For Kunmie, the past year has been a whirlwind. After his hit song “Arike” propelled him from a songwriter behind the scenes to one of Nigeria’s most talked-about new artists, his world changed completely. The song became an international breakout, and suddenly, the artist who had spent years honing his craft and writing for other musicians was everywhere, navigating a new level of visibility, expectations, and the weight that comes with being “the main guy.” While the success of “Arike” may have introduced Kunmie to the world, his debut album, 22, gives us a closer look at the person behind the music.
The album moves through vulnerability, purpose, pressure, and self-discovery, allowing Kunmie to explore parts of himself that he admits he is not always comfortable sharing. In our conversation, he opens up about leaving home at 16 to follow his dreams, the reality of becoming both an artist and a brand, and the deeply personal moments he almost kept off the album.
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What did last year feel like for you? You were everywhere, “Arike” was charting internationally, you were performing, and suddenly so many people knew your name.
Kunmie: Yeah, it was cool. I don’t really, really hold on to so much of what that felt like because it’s not stopped. So it still affects the next day. So it was nice. I obviously had no idea that this one was going to go as crazy as it went. But obviously, I had it in mind that sooner or later something like that would happen. So it was great.
What stood out the most to you last year?
Kunmie: I think because I transitioned from a songwriter to an artist, I think there are things that I understood more from an artist POV that I would not have. Like, that I had zero idea that, because I was more in the back scene, and I was just observing. But I never really understood what it was to be the main guy. So just having to be a brand, rather than just the casual guy that I was. You’re having to be the source of livelihood for a lot of people. But I mean, I’m adapting to it right now. I’m a lot more settled on that.
You just dropped your debut album, 22. Does the title have anything to do with your age? Why did you name it 22?
Kunmie: No, the album wasn’t named from my age, twenty-two. It was from 2022. At the time I kind of really delved into songwriting, and I delved into songwriting because I kind of wanted to figure out what would make my music special, what would make myself special. Because, I mean, we’re in an industry of, like, a million artists every day. So I needed to figure out what was going to make my music special. And I already had the knowledge, in 2022, that I needed to figure out what would make my music special. So, I kind of had a eureka moment. It turned into that, okay, if I made music that hits, music that had an emotional high, it would be easier for me to stick than if I just made surface-level music. And so that was why I needed to make a full body of work. That sort of explains the vision that I had.
Were these songs that you had been keeping in your back pocket before “Arike,” or did much of the album come from everything that happened after that song changed your life?
Kunmie: I feel like in 2023, and I wrote it as a songwriter, you know, at the time, like I said, I was writing a lot for people, so I wrote it with the idea that, okay, I was going to sell it to another artist. And, and the songs that I made at that time, up to 2025, I sold almost all of them. So every song on the album, these are songs that I wrote freshly last year or early this year.
You left home at 16 to pursue music, which is a huge decision to make at such a young age. What was going through your mind at that point?
Kunmie: Purpose. I felt like I figured it out … In 2019, I was invited by my friend, a friend that I had that was into music. We went to the same secondary school, but I think I switched schools, so I had not seen him or spoken to him for like three years. I hit him up, like, “Oh, I think I’ve been trying to write some things.” And he just invited me into the studio. And the first day that I made my first song, it was such a funny song, but, like, I felt like it served a purpose, you know, at last. Like, because I used to be a smart kid in school, but I knew that I wasn’t really doing it for myself. I was just doing it because it was nice to be smart and make my mom happy. You know what I’m saying? It wasn’t really that. I wasn’t enjoying it so much, just that I felt like I had a responsibility to always be smart. But with that one, I felt like a sense of purpose, that I could do this for the rest of my life. And, like, I don’t even need to do it for money. If the money comes, like, great, but it’s something that I’ll do for free, and I enjoy it so much. So, ever since then, it’s been music. I kind of just knew that if I started early, that it would be nicer to fail early. I knew that I would, I kind of gave myself, like, a five years, you know, grace, that, you know, just for the first five years, just do rubbish, I just keep trying, and you don’t have to have good odds. Yeah. So, and I knew that I had that privilege because I was young. You know, I don’t want to be, like, late twenties and start to say, you know, “I feel like I’m not giving it the exact love and passion and, you know, dedication that I gave it when I was young.” Yeah.
The album feels very personal, and you allow people into some very private parts of your life. Was there anything on this album that you initially resisted putting out because it felt too revealing?
Kunmie: Yes. The album, first off, is something that I listen to myself. I’m a fan of it, and I listen to it. And every time I listen to this particular one, I feel very, like, “Oh, why did I do it? Why did I do it?” Because, you know, the funny story of that particular track or interlude is that I had another person on the interlude. The first one was a conversation between me and that person. And he was speaking from a place of, “You’re such an amazing artist, you know. I think people need to know that you’re this, you’re that,” and he gave me so much confidence. And that was what was going to transpire before, but because of one or two things, I couldn’t clear that particular voice note. And, I then swapped it with “Unfiltered,” with Wizard Chan on the album. And that was two artists being very vulnerable. We were saying that, bro, we have big dreams, but we don’t know how the fuck we are going to get there. And it’s still, like, every time I listen to it, I feel such, you know, it’s like such a weird, like it was such a vulnerable call, and we were on the call for like one hour, and I chopped it up. But every time I keep listening to it, I feel very. Today I was coming back from the interview and it was about to play, and I told my manager to just [skip] it. I still don’t, I still don’t feel comfortable listening to it with people, but, on my own, I do go and listen to it sometimes. But it’s such, I always wonder why I did that. But yeah, for the fans.
You’ve been very open on this project about how you’re eagerly waiting for another hit like arike. Is this something you had in mind when making this album? Do you approach your creative process with the intention of making a hit? If not, what does your process look like?
Kunmie: So, I think, you know, music is such a very vast industry where very few people understand the business side. And, because of my knowing of some things, I kind of wanted some things just so. It’s like, first off, I always tell people that little to no money was spent on the song initially, before we started to shoot videos. But people think that, oh, there was such a crazy budget, you know, when we put out the song. We put out that song very casually. But yeah, I mean, I worked with great people, so they did their best to try it. But it wasn’t like there was so much money in the bank being spent on all that. So, I understood what the next phase was going to be, because I needed to, in a way, own some things before signing. So it felt like people expected us to push the next records as big as I could, but that just wasn’t what it was. … At the end of the day, I have to understand that it’s not in my power, and I don’t control these things. Do you get what I’m saying? What I can control is going to the studio and making the best song of my life, and keep on trying to make great music, and every other thing will align. And, yeah, it’s nice, I have that, because even before you start to peak, it’s just nice, man. Yeah.
Collaborating with household names in Afrobeats like Zlatan, Joeboy, and Phyno is incredible. What did it mean to you to have them be part of your album, and what did you learn from working with them?
Kunmie: First thing I’ll say is that it was seamless. Having all of the people that I had on the album, I even had my best friend on the album, Ghazi. It was seamless. These were people that I found to be fans of my work, and I also respect their artistry, you understand? So, one of the funny twists of the album is that the track wasn’t even the one I initially submitted. So, but because of clearance, I had to swap, swap, swap it. But I mean, at the end of the day, it was still having everybody that I had on the project. These are people that I have personal relationships with. So, we go to each other’s houses and play sports together. So it was just very seamless making music together.
Were you working with them before you became an artist, while you were a songwriter?
Kunmie: I think no, at the time, no, as a songwriter, no, if I’m correct. But what I would say is, when my music took off, these were people that showed appreciation for my music, and they would either see me at a show and be like, “Oh, I’m such a fan of your music,” or they would just text me on Instagram, be like, “Oh, I like your.” Yeah. So it was, everybody that made music on the album, people that we’ve met in real life, and it’s always love. Like, I can tell that this person really likes my music. Yeah.
Now that you’ve worked with some big names in the scene, who is still on your wishlist that you’d love to collaborate with?
Kunmie: I have to say, I’m a very selfish writer. Like, I never write songs and think, “let me keep space for one person.” I’m just already done with it. So, every song you’ve heard, there’s probably a second verse that I had to take off. The people that I would say are on my wish list, they aren’t people that are so much in the spotlight because those are the people that I listen to and that I enjoy their music. Artists like James Blake, like Tendai, Kamahl, … not familiar household names… But I’ll say in Afrobeats, there’s a time I was listening to a song, and I thought, “Oh, Ayra Starr would sound pretty nice on it.” But I don’t really, really listen to my songs and think, “Oh, I want to get this person on it.” Like, if we were friends, it would just be easier. Yeah, I don’t really think I have so much, like, people that I want to work with like that, to be fair, it just really happens very seamlessly. That’s the best way to me. It’s very easy. The session is a lot more, the session is a lot more fun. We’re not trying to figure out who’s the best artist here. We’re not trying to, you know, it’s just so relaxed. We’re cracking jokes. You can tell from the music that this has come from love, and it’s not, you know, with the label, for them to be in the studio to make music. You know? Yeah. So, yeah.
Do you have that one song on the album that you want people to really sit with and pay attention to?
Kunmie: I think, because of how I recorded it, there was a lot of experimentation that went into it. I’d say “Twenty Two,” the theme song of the album. “Twenty Two” is such a. But I would say the songwriting of the album is really, really great. “Prisoner” is really great. There’s a lot of wordplay there. I think there’s compression as well. I wouldn’t even say I want anybody to listen to one song of the album. I feel like, to understand the album, you have to hear the entire thing in the way that I arranged it. But I mean, I can’t control that. But if you asked me what was my preferred, what’s the preferable way that I would advise anybody to listen to the album, I’ll just say, listen to the album the way it is. Trust me, man, it’s a great body of work.
The first song on your album is 5 AM; what does 5 AM actually look like in your world?
Kunmie: 5 AM, I have not slept, I’m still up. I’m still up by five. Right now I’m trying as much, because there was so much stress that went into the album. Because I do everything, like, I want to mix, I want to produce, I want to write, I want to record. So the mixing took like two months, and it was, like, every minute, Jonathan. So, like, right now I know that I should be everywhere, but I’m trying as much to catch my breath. But, 5 AM, right now, I’m still up, except if I have, like, a morning flight, and if I do have a morning flight, I’ll probably sleep on the plane. So, yeah, I mean, trust me, man, at 5 AM I’m still up. Like, y’all won’t get it. I’m just joking. But, yeah, 5 AM, I’m still up. I think I sleep around, like, 5:30-ish. Yeah.
What is one thing that would surprise people to learn about you outside of music?
Kunmie: I think, I don’t think you can judge me by my music. I always like to say that I’m a different entity from what I put out. And that is because, yeah, that’s because I feel like music is some sort of higher calling, where it’s not just about myself, it’s bigger than myself. It’s bigger than the things that I feel, it’s bigger than the things that I say. And, I always see it as an opportunity to write about random stuff, because I feel like it would hit people that I would not expect, or that I might never have. What’s, how do I explain it? It’s like, if I haven’t lost anybody yet in my life, I haven’t lost my mother, my parents, nobody, but I have a song where I’m talking about losing somebody, and I see how my fans talk about it, like I know that it’s so personal to them. But the truth is, I didn’t write that from personal experience. I just put myself in the shoes of somebody that has lost somebody. So that’s why I say, and if you listen to this song, you’ll probably think that I’ve lost my entire lineage. So it’s like, and, like I said, it’s bigger than myself. I separate the art from the artist, and people think I’m sad, people think I’m depressed, people think that I’m a lover boy. You know, people have such impressions of myself, but I am genuinely the opposite of my music. Yeah.
What’s one thing about growing up in Lagos that you will carry with you forever?
Kunmie: I feel like people that can really answer these questions are people that have moved away from Lagos. Yeah, because everything that I carry is from Lagos. So, I think it’s the time, when I travel, I don’t really get to experience people like that. Like, I don’t travel for a vacation, I travel because I have a show there or something. But I would say that I just realized that Lagosians are very corny people. We lie our way out of everything, you understand? It’s like, hey, don’t, Lagos man, so it’s like we lie our way out of everything. So I think it’s the habits that, now that I’m in a much more comfortable space, like, I’m actively trying to see the truth. Like, regardless of how, I’m trying to say the truth every chance that I get, rather. So it’s like, yeah, I think being very corny is a Lagos thing, because when you travel out, you realize that people aren’t as corny. Yeah. But it’s like, you guys are very corny.
What does a perfect day look like for you when there’s no work and no obligations?
Kunmie: A perfect day for myself is to wake up early, like early, I’m saying 8 AM, 9 AM, great. And then go and have my morning devotion on the balcony for like thirty, forty-five minutes to an hour, without my phone. And then work out with, so I have a partner that I work out with. Yeah, and we work out together, work out, then have someone help me buy fruits, like a lot of fruits, then buy fruits. Then, sometimes, if it’s a perfect day, I have a chef come over and cook for me and my friends, then play FIFA, then read, read, then study vocal warmups, go see a friend. I don’t really like going out like that, to be fair. So, yeah, everything that I can do in the house, if I have the opportunity, I will do it. So, yeah, yeah. But that’s like a perfect day for myself, I guess. 10 PM, my manager will just call me and just say, “Oh, one thing, one thing,” just send me plenty money. Yeah, yeah. Great day.
On a perfect day, who or what would you be listening to?
Kunmie: Oh, I start the day with, what am I listening to? A lot of James Blake lately. Uh, let me check my Spotify to be sure. Uh, listening to Post Malone, listening to Tender. I don’t want to call any Nigerian artist. Yeah, there’s a guy called Jason Painter, great guy. I listen to a lot of Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar. Jim Legacy. Those are the people that I’ve been listening to lately.
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