In a year filled with highly acclaimed releases by women in Nigerian music, Qing Madi's voice is hard to ignore, distinguished by its youthful appeal.
Before her appearance on the Afrobeats scene, Qing Madi (real name Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma) had regular life plans like most young people: get a degree and then get a job. She had just moved from her hometown, Benin City to Lagos with her family. This move brought more opportunities in the form of songwriting gigs for artists such as Skales, Iyanya and Larry Gaga.
“One day, I was asked to back up Blaqbonez and I performed vocals. I met Ramoni's producer and he played me this beat that I thought was so beautiful,” he says Advertising sign via Zoom. “I asked to do a freestyle on the beat and I put it under the title 'See the End.'
Upload it to Tik Tok in 2022. “I used to post cover videos on TikTok and some of them would blow up,” says Madi, referring to her performances “Overload” by Crayon, Ayra Starr, LADIPOE, Magixx and Boy Spyce and Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran's “For my hand” as examples. “I never put out anything original because I wasn't bold enough and I didn't think people would like it.”
But as “See End” went viral, Madi says she is inundated with DMs from different local and international labels. “My mom was so shocked by what was happening just from this freestyle, but we finally decided that I would sign to Jton Music and Columbia/Bu Vision,” he says. “The next step was to release an EP of songs I had worked on.”
Released last November, the seven-track self-titled EP contains relatable reflections on great first loves, independence and a wide range of emotions experienced on the journey to a fully formed identity. In “Madi's Medley”, she affirms strength in difficult situations. “Why” explores what it's like to be your own person amid pressure to conform. Eight months later, Madi released its deluxe version with three new songs: “Vision” remix featuring Chloe Bailey, Kizz Daniel-assisted “YBIL (You Believe in Love)” and “Sins For U”.
Since then, Madi has performed in the US for the first time as part of the BNXN tour, gaining support from Afrobeats superstars Wizkid and Ayra Starr (with the former tapping her for background vocals on his track “Diamonds” last year) and earned a spot on Advertising sign's 2024 21 Under 21 list. However, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter admits she has moments when she can't believe it's all real. “Seeing the crowd shouting my songs at me affects me a lot,” he says. “I write real songs for the whole world to hear.”
Ching Mandy spoke to me Advertising sign about her mainstream success, the positives of self-delusion, and why she never feels pressured to fit in.
In some interviews you refer to your music as 'Afro-delulu'. How does this describe your sound?
Most of the things I sang about on the EP weren't part of my reality at the time. On “American Love,” I sang about traveling around the world when I had never crossed a border. I was looking into the future and then it started manifesting with all my current travels. I may be delusional but I like to talk a lot about the things I want and somehow they always happen. And “Afro-delulu” wasn't even a term I thought of, my fans created it for me and I liked it and went with it.
Your music touches on subjects like love and heartbreak in a remarkable way. How do you bring these ideas to life?
Besides delusions, I also write about things that happen to me or my friends. “See End” it came from a friendship breakup that hurt me, and no one really talks about them because they're supposed to not hurt as much as the heartache from romantic relationships. I'm not a confrontational person – so if I have a problem with someone, I'll probably make a song about it, because it's the easiest way for me to express myself.
This year, Afrobeats has been largely defined by women, each with their own distinct sound. What's it like to be part of a rising crop of artists who decide to prioritize their own vision and break from the norm?
It's beautiful. I am more proud of the audience than the industry because the crowd opens its ears to us. There have always been women with different sounds, but some never got a chance to be heard because the public would say, “This music is too slow, it's not what we want.” We all grow to a point where everyone has a genre that they really like, and since they're more accepting of other genres of music, we don't have to conform ourselves to a certain pattern. It also helps that Nigerian music is more global than ever, so I'm proud to be a part of it, being on the inside and watching the development up close.
There is some pressure on artists to have the perfect brand or present themselves in the most appealing way to the public. How do you put your perspective first?
When people think of a female artist, they usually imagine someone whose style and appearance is very “feminine.” I don't really try to fit into that ideology, because I'm not him. Sometimes people say things like, “You're a pretty girl! Why don't you dress like this more?' Or “If you change your style, you'll get a lot more [public approval].” But I try to stay true to myself and not be someone else. There are people who are more accepting of a different look and girls who just want to be comfortable. I try to use my image to speak for them.
Young artists today are also burdened with focusing on numbers, branding and engagement around their music. How do you manage these expectations?
I don't focus on what people expect from me, because there will always be criticism. My music is always from my heart, so if it doesn't feel genuine, it won't be released. When I took out “See Finish”, People were saying, “It's a miracle, he's not going to do it again.” And when “Ole” [featuring BNXN] got out, they said“You just got lucky with an important feature.”
If I listen to the negatives, it would boggle my mind, and if I rely on the positives, it would make me too comfortable and I would just stick to a certain sound and style. So I block everything and never read comments on anything. My focus remains only on creation.
As your music continues to attract audiences around the world, what is your outlook for the future?
There has been a lot of growth and I don't think about the limitations because of the rapid pace at which we are growing. Everything is falling into place and I am very optimistic. I only care about how my music is received, how it resonates with the public and how it contributes to the development of Nigerian music and women in general. I feel like my album will be in the works soon and it will represent how I feel and what I talk about.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/qing-madi-afrobeats-new-ep-1235749194/