Sometimes, the most beautiful things stem from the ugliest moments. Libianca will certainly testify to the existence of this mystery. When she entered the studio to record “People,” she was just desperate to vent after a night of feeling unseen and unloved by her friends. The alternative was to sit down and cry all night, but she chose to let the feelings out in a song instead. She searched through YouTube, found a beat posted by Mage the Producer, and let out all the emotions.
She released the People” on December 6 – supported by a parody video of A COLORS SHOW performance – and she has amassed a stunning 50 million plus streams in the mere 6 weeks that have passed since. Also, Libianca released the official video for the smash hit about 3 days ago, and it has garnered a million views already. More importantly, it has given her career the breakthrough moment that is often the start of many intriguing stories.
EARLY BEGINNINGS AND INFLUENCES
Speaking of intriguing stories, hers takes origin from both the West African nation of Cameroon and the Midwest region of the United States. She was born Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji to Cameroonian parents living in Minnesota but was quickly whisked back to the motherland at the age of four. At the age of 13, she returned to America, but the fact that she spent her formative years in Bamenda is evident in her music. She majors in the Afrosoul genre and has an accent that tilts considerably less toward her American nationality.
Like many others before her, Libianca fell in love with music at a young age. While that’s nothing new, what’s original is how she found that love. She recalls hearing her babysitter sing loudly every day with vibrancy and zest that made an impression on her five-year-old mind. She thought that was worthy of emulation and took it upon herself to sing every day. Inspired by Beyonce, Chris Brown, Keyshia Cole, and others, she started writing songs at 10. But it wasn’t until she returned to America that music started evolving from a hobby to a potential career path for her.
THE YEARS OF BECOMING
America is touted as the land of opportunities, and Libianca definitely found a few of those on her return. Following a decision to commit to music, she enrolled in several activities to develop her skill set. She joined choirs, took lessons from vocal coaches, and recorded covers and originals as often as possible. She found support from her parents and the Cameroonian community where she lived in the US, especially when she released her amateur EP.
The most significant part of her learning curve came when she got selected as one of the 48 contestants for The Voice Season 21. During her time as one of the finalists – however brief it was – she was afforded the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business. Libianca selected Blake Shelton, a curious choice considering he’s a country singer, but she must have undoubtedly learnt major lessons from the legend.
CHEERS TO THE FUTURE AND BEYOND
All things considered, the success of “People” feels like a culmination of all the years of training Libianca has invested in herself. Rather than spam the market with singles, she has bided her time. The music she has put out has been limited to covers, with Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” and Doja Cat’s “Woman” being prominent examples. She has also been very active on social media, where she has amassed a proper following. The evidence suggests that the strategy has paid off and will still earn her more returns in the future.
In addition to being an artist, Libianca has invested a chunk of her time into learning sound engineering. The importance of an artist being able to handle this part of the music-making process for themselves cannot be overstated. It smoothens the creation process, and Libianca has shown great foresight in mastering this skill. She is also a part of the West Side Creative Agency, a collection of all kinds of creatives. Hence, she is surrounded by the exact kind of support system she needs to blossom. Libianca has everything she could possibly need; all that’s left is for her to keep putting out the high-quality music she has in her arsenal.
