Simisola Ogunleye, best known to Nigerian music lovers as Simi, has built a reputation over the years as one of Nigeria’s finest music artistes. Her vocals are captivating, her songwriting is brilliant, and she has also managed to steer clear of controversy.
She started out as a gospel singer, but she has since switched to secular music, excelling on multiple fronts and carving a niche for herself as a Grade A singer-songwriter.
Simi was born on April 19, 1988 at Ojuelegba, Lagos. She had her secondary school education at Stars International College, Lagos, and was a church choir member in her teenage years. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.
In 2008, she released Ogaju, a gospel-themed album produced by Samklef, which included tracks like Ara Ile and Iya Temi. In 2012 she released the singles Take A Chance and Chocolate Brown, and in 2013 she recorded a cover of Asa’s single Bibanke.
Simi finally began to attract mainstream attention in 2014 when she released the single Tiff, which was subsequently nominated for Best Alternative Song at the 2015 edition of The Headies. That same year, she released an EP called Restless, which comprised covers of songs like Rihanna’s Man Down and Adele’s Set Fire To The Rain. Shortly after, she was signed to X3M by entertainment mogul Steve Babaeko.
In 2015, she released two singles, Jamb Question (which featured Falz on a remix) and Open & Close. One year later, she worked with Falz on a collaborative EP named Chemistry, which included tracks like Soldier and Foreign. In 2016, she was nominated for Best Breakthrough Act at the MTV Africa Music Awards, and her song Love Don’t Care won the award for Best R&B single at The Headies.
In 2017, Simi dropped her debut pop album, Simisola, which included the hit singles Joromi and Smile For Me, and debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard World Albums Chart. At the 2018 edition of The Headies, Simi was nominated in seven categories and won the ‘Best R&B Single’ award, Best Recording of the Year and Album of The Year.
In 2019, Simi released her second pop album, Omo Charlie Champagne, Vol. 1, which included the singles Lovin and I Dun Care. Later that year, she departed from X3M and launched her independent record label called Studio Brat. In 2020, she released Duduke, which earned her the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ award at the 2021 edition of The Headies. That same year, she released the EP Restless II.
Simi’s creative prowess also extends to sound engineering and acting. She is credited with mixing Gold, the 2016 debut album of pop star Adekunle Gold, whom she married in 2019. She also starred in Mokalik, a 2019 comedy film directed by Kunle Afolayan.
Simi has won the Most Searched Female Musician and Most Popular Female Musician awards at the NET Honours Class of 2021, edging out other top female acts like Teni the Entertainer, Yemi Slade, Seyi Shay, Tiwa Savage, Waje and Nissi.
By Jerry Chiemeke