Yemi Alade sticks with her birth name and expands songs into multiple African languages

Nigerian singer Yemi Alade told the BBC that early in her career she experimented with stage names such as "Electra" and "Ginger" but rejected them because they set expectations she did not want. She said she prayed for guidance and decided to keep her birth name, Opeyemi Alade, which she explained means “thanks be to God” and “the one who holds the crown.”

Alade also said fans’ enthusiasm inspired her to translate her music into other languages. Her first translation was into French after noticing strong support from French‑speaking African audiences, followed by versions in Swahili and Portuguese to reach more listeners across the continent.