Building serious buzz worldwide over the years and with his latest single ‘The Life I Chose’, Nigerian phenomenon Adekunle Gold wrapped his headline UK tour last night with a sensational show at London’s iconic OVO Wembley Arena.
Kicking-off with dates at Forum Birmingham and Albert Hall in Manchester last week, last night’s show saw Adekunle Gold bring his one-of-a-kind stage performance to a heaving London crowd, with breathtaking live renditions of his massive hits from his five studio albums – including last year’s Tequila Ever After and his brand new single ‘The Life I Chose’ – and exciting special guests, including his wife and fellow Afropop superstar Simi, Nigerian sensation Bella Shmurda and buzzing UK acts NSG and JayO. Providing a memorable, multi-sensory extravaganza for thousands of adoring fans, Adekunle Gold wowed the stage with a series of high-fashion looks from British designers Jamie McFarland and British Vogue cover star Ahluwalia.
The UK tour follows his sold-out O2 Academy Brixton show at the end of 2022 in support of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album Catch Me If You Can and his recently concluded high-profile North American tour produced by Live Nation and Duke Concept, packing venues in major cities across the United States and Canada to bring Tequila Ever After to life nightly in front of sold out audiences.
Released last week, Adekunle Gold’s new single ‘The Life I Chose’ (out now via Def Jam Recordings), once again sees him reteaming with frequent collaborator and GRAMMY® Award-winning chart-shaking producer Kel-P [Angélique Kidjo, Wizkid, Davido] on the track. Off-kilter synths underscore an inventive soundscape, blurring lines between genre boundaries and borders with a blend of Afrobeats and Pop. Lyrically, he takes a victory lap, culminating on a confident chorus, “This is the life I chose.” Be on the lookout for a premiere of a cinematic music video to accompany the single.
Adekunle Gold continues to expand the scope of his signature sound. He recently dropped the heartfelt ‘Look What You Made Me Do (Acoustic)’ with his wife and fellow music superstar Simi, reeling in 111K Spotify streams and counting.
The original ‘Party No Dey Stop’ [with Zinoleesky] catapulted into the Top 10 of the Billboard Top Afrobeats Songs Chart and peaked at #3 on the Official UK Afrobeats Chart. Plus, it has generated over 41 million Spotify streams and 17 million YouTube views on the music video. Of course, it also graced his 2023 debut for Def Jam Recordings, Tequila Ever After.
Beyond piling up over 265 million worldwide streams, the album incited critical applause. In addition to plugs from The FADER, and more, Variety proclaimed, “Nigerian superstar Adekunle Gold is experiencing a renaissance of sorts,” and Rolling Stone described his sound as “smooth Afropop.” proclaimed, “Tequila Ever After is a love letter to the sounds of Africa that have recently taken the world by storm. It is also a showcase for Gold’s growth and experience.”Tequila Ever After includes the singles ‘Party No Dey Stop’, ‘Ogaranya’ and the tracks from his EP Tio Tequila that came out earlier this year. The 17-track album features production from frequent collaborator Kel-P and Labrinth as well as features from Nigerian singer Zinoleesky, Texas superstar Khalid, legends Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers in addition to Gold’s wife Simi.
It sets the stage for more to come from Adekunle Gold in 2024. Expect more music, shows, and surprises.
Stay tuned!