Kunmie reflects on finding music during loneliness, shares how viral hit “Arike” changed everything.
The rising star encourages fans to explore his lyrics and storytelling in debut project release.
Nigerian singer and songwriter Oluwabukunmi Ariyibi, popularly known as Kunmie, has opened up about how music became his escape during a difficult time in his life.
In a video shared on his X (Twitter) page, Kunmie explained that he found comfort in music when he was feeling lonely and emotionally overwhelmed.
His big break came unexpectedly when his song “Arike” went viral on TikTok. Despite having only around 200 followers at the time, the video quickly gained traction, pushed the track to number one, and earned him nationwide recognition.
Grateful for the attention his music has received, Kunmie encouraged new listeners to dive deeper into his songs by focusing on the lyrics and storytelling, especially in his debut project Before We Became Strangers.
“I found music in solitude. I found music at the worst time of my life, such a lonely time, and it was just, for me it was more of a means to escape. You know, the true story of ‘Arike’ gaining traction is, we were in the studio when, you know, we dropped the video on TikTok, and I think I had 200 followers at the time, and you know, I went back to recording, you know, came back, and I saw that video already had like a thousand videos.”
“It was so crazy. I called my mom first, and it was very, very, very special for me. I think it’s been a while that a song at that tempo, you know, with that feeling went number one in this country, and that for me is very special.”
Speaking to those who are just discovering his music, he said,
“For someone new to my music, what I would say you should expect or you should look out for is, I’d say pay attention to the metaphors, pay attention to the story writing. If you listen to Before We Became Strangers, my debut project, you see that from the first song to the last song, it tells one story. Organizing something for you guys very soon, and till I see you guys, God bless.”
