Beautiful, bubbly, easygoing, humble and fashionably eccentric is the first impression I have of Yemi Alade.

She does not just fill up a room, waltzes through it with good cheer and leaves it with a shiny brim. Such is her charm that oscillates between peak seriousness and the most genial affability that you will ever come across.

I speak to her after a creative masterclass session at the Novo Hotel in Westland, but still she spares time to have a chat about her journey through music and her upcoming album in July.

Growing up, Yemi considers her childhood as bittersweet; it was a myriad of mixed feelings, especially being raised by parents from different tribal affiliations.

“I come from a Yoruba and Igbo family, and usually it isn’t easy for these two to come together and form a family. But as a kid, I enjoyed that because I got to experience both cultures at the same time, and I saw both the good side and the bad side. Neither of the tribes wanted to fully claim me because I wasn’t fully either. In the olden days, these tribes used to be in conflict with each other. But these days, the times are kinder.”

One thing you notice about Yemi is that she does not fatigue easily, even when you expect her to be extremely tired - there always seems to be an extra ounce of energy about her. This, she says, comes from a spirit of gratitude because stardom for her is a gift prayed for which was answered.

Read: Yemi Alade gives a taste of 'Woman of Steel'

“It would be a lie to say that I envisioned this kind of life; the only definition I put to God was that I wanted to shine as bright as the sun. Did I think that I would be here right now, yes, but I am just experiencing this as I go, she says.

Church choir

Her journey into music started when she was still a child. She completed the whole ensemble: school choir, church choir and dancing group while growing up.

“However, it all became professional when I won a talent show in 2010, and my life changed since then. I realised that this hobby could actually become a means of livelihood. I had just gotten my BSC in Geography, and I thought I would try and make something out of it while doing music on the side, but winning the award changed all that.”

Getting into music wasn’t an easy job for the Nigerian superstar, especially being a student while chasing a musical career.