Hot on the heels of her recent single, “My Ability,” twenty-six-year-old singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, Lady Donli, has just unveiled her next project, Pan African Rockstar, a scintillating twelve-track album. Showcasing newfound raw energy and boldness across a range of genres, including soul, afro-fusion, and jazz, the new album underlines the artist’s continuous knack for crafting infectious and meaningful soundscapes that resonate with culture and nuance.
From the melodic notes of the title track, “Pan African Rockstar”, and the sharp bars of “My Ability” to the jazz-leaning “Comme Ci Comme Ca,” Lady Donli is ready to take you on a complex sonic journey in this new project. In this interview, we sat down with the Nigerian artist to talk about the album, understand a bit more about her creative process, and discuss her next career steps.
Listen to Pan African Rockstar…
Read the full interview…
Hey! How are you doing?
I’m okay! I’ve been really tired lately, so I’m just trying to get some much-needed rest and family time.
When did you first discover your love and gift for music?
There was never really a start to my musical journey. Since I have known myself, I have loved music. I was singing before I could talk (according to my father), and the earliest time I was performing a song on stage, I was 3. I have always loved music, and I have always wanted to be a musician for as long as I can remember.
Who were your early musical influences?
Probably the music I had around me at the time. I absolutely loved Brenda Fassie. I also really loved Beyoncé (still do). When I was little, I wanted to be a rapper, so I was also heavily influenced by OutKast! Andre 3000 was my ultimate. As I grew older, my influences began to change a bit. I discovered Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu. I discovered more of Fela’s music as well as more music within the Nigerian framework.
Your sound is a beautiful combination of genres — how would you describe it?
I would describe it as a melting pot of my different experiences and identities. I move around a lot, and that has definitely influenced my soundscape. I’ve gone from being very hip-hop to being R&B to being very Afrobeat and Highlife. I think fundamentally I just want people to know that regardless of what I am making, the music is African. That is a key driving force behind my music.
We love Pan African Rockstar! When did you start working on this project?
Thank you! I’ve been working on this album since 2020. It’s just taken quite a bit of time to come out. I recorded the first song off it in February of 2020.
Can you tell us a bit about what inspired the album, thematically or sonically? What concepts do you discuss?
This album was really a firsthand experience of my fight with insecurities. I think an underlying theme of this album is really confidence. It’s about embracing who you are and learning to love yourself within all the madness of the world. I also really wanted to show my range when I was making this album; I think this is the most versatile that I’ve ever been on one body of work. Sonically, there’s a lot of guitars, and that is super deliberate. I did that because I wanted to have a regular sound all through and still capture the essence of a “rock” themed album. The entire album really just captures me building confidence. I am in a very different place than I was when I first started recording it.
Is there a song you’re most proud of?
I think “Comme ci comme ça,” mostly because it’s the first original composition that I have put out with my band “The Lagos Panic,” and it’s just such a simple and sweet record. It’s one of those songs that really reminds me of why I love music.
Has it always been important to you to work across all sectors of the creative process? How does working in this 360° way enhance the experience for you or the final product for your listeners?
I am very particular about how my identity is passed across to my listeners, so in that way, it has always been important for my vision to really shine through. I think of myself as a creative director as well as a marketer because those are aspects of the music that I am really interested in as well. No one can fully capture the vision I have like I would, but at the same time, I am learning to trust people a bit more with my vision.
Do you have a career highlight thus far?
So far, it was getting to work behind the scenes on the latest Black Panther soundtrack. I got to spend a lot of time with Ludwig Göransson, and as someone who is an aspiring film composer, that was really something special to me.
You truly inspire listeners to strive for a more just and equitable world. When it comes to the music industry specifically, where do you hope to see it evolve to?
I hope to see more women occupying spaces in exec roles, in production roles, in everything, really. The evolution will not be complete if women aren’t front and center.
What are you most looking forward to personally?
I am looking forward to my next album. I know that seems crazy because I just dropped one. But I am really excited to see what else I can do. I am also super excited to go back home to Nigeria and get to perform the album. After that, I hope to get to tour properly, now that COVID has calmed down.