DEBUT ALBUM WHEN IT BLOOMS SET TO RELEASE MAY 26 PRE-SAVE HERE
APRIL 27, 2023 – Globally acclaimed, Canada-based Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer Nonso Amadi shares the official music video for his latest single “Lock Up” ft. Zinoleesky out today via Def Jam Recordings/Polydor Records/MCA/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Released last month, the track appeared on major global playlists with cover placements, while picking up features in Audiomack Africa, The NATIVE Magazine and Boomplay with over 2.5 million global streams to date.
The music video, directed by Joe Penney, was shot in Lagos, Nigeria and features Nonso with fellow afrobeats sensation, Zinoleesky, taking to the streets and getting caught up in a precarious situation. The release of the music video today kicks off the one month countdown on Nonso’s debut album release, When It Blooms, out May 26.
“Lock Up” is shared as the fifth track released ahead of When It Blooms. Amadi skillfully teams up with globally recognized compatriot Zinoleesky to deliver this danceable, up-tempo collaboration. On the partnership, Amadi notes, “’Lock Up’ is an Afro-pop song I wrote sometime back in 2018. It is probably one of the most upbeat songs I’ve done. I bumped into Zinoleesky’s manager at a song camp in Benin Republic and had her listen to the track. Fast forward couple months later Zinoleesky drops his verse and video calls me dancing to it.” Amadi digs deeper into the meaning behind the song, “the actual theme of the song is way edgier than most of my other songs as well. Lock up in Nigerian slang translates to Shut up, so this is me acting strong telling a girl that I like her and willing to tell off anyone who might get in the way of a relationship.”
When It Blooms will arrive as the first comprehensive body of work for Amadi, celebrating years of evolution through experience both as an artist and an individual. In anticipation of the album release, Amadi alludes, “I want people to listen to this project and know who I am and what I’ve gone through. I want to make great songs that tell my story for you. When It Blooms embodies my creative and personal growth, reflecting on my journey up until this point. I feel this message is best represented in the growth from seeds to a flower, uncoiling naturally for you.” The album features four previously released singles including the song that served as the epic return after a hiatus, “Foreigner,” as well as the collaborative track “Different” ft. Majid Jordan, an alliance which has garnered over 17 million global streams, plus “Eye To Eye” which picked up praise from UPROXX, MTV, COMPLEX and the patriotic single “Ease Up.”
Earlier this year, Amadi released a remix with three-time historic JUNO Award winner Savannah Ré for her track “Closure.” Collaborations like this plus with Majid Jordan and Zinoleesky are essential not only to fueling Nonso’s creativity but are also instrumental in continuing to spread the Afrobeats genre globally. Expect many more dynamic collaborations announced with When It Blooms.
The announcement of a debut album builds off the momentum of a monumental 2022; between being featured as Spotify’s Radar Artist, making the top of the list for Audiomack Africa x The Beat’s “Alte Vibes” playlist, and surpassing over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The SOCAN Foundation announced Nonso Amadi as one of the winners of the SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards alongside Adria Kain, AHI, Desarae Dee and Zach Zoya. Amadi cemented himself in the vanguard of the next generation artists bringing Alte and Afro-R&B to the international stage.
Nonso Amadi capped off last year with the announcement that he had been selected to be a part of the ‘VEVO DSCVR Artists to Watch 2023’ list alongside emerging superstars poised to make an impact this year including Armani White, Ice Spice, GloRilla and many more. Amadi is the first domestically signed UMC artist to be selected for this prestigious program. Watch the VEVO DSCVR performance video for “Ease Up” here and “Foreigner” here.
Beginning his musical career while studying in Nigeria at Covenant University and then Swansea University in the UK. Nonso Amadi transformed into a sonic-globetrotter after his move to Canada – leading him to fuse the soul & rhythm of African music with modern soft textures of R&B. With an affinity for contemporary R&B, Nonso developed a desire to explore North America and Africa in equal parts – citing Toronto-native Drake’s genre-hopping capability as an inspiration for his own creative fluidity. Nonso’s music is powered by borderless infusions and intention. “I really loved Mary J Blige, Brandy, Wyclef Jean, Paul Play. I love R&B because it’s slow enough to allow you to feel,” he says of his early experiences with the artform.
Nonso’s refreshingly honest yet tranquil approach to music has allowed the likes of Juls, Santi, and Odunsi The Engine — the latter of whom he collaborated with on the War EP’ — to entrench his arrival across Nigeria and the continent at large across the late ‘10’s. With over 100,000+ million streams across platforms, Nonso Amadi refuses to be the typical straight A-student stereotype. Instead, he stands tall as a constantly evolving, textured lyricist able to translate Alte, Afro-fusion and hip-hop into his R&B-canvassed approach to storytelling, best represented on his last EP Free (2019), which features Afrobeat’s heavyweights Simi and Mr Eazi.
In 2019, Nonso made the conscious decision to step away from social media and paused the release of music — all to take a deeper dive into his artistry and separate from noise and distraction. Unaware of the global pandemic looming, Nonso’s time to cleanse and create was stretched into a longer hiatus. Currently recording his debut album, with the support of Universal Music Canada and an international team — the now 26-year-old, Nonso Amadi is determined to shed even more of his creative-skin. “I want listeners to hear this next project and know who I am and what I’ve gone through. I want to make great songs that tell my story”.
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