January 28, (THEWILL) – Nigerian singer and songwriter, Adekunle Kosoko, aka Adekunle Gold, has revealed that he was mocked after he changed his music from highlife to Afro-pop.
The music star started out in music with his 2015 single, ‘Sade’, a highlife cover of ‘Story of My Life’.
Adekunle Gold subsequently signed a record deal with YBNL and released his eponymous debut studio album.
However, between 2019 and 2020, he began releasing Afropop-tinged music in what became a pivot.
He released his 2020 album overtly titled ‘Afropop‘ after which he admitted that the changes had been gradual.
In a newsletter to fans, as he marks his 36th birthday, he recalled how critics mocked his choice.
“When I first started putting my photoshop images online, some people laughed at me. Others ignored it and some supported me. The same thing happened when I started sharing my music publicly.
“People didn’t really pay any attention to it. Some of the people I really respected made fun of my voice. In 2019 when I started releasing Afropop sounds, I saw a tweet where someone had called me a ‘Yoruba singer’.
“They told me to stick to what I knew. In hindsight, I wonder why they thought ‘Yoruba singer’ was an insult. I didn’t allow anyone’s opinion to stop me from expressing my creativity. I was doing it for me.
“My point is, with everything you do, people will have their own opinion about it. Some will criticise you openly and others will keep it to themselves. Some opinions will discourage you and some will empower you.
“Sometimes, those that support you will turn on you when you’re no longer winning. Just make sure you’re doing everything you do for yourself and not for the approval of anyone else,” he stated.
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