriter, who has amassed over one billion global music streams. She also has a dedicated fan-base comprising millions of people.

In 2022, she released one of her well-received studio albums called "To Be Honest."

'Finding myself'

So far, the Nigerian songstress has released five studio albums. In late June, Simi announced that her sixth studio album titled "Lost and Found" will be released on July 5.

"Making this album is a symbol of finding parts of myself again that I hoped I hadn't lost permanently. I don't believe that we ever stop finding ourselves," she said in a post on Instagram.

"Lost and found album is about me reclaiming my chemistry with music, melody and love stories. I hope you feel it too when you listen," the songstress added.

The musician, whose real name is Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, was born on April 19th, 1988 in Ojuelegba in Nigeria's commercial city Lagos. She is the last born in a family of four children. Simi pursued a course in mass communication at the Covenant University in Nigeria.

The talented singer began her career as a gospel singer. She wrote her first song at the age of 10, and was part of the youth choir at her church.

Afro-pop switch

In 2008, she released her debut album titled "Ogaju", and then switched to Afro-pop. Due to financial challenges, she could not sign up with established record labels. This forced her to learn how to produce music on her own.

After showing sparks of musical brilliance, Nigeria's creative agency, X-3-M Music signed her in 2014. That same year, she released the song titled "Tiff", which was nominated for The Headies Award the following year.

Her other notable songs include "JAMB Question", which topped charts for weeks in 2016.

In 2019, Simi launched her record label called Studio Brat, saying it mirrored the number of hours she regularly spent in the studio producing songs.

Celebrated pregnancy

In 2020, Simi's song titled "Duduke" won her audiences' hearts. In the track, the musician was celebrating her first pregnancy. Many of her fans world-over, connected with the sentimental song.

In 2022, global-streaming platform, Spotify, announced it had appointed Simi the Spotify EQUAL Africa music programme ambassador. Other notable female musicians serving as Spotify's ambassadors in Africa include Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr.

Simi has won several career awards, and is regarded as one of the most vocally gifted musicians of modern era.

The artiste is married to her long-time Nigerian partner Adenkule Gold, who is also a singer and songwriter. The husband-and-wife have several songs together, including "No Forget", "Happy Birthday" and "Look What You Made Me Do."

Simi and Adenkule have a daughter together.

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