After releasing her first single, ‘Rock My Borry’ in 2022, which became a radio sensation, Chantel Adaorah Chukwuemeka, popularly known as Adaorah, is set to create more hits this year. Her unique style of creatively fusing pop soul with Afro beats has set her up for an exciting and eventful career which she takes us through in this interview.
If you could introduce yourself to someone who doesn’t know anything about you, how would you do that?
Adaorah; Hi, I am Adaorah and I am an Afro-pop singer/songwriter and your new best friend because I like to feel like I am more relatable as an artiste. I like to travel and I love my music to be universal, so I mix a fusion of both American pop-soul and Afro beats.
What does music mean to you personally?
Adaorah; Music to me, is self-expression. It allows room for creativity, for me to speak, for you to be yourself, and I feel like a lot of times, because of how we grew up, we are always taught to do things right- colour within the line and follow this path that has been paved for you. I feel like music breaks from that and allows you to be free. You can make the craziest sound, and it’s the most popular thing. So that’s what music is to me – freedom and expression.
When did you discover that you could sing, and how long did you discover it officially?
Adaorah; I have been singing since I was little. When I was 12/13, I sang just for fun at a competition at an amusement park. When I did that, it was my first time on stage performing and it was so fun. People were cheering me on and I ended up winning the competition. That was when my mom saw the early signs, and she was like, ‘This girl has something’. Since then, I have been into music.
Have in your current career had any encounters that made you believe that this is the right track? Any experience that made you very certain that music is what you want to do?
Adaorah: I have had a lot of moments where I was like, ‘This is meant for me, I can’t do anything else’, and as an artiste you go through a lot of self-doubt sometimes because it is not easy. You could do this for 30 years and never get anywhere, and one day your sound goes viral. I think having my music – Rock my borry, which was my first single released last year, played in radio stations across the Nation, people were vibing; it was just a vibe. Then performing it live was the confirmation that this is for me. When I opened for Cavemen last year, that was the most electric performance I have ever had, and I was like, ‘I am really fucking good,’ and people love my performance so I know that I am really going at this. That was the extra cake I needed to forge ahead into this new year.
Do you have any projects that we can expect from you?
Adaorah; I do have a new single coming out in January next year. I am really excited about it. I got to collaborate with an old-school Afrobeats artiste, and we got to remark his track, and he has given his blessing on the track, so we are really excited. Following that, I am currently in the works to develop my first EP ever- my freshman EP and that’s going to be released by the beginning of Q2.
From this debut EP and the track we are expecting from you in January, what would you say your fans should expect from them? What version of Adaorah are we getting?
Adaorah; This EP is going to be an extension of me. I have been doing a lot of music that is very vibey, and very fluid, but this one is channelling my badass-ness because I feel like I could be a badass, but I come off like America’s sweetheart, so mixing the two together to give this energetic, fun but sexy vibe and I think that the EP is something the guys are gonna love and everyone is gonna have a good time.
In your career so far, do you have any pleasant highlights?
Adaorah; When I released my first single last year, Rock my borry, that was the biggest moment for me because, like I mentioned earlier, I have been doing music for a long time- I used to write for labels and stuff, but I never thought that I would be vulnerable enough to release my own stuff to the world. Rock my Borry was like my first introduction to who Adaorah is to the world. I was really hyped that moment, and because of that, it has launched me to where I am today, where I am at Lagos, I am doing performances, and openings for all these amazing artists that I have always looked up to. It also makes me very happy because AndreVibes produced my music, and he was the one that produced Calm Down. That is like a triumph for me.
Any vocalist/ songwriter that you look up to internationally and locally?
Adaorah; There are so many, and I can’t even list them all. I love Beyonce. She is an amazing artist and businesswoman, and that is what I aspire to be. Not only am I an artiste, I am a businesswoman, and I am smart in this industry. Michael Jackson, I know he is not here anymore, but he was a phenomenal artiste. When you go to their shows, you are going to get a show- energy and vibes. That’s what I try to do when I perform; I am not just standing there singing you a song, I am bringing you on a journey. For the culture, Flavour and I love Burna Boy. He is amazing. He has opened up the world to more than just the Afrobeats we used to hear back in the early 2000s. We have a fusion now and because of him, we have Asake, who is very amazing, I love Asake. Let’s not forget, Tiwa Savage. She is a baddie.
What is your 2 cents on signing a record deal or being independent as an artist and its impact on your growth generally?
Adaorah; Honestly, I think if this was 10 years ago, everyone’s dream would be to be signed to a record label because it just seems like this is the end goal, but I think as streaming has become really popular and we have more access to DSP’s, us as independent artists now almost have close to the same access as these labels have. Back in the day, labels were it, you could only get all these things if you were signed to a label, but now we can make our own tunes, and release our own music. We can creatively do what we want; we don’t have to fit this mode that labels put you in. I love being an independent artist because I feel I can explore and do well in those things, but I think the benefits of a label is the connection and the funding. My music is bomb, I have to be proud of my own music because it is fire, but I need the world to hear it so they also know that it is fire, and labels can help you get to that next step that I think, sometimes as independent artists, you get stuck. I always say that I would love to sign with a label but in a way where we get to work together versus they are the ones taking over everything and I am just saying ‘Yes ma’ ‘Yes Sir’.
If you could feature any artist on your debut EP that you feel blends with what you are trying to give out, who would it be?
Adaorah; This is a very difficult question. Honestly, I think Wizkid and I would make fire. I think our vibes are kinda close to the same. Also, I think Rema and I would make some hits in the studio, I am not gonna lie. The studio would blow up because of all the fire.
If you weren’t into music, what do you think you would have been doing?
Adaorah; Honestly, I think I would probably still be into music, but I would be into the development part of music, either A&R, working on set with the artist, tour managing, one of those logistical sides of music.
If you were to send a message to your 12-year-old self right now, what would it be?
Adaorah; It would be “Release that song right now and start that YouTube channel.”
