Ebunyele Is Betting on Herself—And the Odds Look Good
By Sijibomi Anifowose.
Ebunyele is done waiting for permission. Two years ago, she was buried in corporate life, crunching numbers for a London construction firm, stuck between Oracle software and HR spreadsheets. Today, she’s in Lagos, mic in hand, turning life into lyrics, and, in a flex of full-circle irony, singing in Yoruba—the same language she once felt removed from. “I knew I had to move back,” she says. “I needed to feel the energy, work with producers here. It just made sense.”
That gamble is paying off. In little to no time, she’s snagged a win at Empire’s Play to Win competition, built her own studio, and is gearing up for a major release—one where she leans fully into her Nigerian roots. The road hasn’t been easy, but if there’s one thing Ebunyele isn’t doing, it’s playing small.
From London Choir Girl to Lagos Contender
Ebunyele has always been in orbit around music. As a kid, she soundtracked family vacations
with off-key Spice Girls covers. A stranger on a flight once told her parents she was destined for Hollywood. Choirs, dance performances, and school musicals followed.
Then life did what life does: university happened, a detour into a 9-to-5 job happened, and suddenly, music felt like a side quest. “I was working in construction—first as an analyst, then in HR, then doing competitor analysis,” she says. “It was fine, but it wasn’t.”
What was it? The pull of Afrobeats. A feeling that wouldn’t shake. “I knew I had to take this seriously,” she says. So she did. She quit the corporate track, booked studio time, and in 2022, released Underwater, a debut single that was a quiet but firm declaration: Ebunyele was here.
I Just Wanted to Stand Out
Fast-forward to 2024, and she no longer operated in the shadows. To Ebun, Winning Empire’s Play to Win wasn’t just a competition—it was a masterclass in how the industry actually works. “There were 133 contestants, and I remember thinking, ‘Okay, how do I make sure they don’t forget me?’” she recalls. Her answer? Dancers. Styling. A performance with the kind of intention that made judges sit up. “I wanted them to see me. To feel me,” she says. “It wasn’t just about winning. It was about making sure I left an impression.”
She didn’t just leave an impression—she won the whole thing.
“That experience was wild,” she says. “It also made me realize just how many talented artists there are. You think you’re special until you’re in a room with 100 people just as hungry as you. This industry? It’s not for the weak.”
The Art of Commanding a Stage
Ebunyele’s stage presence wasn’t built overnight. She trained in the background first, doing backup vocals for Tamia, CKay, and others. “I remember being so nervous,” she admits. “I wasn’t even the main act, but I was sweating.”
She learned fast. These days, pre-show jitters are just white noise. “I tell myself, ‘You’re here to entertain. That’s it. Entertain them.’” Rituals help, too. “Doing my makeup before a show calms me down,” she says. “It’s part of the process now.”
Her best performance so far? Zikoko’s HerTitude Festival. “The entire audience were women, and the energy was crazy. Someone gasped when I got on stage—‘Oh my God, you’re so pretty!’” she laughs. “I’ll never forget that.”
Her worst? She doesn’t have one. Even lukewarm crowds are learning experiences. “When you’re new, people won’t know your songs. You just have to give them a show anyway.”
Not Just Another Afrobeats Artist
What sets Ebunyele apart? A mix of instinct, hustle, and, well, sheer stubbornness. Her biggest influences are Beyoncé (for her work ethic) and Tiwa Savage (for proving a London-to-Lagos transition is possible). She’s obsessed with creativity and admires artists who push boundaries—hence her love for Lady Gaga. “You can’t just blend in,” she says. “You have to shake things up.”
That’s why her latest music ‘Faaji’ featuring the TikTok sensation ‘Barber Chair’ is taking a turn. More Yoruba, more Lagos grit, more authenticity. “I don’t just want to be ‘that girl from London who sings Afrobeats.’ I want my sound to belong here.”
She’s also dreaming big on collaborations—Tiwa Savage, Rema, Fireboy DML. And when it comes to producers? “Phantom, London, Pheelz,” she lists off. She actually met Pheelz once, in a story that sounds too random to be made up. “He gave out flowers to some girls at his show in London and said we should DM him for a date,” she laughs. “Me, now that I’m in music, I was like, Pheelz? I DM’d him o.”
The Bigger Picture
Ebunyele isn’t interested in one-hit-wonder status. She’s building something sustainable. Favorite albums? Beyoncé’s The Gift (“It literally changed my life”), Wizkid’s Superstar (“No skips”), and Kehlani’s Bobby Way (“Perfect EP”). She wants her own discography to have that kind of impact—deep, intentional, replay-worthy.
So where does she see herself in a few years? If all goes to plan, she’ll be on Rema-level flights—Lagos today, India tomorrow. “I just want to make good music and live,” she says. “And I want people to feel it.”
And if her track record is anything to go by, they will.
