Joeboy Talks UK Tour, Working with Olamidé and Chasing Inner Peace
Fresh off his third LP, Joeboy chops it up with The Culture Crypt about his UK tour, gaming and what's next…
Joeboy in 2025. Image via Press.
Viva la vida. This Spanish phrase has everyone dancing since Coldplay released their song of the same name in 2008. Now, across the waters to Nigeria, with his third studio album, Afrobeat sensation Joeboy is bringing it back to our vocabularies and showing his fans what it really means to viva la vida.
Blending Afrobeat, Afropop and silky R&B, Joeboy injects a vibrant spark into the contemporary African music scene. Since his breakthrough in 2017, he's enjoyed a meteoric rise, amassing over two billion streams and securing his spot as one of the most respected Afrobeats artists of the last decade.
His success is driven by hits like "Sip (Alcohol)," "Baby," and his notable feature on CKay's "Love Nwantiti" remix, although his talent extends well beyond these tracks. Signed to Warner Music Africa and founder of his own label Young Legend, the 28-year-old's journey from viral cover artist to global star is proof of his relentless drive and evolving sound.
The industry hasn't been far off in acknowledging his success. Along with winning Best Pop Artist at the 2021 Headies and earning several nominations at the MTV Africa Music Awards and All Africa Music Awards, his features on major streaming playlists and his never-ending quest to evolve, Joeboy has become a global star.
With his sights set on conquering Europe next after a packed UK run in Manchester, Birmingham, and London, he’s certainly livin' la vida loca. While on one of those UK stops, we caught up with the globe-trotting Nigerian star to talk all things music.
The Culture Crypt: How are you finding The Lavida Tour, and how would you rate performing in the UK?
Joeboy: "I'm definitely enjoying it because I love to travel. The fact that I get to experience different energies, meet new people, and experience different cultures is a great feeling that I can write about later. My favourite cities so far have been Perth, Amsterdam and, surprisingly, Kentucky—the energy was up there.
The UK is my second home since there's a huge Afrobeat scene. That connection is always there, and I always have fun at the shows because they're properly organised, and people show up and show love. The UK is always a vibe for me. Thankfully, I have a lot of friends here, so I don't get homesick as well."
Joeboy (left) and Olamidé (right). Image via Press.
How do you maintain your energy performing night after night?
"Touring back to back can kind of get you overstimulated. I try to have some alone time where I'm just chilling and doing absolutely nothing. And that's kind of difficult for me because I always feel like there's something for me to do. So I make a conscious effort to just chill after the show and make sure I get enough rest. I don't drink anymore, so that helps."
What does a rare non-busy day look like for you?
"I wake up in the morning, read a book, play video games—maybe I'd binge-watch a series or something. I just keep my phone away from me and lock in, get as much sleep as I can. Staying off social media really helps me too. When I'm not seeing so many things going on, it helps with the overstimulation."
What games have you been playing recently?
"I've been playing the new FIFA and I just finished Red Dead Redemption. I like to play one game at a time. I've pretty much played almost every video game that is nice—from Uncharted to Call of Duty to Mortal Kombat—and I'm really good at UFC too. I've not come across anybody that beat me in UFC. Not one person. Whoever wants a fight, come holler at me!"
Coming to Viva Lavida, how do you think your sound and artistry have evolved over the years leading up to this album?
"I've definitely gotten to a point where I'm experimenting a lot more, fusing sounds from different regions. A couple of songs from the Lavida album, like 'SMH' and 'Magdalene', really take influences from Middle Eastern culture.
There's an Arabian sound to it, and that's because I've gotten to travel a lot and connect to the cultures in that region. That has influenced my music to the point where I'm a bit more experimental with it—a bit more global with the sound. It's still Afrobeats, but now there are so many fusions in it, and I'm really having fun doing that. It just shows how dynamic music can be."
How do you feel about the project now that it's been out for a while?
"For me, when I'm creating music, I get to the point where I just can't wait to get it out. Once it's out in the world, I know that I've done my job. This is an album that I know, in years to come, people are still going to come back to and still find fire because I made sure it was something timeless. Big shout out to the producers and everybody that worked with me on that."
Your album leans into themes of self-discovery and inner peace. On "Osadebe", you say, 'Sometimes I feel like I'm supernatural, but I'm only human'. As someone who's experienced real success, how do you take care of your mental well-being?
"One of the ways I do that is by not worrying about things I can't control. If there's an issue or something we have to deal with, and it's something I can fix immediately, I fix it. If I don't have the power to fix it, I leave it. Another thing I do is give myself down time.
So if I'm in a phase where I'm not feeling too good, I give myself one hour to feel bad. After that, I tap out of it. I just go do something fun or whatnot. I think that really helps. I focus on the positive—there's always something to be grateful for. That's how I handle it for myself, and it works for me."
We have to talk about "Free of Charge' with the legend Olamidé. How did that collaboration come about?
"Big shout out to Baddo—been showing me so much love since 2019, and we've always been in touch. Talking, sometimes just hanging out, just chilling. This is just one of the records we've done together.
I was with him one day and he played me the beat for 'Free of Charge', saying we should do something on this because he knew I hadn’t done something with that kind of vibe—and we made a track people really rock with. He was incredibly supportive, from attending the video to helping with the promotion as well. It means a lot to get support from people who have been in the game for so long."
Is there anyone from the UK that you would really like to work with?
"Dave is somebody I'd definitely like to work with for sure. I just really like the way he has carried himself throughout the years. In his career, he’s managed to be himself 100%, and I really, really respect that—being himself, still being at the forefront, making his music, and retaining his fans. His 2021 album is one of my favourite albums ever. I still listen to it to this date."
“If I can’t fix it, I leave it. I give myself an hour to feel bad, then I move on. That’s how I protect my peace.”
How has it been running your record label, Young Legend, alongside working on your music?
"It's been hectic but it's been good also. It's definitely increased my discipline—there's a lot more to do now than just being an artist. I always have to be very observant of things going on and maintain that easy-flow structure, because there are so many people we're working with and so many decisions to be made. It's definitely helped me become a better person for sure.
Just being able to help artists grow from scratch and help them have motion, also advising people on making decisions that are right for them—it just gives me a sense of responsibility that I really appreciate."
From getting discovered by Mr Eazi in 2017 to sold-out world tours, what would you say to your younger self who was starting out?
"I'd tell him he made it. When you come up, there are so many things that might discourage you, and sometimes you just wonder if it’s ever going to happen. You just have to keep pushing and hoping that one day things make sense. They finally ended up making sense for me—and it's definitely been a beautiful journey. So I'll tell my younger self, 'Don't worry, you made it.'"
What's next for Joeboy?
"I'm always thinking about what's next, but I'm also trying my best to just stay in the present and enjoy the moment. Once I'm done with the tour, I'm going on a vacation—maybe for a week or two. I'm just going to zone out until I'm back to creating music from all the experiences that I've gathered. There'll be more amazing projects, more amazing collaborations, and I will also be delving into different forms of entertainment, not just music. There's a lot planned ahead, so I'm just excited for that."
Stream Viva Lavida below: