HOW PHOLAPREYE TURNED SETBACKS INTO STRENGTH ON NEW SINGLE “JOURNEY”
Lagos-born artist Pholapreye knows what it means to rebuild. In early 2024, a series of setbackslost songs, broken equipment, and a creative slump left her questioning her path.
But from that darkness came fire. “Journey,” her latest single, is both a survival story and a celebration of staying true to oneself.
The song opens with a quiet rebellion: “Anytime I put me first / Dem blame me.” Over soft, pulsing beats, Pholapreye confronts the judgment of those who wanted her to shrink. But the chorus transforms that tension into triumph. Comparing herself to wine and tide, she sings, “This journey is mine, a mantra of self-possession.
The Yoruba verses land like truth-telling: “Ki le fe so gan gan?” (“Why do they still ask for more?”) and “Mo ma de be” (“I’ll get there”) speak directly to the clash between tradition and ambition. This isn’t just music; it’s a lifeline thrown to anyone told they’re “too much.”
Produced in just two days with collaborator BigFoot, “Journey” feels lived-in and urgent. Its foundation—a neosoul, jazz-centric production mirrors Pholapreye’s emotional highs and lows. The outro, layered with humming and breathy ad-libs, slows time. “Nobody contests the things I’ve been through,” she murmurs, not with pride, but peace. The track’s simplicity is its power: no frills, just honesty.
For Pholapreye, this song is redemption. After losing nearly 200 unreleased songs to stolen hardware and technical failures, he nearly quit. But fan love for her earlier track “Blame” reignited his spark. “‘Journey’ is my comeback,” she says. “It’s about falling, healing, and finding the fire again.”
Today, she stands taller, proof that growth, however messy, is worth every scar.
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