{"id":95431,"date":"2024-08-08T12:05:39","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T16:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2024\/08\/08\/qing-madi-on-her-steady-rise-to-fame-and-charting-her-own-course\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T12:05:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T16:05:39","slug":"qing-madi-on-her-steady-rise-to-fame-and-charting-her-own-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2024\/08\/08\/qing-madi-on-her-steady-rise-to-fame-and-charting-her-own-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Qing Madi on Her Steady Rise to Fame and Charting Her Own\u00a0Course"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- no image --><\/p>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn a year brimming with highly acclaimed releases from women in Nigerian music, Qing Madi\u2019s voice is hard to ignore, set apart by its youthful resonance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tBefore her emergence on the Afrobeats scene, Qing Madi (real name Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma) had regular life plans like most young people: get a degree, then get a job. She had just moved from her birthplace of Benin City to Lagos with her family. This move brought on more opportunities in the form of songwriting gigs for artists such as Skales, Iyanya and Larry Gaaga.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cOne day, I was asked to do backup for Blaqbonez and showed up for the vocals. I met his producer Ramoni, and he played me this beat that I thought was so beautiful,\u201d she tells <em>Billboard <\/em>via Zoom. \u201cI asked to do a freestyle to the beat and titled it \u2018See Finish.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tShe uploaded it onto <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@qingmadi1\/video\/7146525156574432517?lang=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TikTok<\/a> in 2022. \u201cI used to post cover videos on TikTok and some of them would blow up,\u201d Madi says, citing her renditions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@qingmadi1\/video\/7124606183700253957?lang=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cOverloading (OVERDOSE)\u201d<\/a> by Crayon, Ayra Starr, LADIPOE, Magixx and Boy Spyce and Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@qingmadi1\/video\/7129439241305672966?lang=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cFor My Hand\u201d<\/a> as examples. \u201cI never put out anything original because I wasn\u2019t bold enough and didn\u2019t think people would like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UGGL375aau8?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tBut as \u201cSee Finish\u201d<em> <\/em>went viral, Madi says she was swarmed by DMs from different local and international record labels. \u201cMy mom was so overwhelmed by what was happening from just this one freestyle, but we eventually decided that I would get signed to Jton Music and Columbia\/Bu Vision,\u201d she says. \u201cThe next step was to release an EP with songs I\u2019d worked on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tReleased last November, her seven-track self-titled EP carries relatable reflections on great first loves, independence and a wide range of emotions one experiences on the journey to a fully-formed identity. On \u201cMadi\u2019s Medley,\u201d she asserts strength in difficult situations. \u201cWhy\u201d explores what it\u2019s like to be your own person amid pressure to conform. Eight months later, Madi released its deluxe version featuring three new songs: the \u201cVision\u201d<em> <\/em>remix with Chloe Bailey, the Kizz Daniel-assisted \u201cYBIL (You Believe in Love)\u201d and \u201cSins For U\u201d<em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSince then, Madi has performed in the U.S. for the first time as part of BNXN\u2019s tour, gained co-signs from Afrobeats superstars <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3-Pi_skge4s\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wizkid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ayrastarr\/status\/1759905492812411383\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ayra Starr<\/a> (with the former tapping her for background vocals on his \u201cDiamonds\u201d track last year) and earned a spot on <em>Billboard\u2019<\/em>s 2024<em> <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/lists\/billboard-21-under-21-list-2024\/angela-aguilar-7\/\">21 Under 21<\/a> List. Still, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter admits she has moments where she can\u2019t believe it\u2019s all real. \u201cSeeing the crowd screaming my songs back to me affects me in a big way,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m really writing songs for the whole world to listen to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tQing Madi spoke with <em>Billboard<\/em> about her mainstream success, the upsides of delusion and why she never feels the pressure to fit in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>In some interviews you refer to your music as \u201cAfro-delulu.\u201d How does this describe your sound?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tMost of the stuff that I sang about on the EP was not part of my reality at the time. In \u201cAmerican Love,\u201d I sang about traveling around the world, when I\u2019d never even crossed the border. I was looking to the future and then it just started manifesting with all my current travels. I can be delusional, but I like to talk a lot about the things that I want, and somehow they always come to be. And \u201cAfro-delulu\u201d wasn\u2019t even a term I came up with, my fans created that for me and I liked it and went with it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>Your music touches on themes like love and heartbreak in a relatable way. How do you bring these ideas to life?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tBesides being delusional, I also write about things that happen to me or my friends. \u201cSee Finish\u201d<em> <\/em>came from a friendship breakup that hurt me, and no one really talks about those, because they\u2019re not supposed to hurt as much as heartbreak from romantic relationships. I\u2019m not a confrontational person \u2013 so if I have an issue with someone, I\u2019ll probably make a song about it, because it\u2019s the easiest mode of expression for me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>This year, Afrobeats has been largely defined by women, each with their own distinct sound. What\u2019s it like to be part of a rising crop of artists who decide to prioritize their own vision and go outside of the norm?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIt\u2019s beautiful. I\u2019m more proud of the audience than I am of the industry because the crowd is opening their ears to us. There have always been women with different sounds, but some never got the opportunity to be heard because the audience would be like, \u201cThis music is too slow, this isn\u2019t what we want.\u201d We\u2019re all growing to the point where everyone has a genre that they truly enjoy, and since they\u2019re more accepting of other kinds of music, we don\u2019t have to subject ourselves to a particular pattern. It also helps that Nigerian music is more global than ever before, so I\u2019m proud to be part of it, being on the inside and getting to watch the growth up close.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>There\u2019s some pressure on artists to have the perfect brand or to present themselves in the most appealing way to the public. How do you put your own perspective first?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tWhen people think of a female artist, they usually picture someone whose style and appearance is very \u201cfeminine.\u201d I\u2019m not really trying to fit into that ideology, because that\u2019s not who I am. Sometimes people say things like, \u201cYou\u2019re a pretty girl! Why not dress more like this?\u201d Or \u201cIf you change your style, you\u2019re going to get a lot more [public approval].\u201d But I try to stay true to myself and not become somebody else. There are people who are more accepting of a different kind of look and girls who just want to be comfortable. I\u2019m trying to use my image to speak for them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2fp-NxXI_vM?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>Young artists today are also burdened with the focus on numbers, branding and engagement around their music. How do you handle these expectations?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tI don\u2019t focus on what people expect of me, because there\u2019s always going to be criticism. My\u00a0 music is always from my heart, so if it doesn\u2019t feel genuine to me, it won\u2019t be released. When I put out \u201cSee Finish,\u201d<em> <\/em>people were like, \u201cShe\u2019s a one-hit wonder, she\u2019s not going to do it again.\u201d And when \u201cOle\u201d [featuring BNXN]<em> <\/em>came out<em>, <\/em>they said<em>, \u201c<\/em>You just got lucky with a major feature.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIf I listen to the negatives, it would mess with my mind, and if I rely on the positives, it would make me too comfortable and I would only stick to a particular sound and style. So I block everything out and I never read comments on anything. My focus remains only on creating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<strong>As your music continues to attract audiences worldwide, what is your outlook for the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThere has been a lot of growth, and I don\u2019t think about limitations because of the fast pace at which we\u2019re growing. Everything is falling in place and I\u2019m just really hopeful. I only care about how my music is being received, how it resonates among the audience and how it contributes to the growth of Nigerian music and women in general. I feel like my album will be in the works soon, and it\u2019ll represent how I feel and what I speak for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/rb-hip-hop\/qing-madi-afrobeats-new-ep-1235749194\/\">Aller \u00e0 la source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a year brimming with highly acclaimed releases from women in Nigerian music, Qing Madi\u2019s voice is hard to ignore, set apart by its youthful resonance.\u00a0 Before her emergence on the Afrobeats scene, Qing Madi (real name Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma) had regular life plans like most young people: get a degree, then get a job. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musique","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95431\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}