Joanny, a Nigerian-born and Melbourne-based Afropop star, is certainly enjoying the best of two worlds. The fast-rising artist has built a strong following, evidenced by his 21,614 monthly Spotify listeners and tens to hundreds of thousands of streams across his numerous releases to date. His success so far is in no small part due to the intercontinental appeal of his music which has earned him big wins all through Australia while also grabbing the attention of many in his home country. His is a story of a long journey that is finally beginning to bear fruits, and with his latest single, “No Nonsense,” already rapidly approaching 50,000 streams within the first two weeks of release, he will surely look back on his career with pride and gaze forward with hopes of bigger feats to come.
Music has always been close to Joachim Nnaemeka Emeodi’s heart since he was old enough to know what that art form was. His parents are partly responsible for that as they indirectly exacted an early influence on him by exposing him to their playlists of Reggae, Highlife, and Afrobeats tracks. His interest in music continued to build following active participation in groups and bands in Stella Maris Schools and St. Mary’s Seminary, both in Imo state, where he was born and bred. But the journey to becoming a professional musician didn’t start for Joanny till he crossed the Indian Ocean to find a new home in Melbourne, Australia. The main plan was to study Mechanical Engineering at the Melbourne Institute of Engineering. However, he found some spare time to pursue music, and he capitalized on that by learning to use digital audio workstations like Logic Pro to record music himself. Also, Joanny put together a nice home studio for himself, and then his journey truly began.
One major contributor to Joanny’s commercial growth so far is his persistence. Rather than make music for fame and money, he is spurred on by a genuine passion for the game. So even when his talent was going under the radar despite solid releases like “JeJe,” “No Emotions,” and his “Heaven Planned” EP, Joanny kept his eyes on the prize. Another reason why things are looking up for him now is the smart and strategic decision he took to visit Nigeria in 2021. During his time back here, he was able to spread the gospel of his music to the right audience. So, when his next EP, “People, Times & Emotions,” dropped in August of the same year, it was warmly received. MTV Africa, SoundCity, Hip TV, and many more television and radio stations broadcast his tracks on their platform, opening up the path to more followers.
Joanny might just be as loved in the land down under as he is in Nigeria. He landed the cover page of the Australian Entertainment magazine Audollaz in 2022. The year prior, he scored a guest appearance with Australian act Jalmar to record “Mi Carino,” a major hit that did hundreds of thousands of global streams. His music also regularly gets airplay on the platforms like MTV Australia and other stations in the region, so much so that he is a popular choice for a supporting act when international stars fly over to Australia for tours. Just as recently as the winter of 2022, he opened for Adekunle Gold as he toured five major cities. Joanny has also earned editorial features from top digital streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Audiomack, and Boomplay.
With all that’s going on for Joanny, it won’t be wrong to say he has what it takes to become an international star, perhaps even a superstar. His most recent single, “No Nonsense,” is yet another exhibition of his immense talents. The track was released via RAK Music and produced by CeeCee Beatz, and from the sound to the lyrics, the entire package is immediately catchy. It’s no wonder it’s off to a fast start commercially, and fans will definitely enjoy watching him perform this track live during his upcoming shows. While he doesn’t fit into your typical grass-to-grace story, it’s still inspiring to know that a young boy from Imo state is capturing hearts in Nigeria and Australia with his God-given gifts. With the backing of fans from these two continental giants, there’s no telling where Joanny’s music will go next.