INTERVIEW W/ LAHDE
Lahdé is an emerging R&B artist carving out a sound rooted in emotion, intention, and vulnerability. Blending soulful melodies with honest storytelling, her music reflects lived experiences and a commitment to growth—both as an artist and as a woman finding her voice. With a presence that feels intimate yet powerful, Lahdé represents the next wave of R&B artists who honor the genre’s foundation while pushing it forward.
Q: Who are you, and where are you from?
A: I’m an artist based in Toronto, and my culture is deeply Nigerian. I’m Nigerian-African, and I moved to Canada when I was three years old. That split upbringing shaped my sound long before I ever stepped into a studio. At home, Nigerian music was always playing — rhythm, melody, soul filling the house. Outside, at school and in the city, I was absorbing pop, R&B, soul, and a bit of Toronto’s trap influence. Growing up between those worlds taught me how to move fluidly between sounds, cultures, and emotions, and that balance still lives at the core of my music today.
Q: How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time — and what
emotions do you want people to feel?
A: I have a strong presence on records. When I come into a song, you feel it. My sound is very emotional — whatever I’m feeling in the booth translates directly into the music. If I’m singing soul, you’ll feel it in your chest. If it’s heartbreak, you’ll hear the ache. If it’s Afrobeat and I’m feeling confident or sensual, that energy comes through clearly. I think people can really receive what I’m feeling — almost like an energy exchange. Emotionally, I want listeners to feel exactly what the song is meant to carry. Afrobeat records should feel uplifting, motivating — something you can move to or work out to. Soul records should give people space to sit with feelings they might not always know how to say out loud. R&B should feel smooth, calm, intimate — something you can live inside.
Q: R&B lives in many forms today. What does R&B mean to you, and how does it show up in your music — even when you’re bending genres? And What personal experiences or moments in your life most influence your songwriting right now?
A: R&B is the foundation of everything I do. Rhythm is always at the core of my music, no matter the genre I’m exploring. I love playing with beats, layering melodies, and approaching rhythm in ways that might not be obvious at first listen. Even when I bend genres — whether it’s Afrobeat, hip-hop, or something more alternative — the way I stack harmonies, curate melodies, and move through the beat stays consistent. I’m a
true lover of songwriting and production. R&B shows up not just in the sound, but in the intention behind how the music is built.
Becoming a woman has shaped my writing deeply — friendships, heartbreak, love, growth, and self-discovery all live in my music. The studio is where I process everything. When I’m sad, angry, overwhelmed, or even extremely happy, the studio is where I go to make sense of it. My songs are a real-time soundtrack of my life. I don’t sing about anything I haven’t experienced or connected to in some way. That honesty is why the music feels so personal to me — and why I hope it feels real to listeners too.
Q: Does your music start with a feeling, a melody, a beat, or a real-life moment? How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist from your earlier work to now?
A: Most of the time, my music starts with a beat. That’s always the first spark for me. I might get a new beat pack from producers I trust, or already have a melody or hum in my head before I even get to the studio. I also write best when I’m in motion — in a car, on a plane, while traveling, or near water. There’s something about movement that helps my mind settle. When my environment is moving, my thoughts slow down enough for me to focus creatively. That balance is a huge part of how I write.
I’ve grown a lot — especially in understanding music as a craft. I’ve learned more about building songs properly, stacking vocals, mixing, and taking time with the process. I naturally move fast creatively. I’m the type of artist who wants to knock out three or four ideas in a single session because my mind is always racing ahead. While that’s great for creativity, it’s not always ideal for refinement or budgets. Learning patience has been a big part of my growth. Taking the time to get things right the first time matters to me now, and that shift has changed how I approach my work.
Q: In an industry driven by visibility, what keeps you grounded in purpose rather than chasing
trends?
A: Honestly, it’s just the love of music. I don’t make music to chase trends or go viral for the sake of it. If a song resonates and finds its audience naturally, that means everything to me — but it’s never the goal. My purpose is creating meaningful bodies of work. Whether a song gets ten streams or ten thousand, what matters is that I’ve expressed something real. Music, for me, is about release. Likes and numbers don’t define that.
Q: What song best represents who you are right now — and why?
A: “Breathing” That song represents a huge shift for me. I used to be deeply anxious about being perceived —
being on stage, being seen, putting myself out there. The journey through songwriting camps, performances, and creative spaces forced me to face that fear head-on. Breathing feels like catching my breath in the middle of chaos. It represents a point where I stopped letting anxiety, numbers, or opinions define my worth. I’m proud of it because it marks the moment I started standing fully in my truth — whether people resonate or not.
Q: When people walk away from your music or live performance, what do you want them to take
with them?
Q: What chapter are you stepping into creatively?
A: I’m stepping into collaboration. I intentionally released three bodies of work largely on my own
because I needed to understand who I was artistically first — especially living between cultures and musical homes.
Now, I’m excited to collaborate more, explore features, and expand my sound with other artists.
I also want to bring stronger visuals into my work — moving from music that’s just heard to
music that’s fully felt. I want my art to exist in more dimensions.
Finish the sentence
Music for me is…
RELEASE. I’m not here for clout or money — I’m here because I need a place to put my feelings. Music
gives me that space, and it always will. As long as I’m feeling, I’ll keep creating.
IG: @lahdeofficial
You make the world so much more beautiful. You are a star that has come to us to brighten our days with your beautiful voice