Alade, a leading female Afro Pop artist in Africa, is the latest musician to join the list of accomplished artists featured on the EQUAL Africa playlist.

The Spotify EQUAL Africa programme seeks to provide female artists with the support and resources to grow their craft and reach worldwide audiences through multiple playlists. The beneficiaries also receive off-platform guidance and tools to help take their music careers to even greater heights.

“It’s a great time to be alive, female artists have quadrupled in number compared to a decade ago. The only thing we ask now, in this male-dominated industry, is for equal opportunities.

Equal opportunities to be seen, for our talents to be showcased, because in the ‘universe of music’ there is no gender, only potential, creativity, and pure magic,” Alade says.

Alade is no stranger to the spotlight. With four albums, an EP and hit singles such as Johnny, Shekere, Africa, oh my gosh, and Bum Bum under her belt, she is part of the Afro Pop elite.

Her performances have lit up stages across Africa, Europe and the USA performing for among others, the British Royal Family, but this singer-songwriter is also a hit on the small screen.

Alade is the first African female Afro Pop star to hit over 100 million views on YouTube and VEVO with her smash hit single Johnny, which is now the most viewed video from an African female pop star ever.

Alade is also a multi-award winner, taking home the 2015 and 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards for best female artist and has been nominated for multiple BET and MOBO Awards. She is a featured artist on the track Don’t Jealous Me, which appears on Beyoncé’s compilation album “The Lion King: The Gift”, alongside Mr Eazi and Tekno, and guests on the lead single on Angelique Kidjo’s Grammy winning album, “Mother Nature”.

Outside of her music, Alade is an actress and a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador who operates her own charity, the James and Helen Pathway Foundation.

“Yemi is such a talented artist who has already carved out a solid place in the music industry. Spotify is looking forward to showcasing her talent to an even wider audience, and working with her to further map out her success,” says Spotify’s head of music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu.

Check out Yemi Alade’s track, Baddie, on the EQUAL Africa playlist.

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The EQUAL programme aims to strengthen gender equality in music by showcasing talented African women making waves in the industry and providing a platform to celebrate them.

Born into a musical family and currently signed to Diamond Platnumz’ WCB Wasafi record label, Zuhura Othman Soud (whose stage name is Zuchu) is the daughter of legendary Taarab musician Khadija Kopa, with whom she sang “Mauzauza.”

Zuchu first entered the music scene in 2015 through a karaoke-themed talent search competition in Lagos, Nigeria. Her hit song “Cheche” featuring Diamond Platnumz then propelled her into the limelight in 2020. The following year, she released a record-breaking track, “Sukari,” which has raked in more than  2 million Spotify listeners.

“In addition to exposing me to the musical power that can come from the female experience, women in song have also helped me realise that we can overcome the setbacks that are part-and-parcel of working in the male-dominated world of Afrobeats,” says Zuchu recalling all the female musicians who have inspired her on her journey.

“Being part of the EQUAL programme is a big thing for me and it helps encourage other female musicians to persevere and shatter systematic gender restrictions  in the realm of music,” she adds.

Zuchu’s single track “Mwambieni”, released earlier this year, is featured on both the EQUAL Africa and EQUAL Global playlists on Spotify.

“We are thrilled to have Zuchu join the EQUAL Programme. She is evidently one of the most talented artists from Tanzania, and this is a well-deserved accolade for her,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music in Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that Spotify is committed to spotlighting female artists in Africa with the hopes that this initiative ignites other young and upcoming female artists in the music industry to stay on course and keep doing what they do. 

Zuchu joins East African stars Muthoni Drummer Queen and Sylvia Ssaru in amplifying the voices of talented African women through EQUAL. 

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