PAUSE Meets: Adekunle Gold

Amazing, let’s take it back. How did you get into music? You started with photoshop and design being your background. What caused the transition?

Oh yeah…so the correction is music came first. Photoshop came later. Every other thing came later. Yes, cos I was a church boy, then I was in the teens choir! I was hoping for a day where I was going to lead the church on one Sunday service; that was my goal but again, it never happened before I left the church. Yeah…then I went on to improving on my song writing. I auditioned for several reality shows…music reality shows. Where…I mean…I tried to show myself a bit more, you know? And then worked on my song writing, I was in a band called The Bridge. Then I decided to improve on my song writing even more! And then I released a cover of One Direction’s Story of My Life. Then Sade. And err…we’re here now! Whilst I was working in 2012 as a graphic artist, – like 2012 to 2014 – I worked in three companies, but I was making music alongside, you know. The money I made from work, I would put it into music, recording and everything but yeah. It’s been an interesting journey. Music has always been something that I’ve always loved. Every other thing came later. Graphic design. Photoshop. You know, I didn’t even know I was into fashion like that until even later, you know what I mean? But music came first for me and I will always choose it.

It’s so good that you mentioned Sade, obviously that’s my Yoruba name so that’s song has a special place in my heart but before that, you had written Orente, Friend Zone and Beautiful Night. So what was it about Sade that you thought would really make you blow?

So I had written Orente, I had written Friend Zone, I had written Beautiful Night, before Sade. That time you know I was independent. I didn’t even know anybody, I hadn’t gotten signed. I just knew those songs. I just knew I was passionate about those songs. I knew I loved them. I knew they were going to be amazing songs when I drop them but I didn’t want to waste them cos I didn’t have the power to push them, so I thought, let me just release this cover. Maybe the cover will do a bit of damage and then I can now release my songs later. And just like I planned it, it happened! Then I got signed and I thought, yeah, I think it’s time for Orente…and the rest is history!

I love that. Your sound is different to 90% of the scene, most of your lyrics are in your native tongue, Yoruba; there’s storytelling, there’s live instruments, and I know before, you used to describe your sound as Urban Hi-life, but I feel like that sound is changing! What’s prevented you from going into the Zanku dance scene? What’s encouraged you to maintain your alté sound?

Because I don’t know how to do it! (laughs) You know what I mean like…Me? I would rather excel in a lane that I really know. What’s the point of ploughing a road that I don’t necessarily understand? I just feel like I would be lost. You know what I mean? So even if I get it right one time, what’s the guarantee I’ll get it right the second or third time? Fourth time?

Look what I’ve done! I’ve done Sade, Orente, Pick Up, Ready…all of those songs are songs that, you can wake me up at 2am, and I could write them. You know? But what changed recently, was that, cos like you said I used to call my genre Urban Hi-life, but, my ears started to open even more, you know. I started to listen to music – different genres. I started to f*ck with different sounds, you know. Before I used to listen to only indie, indie rock, pop songs…but then I started listening to hardcore rap. To even get the gist of what their conversation is like, in their music, you know what I mean? I started to listen to pretty much anything, and, I don’t know! I think I started to write gospel. My ears started to open even more.

I wouldn’t even call my sound Urban Hi-life anymore. I think I can comfortably say that I make Afro-pop. I make African Popular music. Now, I find myself jumping on any beat. If you give me a trap beat, I can turn it to something else, but then it would definitely be Adekunle Gold. You know what I mean? And I’ve started to use more English…I’m just in a space where I’m just doing anything that I like. I’m grateful that it’s really working…

I think I changed my sound at Call on Me. Call on Me is my most streamed song right now. I wasn’t expecting anything. I was even scared to release the song to be honest, because it was a different song entirely from everything I’ve done. But then, I’m a risk taker. I take risks a lot and then I just say “you know what, what’s the worst that will happen? People will say they don’t like it? And then I’ll do another one right? Okay, I’ll make it sweeter.” When I put the song out, I was not sure at first but then I saw the reaction of people, I was like ‘Oh, okay…maybe people are ready for a new Adekunle Gold’. You know and I started building it from there. Now, look at! Before You Wake Up is my fastest streaming song right now. I’ve seen people say that I have not done anything as good as Before You Wake Up, and I’m like wow! (giggle) So you listened to Ire, you listened to Sade, Orente, and you don’t like it as much as Before You Wake Up? I feel like as creatives we try to play it too safe; we just want to just do things that we think people love about us. We don’t even try to do something else. I mean, I feel like I’ve found the hack and I’m like, you know what? Let me just have fun. The most important thing is if I keep my originality on anything I put out, and it’s authentic to me, I think people will see. I know people can spot fraud, yeah, so if it’s not authentic to me, people will probably be able to tell. But people love these songs still, because I’ve found a way to just retain myself on whatever I jump on. You know? My voice is my voice. I can’t change my voice so even if I try to rap tomorrow, I’ll probably sound like me. So, yeah, I released Kelegbe Megbe which is an absolute banger. I’ve seen people say this is my best song so far, and that’s a different music entirely to everything I’ve done, you know. It’s a mellow, almost rap, trap vibe…you know? And then, I just found a way to put my soul on it. Then boom! Again, just to go back from where we coming, cos I feel like I’ve said a lot of things, Afro-pop is currently where I’m sitting, and I’m loving it.

It’s so funny that you’re even saying that because listening to the three remixes of Before You Wake Up, I was like, ‘WOW! This is a completely different Adekunle Gold to who I’ve heard before” and it works! It fits. Even when you’re talking about Kelegbe Megbe, it still has your signatures on it. Live instruments, proper story telling, so I’m loving the evolution of AG. If we go back to your very first big performance. Eko Hotel. 5,000 people. Do you remember that night?

Of course! Like yesterday. I was so jittery; I was so scared. I mean, I was just a one-song sensation guy. From being a photoshop king (I mean, I always am, I always will be!) But yeah, it was just this king of photoshop guy that released a song that people started to love, and then yeah. And then I was on stage. For the first, I mean, not for the first time, but I was on that BIG stage for the first time, like over 5,000 people at Eko Hotel, that came to watch me! And I’m like, (sigh) BOY! (laugh) This is f*cking amazing. I didn’t even know what to expect, where people going to love this song? Did people even know the song enough to even sing along with me? Or was I in my head thinking, I had it all together, you know what I mean? When they called my name and I saw people scream, and then they started singing the song with me, that felt really really good. That one thing pushed me to just give it my all, and that was that.

And do you have the same feeling and the same nerves now? The last time I saw you in concert was your sold-out show at the Indigo, O2. The production was crazy, the dancers were mental, your outfits were killer. Do you still have that same feeling when you’re selling out venues?

I feel like, I don’t think it will ever end. I will always be nervous. Even if it’s not a lot, I will always be nervous before any show because sometimes I don’t know what to expect. I just can’t explain the feeling. That little anxiety, like ‘yeah, it’s about to be another one’. And then I just go. But what helps me all the time is, I remind myself, ‘this is what you’ve always wanted. Chai! Go and do it. Get on that stage boy! Kill it. Do what you do best! Just have fun.’ I played Longitude [Festival] in the last two weeks, right, and it’s a new crowd entirely! It’s Dublin! And then I didn’t know what to expect. First, I didn’t even know if people would come to my set because somebody has just played there, and I heard that it was really packed. And then, I’m just this African boy, that’s not even as popular as some African boys that you know, you know what I mean like? And then I was just wondering, okay, what’s going to happen? Are people even going to come out for me? A no-one? When we started, when they announced my name, and we started playing the music, I lost my mind! It was f*cking amazing. Everything…it felt new! The energy was too much. I’m like, ‘nah! I should’ve been doing this for a long time.’ You know what I mean? I should have been playing to new crowds. You know when people don’t even necessarily know all the songs, but the energy, the joy in their faces…you can tell they were loving every bit of it. That made me really happy. That made me REALLY really happy. So, you know, sometimes I get a bit nervous and I’ve concluded that it’s never going to stop, but then, I’m good. When I get on stage, I’m a different person entirely. It doesn’t affect me, it’s just that before I get on stage, there’s that little anxiety, but I get over it.

If any of our readers haven’t seen you live in concert, or live in festival, what should they expect?

Fire! My band, I have the best band in the world. Quote me. Their name is The 79^th Element which means gold. You know how I can be? (laugh) I have the best band, and all we do on stage, no matter what stage, is have fun! We play, you will think we’re in rehearsals because of how we play. We’re always having fun, even at the Playground; the Playground is my studio. Right! So we just bring that energy on stage. It’s always fun – always straight vibes. We sing, we dance and we do soul! We give you some jazz, and then we do the master one. Everything African. I feel like I could go on and on about my gigs and my band, but hey, anytime we announce a show in your city, do not miss that sh*t. Don’t!

You touched on the 79^th Element which is gold; obviously on the periodic table the symbols for gold is AU. Your record label is called Afro Urban which is also AU. Is there anything else we can look forward to that might have a little sprinkle of Gold on it? Maybe a fashion line? Because your fashion sense right now is killing the game!

(laughs) I’ve been stalling on that one for a bit because I just don’t want to put out anything. I’m very keen on details and I can be a bit of a perfectionist and there’s something in the works around the fashion that I’m going to release very soon. But more importantly, I’m releasing a new project this year. It’s different from everything I have done. I’m going to give you the title here, exclusively. The title is Afro Pop.

We heard 10 or so tracks from you last year. When are we getting the new album?

The album should be out within the 1st Quarter of 2020.

Okay, so not too long to wait…About 30, your last album, was a killer. You’ve mentioned Call on Me and Ire which were two of my faves from that album. You’ve said the new album going to be really different, are we talking about style or execution?

Style, sound, features! I’ll tell you again, everything I touch, everything I lay my hands on, will be authentic and it will totally be on it. So, it’s me just trying something new. But trust me, if you like Before You Wake Up, if you love Kelegbe Megbe, I’m telling you, you don’t know what to expect. It’s everything different and amazing. I’ve worked with different producers in the world. Gone to LA. Sat with different producers. It’s too much! Worked with producers in the UK. Just watch out for Afro Pop.

We will keep our eyes peeled! You’ve mentioned features. We’ve heard that your dream collaboration would be Bruno Mars. Can we cross our fingers for this to happen some time soon?

By God’s grace it will happen. I don’t know how but it will happen. Just look out for it! He’s my best friend, he just doesn’t know it yet.

On the topic of best friends, when I last saw you in person – it was you and Moelogo doing the bromance. Are you guys still close? We haven’t seen you together online in ages!

I live in his house [when I’m in the UK]. That’s my guy!

Okay, back to the fashion! You’ve already said that there’s a fashion line in the works, but you want it to be perfect so you’re not going to throw your hand at anything. You’ve also mentioned in the past that you’ve worked with Orange Culture as a stylist for you. What kind of things do you look for in an outfit?

The thing is my fashion…is like…you know how some people have rules, and say, ‘you can’t wear something. You don’t wear this or that,’ for me, one golden rule is, if you’re comfortable in it, wear that sh*t. That’s me! I’m not bound by anything, so I just tell my guys what I want when they ask me what I’m going for, I just give them a mood board. I say this is the type of thing I’m going for now. I’m done wearing blazers. I’m done wearing jackets. I tell them the kind of mood I want, like right now, I’m on my Don Dada mood. So, I tell them, anything to make me look like a Don Dada, just give me that. And then we draw out somethings, and then they now pull some things. For Kelegbe Megbe video, I had told the director the kind of things…the kind of fashion I wanted to see. This is the kind of mood I want, and it came out exactly how I wanted it to. I just tell them what I’m feeling in the moment.