Singer and songwriter Simi has released a song titled ‘Woman’, which challenges unfair female stereotypes and highlights the strength of women.
The song leans into the defiant ethos of Afrobeat to reclaim the narrative for women and turns Simi’s long-held socio-political beliefs on equality into a sonic thesis for women’s liberation.
Sampling Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s songs ‘Suffering and Smiling’ and ‘Lady’, the song examines how women are denigrated by men and even women themselves.
The song follows the #NobodyLikeWoman campaign which Simi kicked off on Instagram on October 8 with a black and white picture of her and her daughter with the words “How can she ask for that kind of money, is she not pregnant?”
#NobodyLikeWoman soon became a storytelling challenge for women to share some of the unique and harrowing stigmas they deal with.
With over 20,000 submissions, the challenge became an outlet for women across the world who opened up about some of their sad and eye-opening experiences.
Celebrities who took part in the challenge include Tonto Dikeh, Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Warri Pikin, Adesua Etomi, Osa Ighodaro, Annie Idibia, Jemima Osunde, Lala Akindoju, Khafi Kareem, Seyi Shay, Temi Otedola, Bukunmi Oluwasina, Mercy Eke and Nikki Laoye.
Writing in an Instagram post before the release of the song ‘Woman’, Simi said “I’m grateful for every Woman that is standing in the gap for all of us. Your vulnerability is courage. I hope that, going forward, we are mindful of the words we say and the seeds that we plant in the lives of people. I also hope that we learn to support and protect women that are not able to do so for themselves. Now we celebrate Women!”
The 33-year-old, who is married to fellow singer Adekunle Gold, released a song titled ‘Duduke’ to commemorate the birth of her daughter Adejare in 2020.
Her other popular songs include ‘Jamb Question’, ‘Smile for Me’, ‘Love Don’t Care’ and ‘Joromi’.
