Asake Is Blessed

December 15, 2025

Asake is blessed. The Nigerian superstar is on a trajectory like no other. Growing up in a house filled with the sounds of Ayinde Barrister, he always had an ear for good music. At university Asake studied Theater and Performing Arts. Soon, he began teaching classmates how to dance because they liked the way he moved.

It’s not hard to imagine a world in which Asake graced our TV and movie screens rather than our headphones. However, after his song started making waves in school, Asake realized music was his destiny. Having amassed a loving fanbase with his 2022 debut album, Mr Money. with the Vibe. Most recently, his 2024 album, Lungu Boy became the longest-running number one album in Nigerian history.

Photography Nate Guenther
Styling Dylan Andrews
Creative Direction Mitchell Connell
Videography Jimmy Regular
Interview Jard Lerebours
Production Kiara Brown
Grooming Rho
Photo Assistant Marcus Soriano
Styling Assistant Daviel Castañeda
Production Assistant Jessica Molina
Tailor Alvard Bazikyan

ASAKE wears FULL LOOK by ADIDAS.

In his free time, Asake prefers to listen to instrumentals and songs written in tongues he doesn’t speak. For Asake, the most important facet of a song is the feeling it evokes rather than the content. He infuses this philosophy into his own music which mirrors the joys, trials and tribulations of his life.

From London to Paris, New York and Accra, all over the world fans sing Asake’s Yoruba and Pidgin infused lyrics. Every session in the studio is a miracle. Every song is a sample of his life. Every moment is a new beginning. Moving from Lagos to LA, he notes that humans and the desires that drive them are the same everywhere.

Asake lives in the present, refusing to fear the future or dwell too much on the past. His only constant is a deep faith in God and deep appreciation for life. office sat down with Asake to talk about his upcoming joint EP with longtime collaborator Wizkid, the importance of dancing everyday and practicing gratitude for waking up in the morning.

How's your day going today?

Very good. I'm blessed.

So why did you start making music?

I didn’t want to do music at first. I found myself around a lot of things around music. My mom, she loves so much good music. My dad is deep into music. So unknowingly, I have it in me already.

That was not my priority when I was young, I wanted to be a dancer or a choreographer. But I think when I went to university in 2013, I ended up being around friends that do music too. Then you end up making a song. Then the whole school went crazy on the song.

Left: ASAKE wears SHIRT by DSQUARED2, PANTS by LOUIS VUITTON, GLASSES by PRADA, GLOVES by Y-3, BELT by STETSON, SHOES by DOLCE & GABBANA. Right: ASAKE wears SWEATER, VEST, PANTS and GLASSES by DOLCE & GABBANA, SHOES by MANOLO BLAHNIK.

You studied theater and performing arts at OAU, right? Do you feel like that background still influences the way you perform now?

No, I think the way I perform now is the way I've been. Because you need to understand, I didn't pick music first. I picked the foundation first which is acting, stage performances, doing monologue.

Who are your favorite actors and movies?

I don't think I have any. I just like any actors that are real characters.

I feel you on that. You've mentioned before that all your songs define the stage you're in. What stage are you in right now?

To be honest, the same way you are curious to know what stage I am is the same way I'm curious to know the stage I am in right now because I'm still in it. I can only define it when I'm outside of it.

ASAKE wears TOP and BEANIE by ADIDAS.

In terms of your music, do you feel like it's in conversation with Black music across the world and diaspora?

I always try as much as possible not to really talk about this because my music is my own life journey which is not attached to anything going on in the world way before me or after me. So I only know the things that revolve around me.

What things do you pull from in your life to make your music?

Everything I've been through and where I see myself in the future.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I don't know yet. It's not really clear to me.

Left: ASAKE wears SWEATER by WALES BONNER. Right: ASAKE wears CARDIGAN by DOLCE & GABBANA, PANTS by LOUIS VUITTON, GLOVES by Y-3, SHOES by MANOLO BLAHNIK.

Can you talk about the influence of Ayinde Barrister and Fuji music on your sound?

My dad loved real musicians, you mentioned one of them now, Ayinde Barrister. My mom loved the same sound too. So it's like if both of your parents liked Michael Jackson, there's no way if you live with them, you won't end up liking Michael Jackson. Back home, we don't really have too much power in the house to be able to play any kind of sound you want to listen to.

When you got older and had more control, what did you start listening to?

I listen to songs that I don't know what they’re saying, but I can feel it in my heart. When you feel good music, you feel it in your chest. I listen to so much good music and I listen to beats most of the time, just instrumentals alone.

How do you put that feeling in your music? What is your creative process?

I think for me, it's more real life. I can't explain it to you because if I tell you how my last session was, my next session is going to be different. I have to wait to be inspired before I go to record. All my studio sessions always end up being a moment I can’t ever forget. I don’t think I have one way of making music.

ASAKE wears BLAZER and PANTS by LOUIS VUITTON, GLASSES by PRADA, GLOVES by Y-3, SHOES by DOLCE & GABBANA.

Do you feel like your process has changed now that you're in LA? How's your life changed since moving to LA?

To be honest, it's still the same thing. Humans are the same. People are trying to make it in Nigeria. People are trying to make it in America. People are rich in Nigeria. People are rich in America. People buy new houses everyday in Nigeria. People buy new houses in America everyday.

There are so many talents in LA, there are so many talents in Nigeria. I think it's the same thing, there’s nothing different for me. The only thing I can say is I just get to meet new people and have more exposure like from what I've been used to.

Being in LA and navigating fame and success, how do you keep in touch with yourself?

I spend most of my time with myself.

Humans are the same. People are trying to make it in Nigeria. People are trying to make it in America.

ASAKE wears SHIRT by ZEGNA, PANTS by PAUL SMITH, HAT by ADIDAS x EDISON CHEN, TIE by AMIRI, BELT by STETSON, SHOES by MANOLO BLAHNIK.

How did the EP with Wizkid come to happen?

The first time we linked up, I think we were just having conversations like real life talk. We get to a point whereby I think he seen we have so much things that align us. And he asked me, it would be good for us to have a project together. That was the beginning of it.

What were your favorite moments when you were making the project together?

Every moment counts for something. I genuinely love Wizkid himself. Credit to Wiz. When I was coming up, I was part of the people that listened and see how great Wiz is. I respect what God has done for him and what he has done, what he has used him to do for us back home. So every moment with Wiz is just a good moment for me.

What are things that you want people to take away from the EP?

I don't live in the future, so anything people see they can take away from it. I'm okay with it. Anywhere the EP gets to is where it's supposed to be.

If you were to reimagine the EP as a movie, what would the plot be?

I think it's going to be real, just real people in one room. Genuine people, heart-to-heart conversation every time. People who never change who they are or change their character. They are just the same people. I can just say real. That's the only way. If you have to title it, I'll tell you; ‘Real’.

ASAKE wears SHIRT, VEST, COAT, and TIE by LOUIS VUITTON, HAT by DSQUARED2, BELT by STETSON. PANTS are ASAKE’S OWN.

What’s your dream project?

See, I have this discipline. I don't live too much in the future and I don't live too much in the past. So I might not be able to answer that correct.

You stay present. It's like mindfulness.

Kind of.

You just did the Tiny Desk concert and you also did the symphony. What was that experience like?

So, as an artist I always have different perspectives of the show from what people see. Right in the moment when I'm performing, I'm just present. I don't know if you know about this, when an artist wear their in-ears, you can’t hear the audience scream. You can only hear the instrument. So all the time I'm on stage, I'm just so focused on the music and to entertain people. The only thing I'm in control of is to deliver a good performance to people. Seeing the outcome of the show and how everybody loved the show, I'm grateful. Those are the things I imagined it would take me so long to have, that are now coming together. I'll always be grateful to God for all the opportunities and waking up every day, seeing life growing every day. I'll always be grateful for that.

What are the things that you're grateful for right now?

Number one is waking up. Cause that's like the number one thing. If you don't wake up, then you have no dream again. I think that alone is a good reason to say I'm blessed today. Because I wake up, my leg is still working. My hand is still working. My brain is still working. Every part of me is still very active. I'm happy for where God put me. Why wouldn’t I be blessed?

ASAKE wears CARDIGAN by DOLCE & GABBANA, PANTS by LOUIS VUITTON, GLOVES by Y-3, SHOES by MANOLO BLAHNIK.

What role does spirituality play in your art?

I think if I'm going to weigh my life, I would say spirituality is 80 percent.

What would the other 20 percent be?

I think the other 20 would be life. Spirituality is in everything we make. Because a man who doesn't understand his purpose is an empty man. So I think you just have to understand what works for you and what keeps you moving. So to me, it's God and that's the highest spirituality.

What would you say your purpose is?

I think my purpose is my own life in general, which I can’t explain. If I'm about to explain my life to you, we might spend four days here.

Spirituality is in everything we make. Because a man who doesn't understand his purpose is an empty man.

ASAKE wears FULL LOOK by ADIDAS.

We talked about dance being your original focus. Do you still have time to dance outside of performing now?

Yes, I'm a human being. I dance. I dance everyday too. I even dance on stage everytime. I have a song called Fuji Vibe. If you don't dance on that song, there's no way you won't dance. I dance every time. I don't think dance can leave me because that's my first love. I will always be dancing. I will always be smiling.

What's your process like in figuring out dance and movement for your performances?

I don't remember why I wanted to be a choreographer then. When I was in school, because people like the way I move, they always call me to come teach people to dance. “Can you teach them how you move?”

I end up passing myself to people and I see how beautiful it looks. So I think maybe I should just become a choreographer but it didn't work. Music is the one that leads everything and I'm happy for it because it's something I really love.

What would your advice be for anyone coming up right now?

Just believe. As simple as that word is, we listen to it, we hear it every day but it's hard. Just believe in everything you're doing, anything you think about can come to life. If you believe in something always 100%, you’ll always get your reward. My second rule is be patient, you know? Just be patient with life.

Music

The New World of Girli: It's Just My Opinion

Girli and I are both in London, separated by a screen, in two rooms mere miles apart; how utterly 2020s of us. After frantically sorting a technical issue on my end, we get straight into chatting about the crazy energy of Washington Square Park and the unusual warmth of April in London.

A London-native, Girli (Milly Toomey), 28, is most recognisable for her charged lyrics about feminism, queer rights and politics. These are right at the forefront of her new album. “The world feels like it's going so tits up at the moment,” she tells me. As a queer woman herself, these themes are deeply personal; authenticity is essential to Girli’s rising appeal, even posing the question, “how authentic can I be?” One answer to this question lies in a new social media campaign for the album where she is sharing daily updates on live preorder sales, in the hope to reach the UK Top 40. Quick to reassure me she isn’t “the spokeswoman for capitalism”, this strategy aims to break down the parasocial relationship between her and her fans, echoing the music industry’s pre-TikTok style of promotion.

Social media is at the centre of our conversation. She tells me how being a singer in 2026 means you must face the frustration of also being an influencer and a businessperson. For someone so passionate about human connection, social media is an unavoidable beast. In despair, she even proclaims, “if I could have a flip phone, I totally would.” Yet, Girli remains optimistic about the state of music in the age of technology, referencing the unexpected streaming success of Charli XCX’s party 4 u as a moment where music benefited from technology. For her social media content, algorithms haven’t really worked.

“Some of my videos were getting filtered to this weird manosphere side of the internet,” she explains. The album’s title, It’s Just My Opinion, came from the ensuing online hate she received. She sees this phrase as something used defensively before saying something cutting, or to completely devalue someone else’s opinion.

Following 2019's Odd One Out and 2024's Matriarchy, Girli is refusing to censor herself. Being dropped from her first label between the two albums led her to want more control, creating what she calls “opinionated pop music.”

Recorded between LA and London, her new album was shaped while listening to Haim, Wet Leg and Wolf Alice. These inspirations led her to use more live instrumentation than before, most notably a live drummer. I ask Girli if releasing an album is as exciting as it seems. “It's actually like existential dread,” she tells me with a laugh. She explains it like pregnancy — a lot of excitement but a similar level of anxiety and anticipation. “I was constantly moving the goalposts for myself and not letting myself enjoy special moments in my career,” she reflected.

Girli’s next step is a US tour, starting June 11th. She tells me people ask her why she would tour the US given the current political situation, but she says it is important that “music and art carries on.” She also particularly enjoys touring the US due to the lively nature of the crowds. “On the last US tour, someone brought me their grandmother's ashes in an urn and asked me to sign them,” she reminisces. She also laughs when telling me about their cultural fascination with the UK. “When I go to America, people freak out because they're like, oh my god, you're British?” Aside from these funny anecdotes, Girli made it evident she wants to be a source of positive queer representation through her lyrics and activism. “People are still starved for representation,” she tells me, reflecting on her own experiences.

Through the challenges of social media, politics and artistry, It’s Just My Opinion sees Girli become her most authentic self. The album comes out May 8th.

Music

Emerging from her Cocoon: Daniela Lalita Returns

May 05, 2026

Peruvian singer-songwriter, Daniela Lalita, debuts a resounding reemergence with a powerful new release. “Tiroteo” (translation: gunfire), featuring Mura Masa, is an explosive hit with a symbolic choreo to match the expressive lyrics. The brooding and atmospheric track pulses with a hypnotic rhythm, casting a spell equally sensual as it is spiritual.

The black and white video, directed by Lalita herself, is more a cinematic journey than a music video. In this world, pain is sacred, welcoming rebirth and renewal. Lalita drew inspiration from the caterpillar - the way their bodies are liquified inside their cocoons, their tissue broken down to be resculpted as an entirely different insect - and this can be seen through her solo dancing. In place of a butterfly, Lalita more accurately resembles a praying mantis, ready to lead a revolution powered by suffrage. Tiroteo reflects on this reincarnation: the ritual of release and transformation.

“[It's] about finding empowerment by using the pain of loss and catastrophe as a dissolving element that allows oneself to die, regenerate, and be born again with the use of one's own ammunition.”

Lalita marks her comeback after 4 years with Tiroteo, following her debut album in 2022. The NYC-based self-producer has roots in experimental electronic/avant-pop. As an effortlessly cool it-girl with a brilliant ear for music, she is sure to continue making headlines with her conceptual storytelling and compelling world-building. Hear it for yourself.

Music

Miss Grit’s Album, “Under My Umbrella,” Is a Surrealist Web of Emotions

April 30, 2026

Miss Grit’s latest album, Under My Umbrella, is a near psychedelic trip into the cerebral. The Korean-American artist has always been interested in psychological excavation. She is an experimentalist, engaging with creative outlets for a variety of reasons, but all artistic roads lead back to one core concept for her: the battle between one’s persona and the mind that that persona stems from. The everlasting pursuit of understanding the self. The reckoning with all those complex facets that make up one’s interiority. Through her lyrics, techno-instrumentation, and even a number of symphonies, she creates a universe of soundscapes that transport us into a world where questions like this can become the focus.

This record, as she describes, is her “most vulnerable by a really big margin.” Ahead of the release of her sophomore album, we sat down with Miss Grit to talk about the uncanny, what it means to have grown up an orchestra kid, voyeurism, and more.

Words by Selena Aiyla
Photography by Hoseon Sohn

What first got you into the realm of Sci-Fi?

It got out of control over COVID. That’s when I really dove deep into it. But I think really early on, when I was in middle school or something, I became a really big Spike Jones fan. Seeing his movies, and then also some of his shorts that were kind of interesting and kind of weird— I just kind of got into it from there. Yeah, that's kind of my earliest, real obsession with it.

Yeah. It's interesting that you bring up COVID, because COVID was such a liminal space in its own right.

Yeah, definitely. I think I was just getting really in my head at that time. So I was like getting into these really heady, sci-fi animes or films and such.

With titles like “Tourist Mind,” “Mind Disaster,” and “Where Is My Head,” the album seems to be heavily focused on the cerebral. What about the human mind are you exploring?

I guess it's really just my own way of trying to figure myself out more and more. It seems like the most important thing probably, at least for me in my lifetime. To get to know myself better and kind of just figure out how it all works up there. A lot of what I jump to naturally in lyrics is about that, just because it tends to kind of consume my mind in a way that feels a bit self-absorbing at times. I think I can be pretty hard on myself and hard on my mind. And so I think just trying to make sense of it in a way through lyrics or music or whatever feels really important to me.

What I find really interesting about your work is that it's electronic music that isn't really trying to be party music at all, because I think that's kind of the trend right now. If anything, I think your music has a really somber tone. How did you land in that space?

Yeah, I think I'm just like a very melancholic person in general. I feel very comfortable engaging in topics that aren't super positive or happy. I'm not like a huge partier or anything. So I think that just kind of comes out naturally in my songwriting. But it's also the type of music that I listen to. I think one of my favorite artists right now is FKA Twigs, who, although she also makes really great party music, I think a lot of her music is very introspective and just engages with a lot of hard feelings. That's kind of the side of electronic music that I tend to relate to more, and the kind of thing that I want to engage with more.

I think I can be pretty hard on myself and hard on my mind.

What does it mean to have a “tourist mind”?

I think I wrote that at a time when I was just feeling very overloaded by social interactions. I tend to have a very active tourist mind. If I'm hanging out with people or being very social during a certain time period, or just kind of engaging with social media or pop culture a lot, I think it [becomes] really easy to lend your mind to the general consciousness of the culture. When I'm hanging out with friends or socializing a lot, I tend to try to explore their minds. More than mine. Or I maybe put their minds above my mind. And so by doing that, I think I tend to live in their worlds too much and kind of forget about what makes me me. It's kind of like forgetting.

Yeah, like a little bit of voyeurism.

Yeah, definitely. And I think that tends to really eat away at me sometimes. And I think that's kind of when I have these existential crises about who I am and stuff.

I noticed that your sound has some symphonic elements. That’s a really unique choice for an electronic alt-rock artist. What made you want to throw those sounds in there?

I grew up playing in orchestra, and I played the cello and everything. I think kids growing up [in music] are either pointed towards jazz music or classical music, and I think I was pointed towards the classical genre. And so, it's just something that is always with me. And I'm really into movie scores and everything. I went to school originally to get into film scoring but ended up switching over to music technology. So when I get to songwriting, it's often just maybe how I hear melodies in my head, or how I hear the songs coming together. It feels almost like more of a natural extension than my voice does sometimes.

What three words describe the feelings you poured into this album?

Misunderstood, tangled, and hurt.

How do you feel about remixes? Would you ever want to remix some of the songs on this record?

Yeah, I actually have always really been into the remix world. I've done a bunch for other artists, and then on my last record, I had a remix version. But this record, I kind of approached it how I approach remixes, where I try to kind of morph the energy into something that's more lively, energetic, and just something that would be fun in the live setting or over big speakers. So in a way, it kind of feels hard to imagine this record remixed. But I’m also intrigued about where that might take these kinds of songs. So yeah, I would love to hear that version.

I think it becomes really easy to lend your mind to the general consciousness of the culture.

Live performance. What do you love most about it?

I used to have a lot of anxiety over live performances, and I used to not really look forward to them. But I think with this record, I just really wanted to have music that I thought would feel really good singing live. It's kind of new to me, having this positive experience with playing live. I think the approach with this record— trying to be more vulnerable in my lyrics and following through more with my melodies and phrases— that kind of helped me emote more in the real-life setting, where I'm usually a bit restrained or timid. It kind of forces me out of that.

Rolling Stone said you explore uncanny sonic spaces. How would you describe your relationship to the uncanny?

I always think that that's kind of interesting because I think I have trouble perceiving myself in a neutral way. Kind of like how people have difficulty listening to their voices played back in recordings, or even just looking at yourself in the mirror, it can be hard to really envision how other people view you. So I think that's always interesting. And I think my relationship with [the uncanny] maybe feels non-existent because I'm not necessarily trying. I tend to approach things very timidly, and I usually want to have a frame of reference to follow. So I'll usually try to first copy people's work. And then from there, I feel comfortable enough, like I know the assignment, I know what the usual is, and then after that, I'll tend to have more freedom for myself to kind of set those rules aside and do whatever feels natural to me or just what feels good to me. So maybe that's kind of what helps it come out in a way.

Are there any other forms of art you engage with outside of music?

I do my visuals for my record too. I actually never really tried doing that before. So, that's a skill that I've been trying to hone in on. I was never a great artist or illustrator or anything. But the film world really intrigues me. I loved the music video world and everything. So I just became really interested in how artists kind of portray themselves through the lens and everything. That’s one medium that I really [want] to explore.

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