Nigerian Afropop powerhouse Yemi Alade opens her latest musical chapter with “Alhaja,” an energetic track that showcases her ability to blend contemporary African sounds with international influences.
The song is the opening track on her self-titled album, It’s Yemi Alade, a 16-track project that explores different African musical styles and brings together collaborators from across the continent and beyond.
Yemi Alade Sets the Tone With “Alhaja”
“Alhaja” immediately puts Yemi Alade’s voice at the centre of the record.
The song carries an energetic, rhythm-driven sound, with Yemi delivering a confident vocal performance over contemporary African production. Current coverage describes the record as Baile Funk-inspired, adding Brazilian rhythmic influence to Yemi’s established Afropop style.
That combination gives “Alhaja” a distinctly international character while allowing Yemi to maintain the strong vocal personality that has defined her music throughout her career.
Rather than sounding like a departure from her identity, the track demonstrates how she continues to incorporate new sounds into her established musical style.
A Standout From “It’s Yemi Alade”
“Alhaja” serves as the opening song on It’s Yemi Alade, placing it at the front of a project that explores multiple sounds, languages and African musical traditions.
The album includes collaborations with artists including Don Jazzy, Fave, Teni, Spyro, Jeriq, Bien, Ferre Gola, Singuila, Sofiya Nzau and Njerae.
However, “Alhaja” is one of the album’s solo records, allowing Yemi Alade to carry the song without a featured vocalist. That makes the track a useful introduction to the album because listeners encounter Yemi’s own voice before moving into its wider collection of collaborations.
Yemi Alade Continues to Explore African Sounds
One of the most interesting aspects of “Alhaja” is its international influence.
The Baile Funk-inspired rhythm connects Yemi’s Afropop sound with a Brazilian musical movement known for its energetic percussion and dance-oriented grooves. The approach fits into the wider concept of It’s Yemi Alade, which moves between Afropop, highlife, Afro-house and other African and global influences.
It also reflects Yemi’s long-running interest in making music that can travel across borders while retaining an African identity.