Nigerian singer, Yemi Alade has opened up about losing her voice after receiving an invitation to feature on Beyoncé’s album.
Yemi recounted traveling to Los Angeles, United States, where she visited the studio a day before her scheduled recording session to meet the team.
According to the 67th Grammy Awards nominee, she returned to her room after the visit, slept, and woke up the next morning only to discover she had lost her voice completely.
In an interview with Larry Madowo on CNN African Voices, Yemi Alade revealed that upon waking up, all she could hear in her head was effort, but no words came out. She was forced to communicate using paper and pen.
The Mama Africa hitmaker admitted she almost gave up but decided to try her trusted voice routine—a mix of warm water, Vitamin C, ginger, teas, and staying warm. Fortunately, it worked like magic, allowing her to regain her voice enough to record two songs with Beyoncé for the album.
Reflecting on the experience, the 35-year-old jokingly remarked that her ‘village people’ might not have wanted her on the album, but she is deeply grateful to God for overcoming the challenge.
Yemi Alade contributed to “Don’t Jealous Me,” a track on Beyoncé’s soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift, where she collaborated with Mr. Eazi and Tekno. Rolling Stone magazine later disclosed that Alade had also recorded a verse for an earlier version of “My Power” in June.