FAVE to many ears may be known for her hits, including “Kante” (with Davido), “Baby Riddim” and “Mr Man”, but when speaking to her, I was struck by the way she approaches conversation. Confident in her convictions yet endlessly curious, she rarely settled for the obvious or expected answer. Whether discussing love, faith, family, fame or creative freedom, every response unfolded into something more thoughtful and reflective than I expected, balanced with a wittiness that had us laughing for the majority of the interview.

With more than half a billion streams, two Headies Awards and a GRAMMY nomination to her name, FAVE has effortlessly become one of Nigeria’s most distinctive voices. Now she enters her next chapter with her latest EP, RnBling. The body of work is a six-track EP blending RnB, Afrobeats, dancehall and pop whilst moving through many facets of love and connection: intimacy, heartbreak and letting go – while refusing to linger in despair or remain confined to a single genre. RnBling remains joyful and sonically vibrant with the kind of irresistible rhythm that still makes you want to dance. To put it simply: we might cry, but we’re still going to party.

What began as a conversation about music quickly evolved into something much broader. It became clear that FAVE is comfortable holding opposing ideas at once: vulnerability and confidence, fame and normality and heartbreak and joy. FAVE talks with 1883 about the concepts behind RnBling, navigating fame, why she finds genre classification diminishing and her surprisingly relatable idea of a perfect day.

Hi FAVE, thank you for speaking with 1883 Magazine. How are you?

Hi, thank you. I’m fine. How are you?

I am well, thank you. Where are you calling in from?

Nigeria, I just landed like four hours ago, but I was sitting in traffic for like those four hours, basically, and I just got back into my house right now, like five minutes ago.

Really? Wow, you must be so tired.

Yeah, I mean, to be honest, my cortisol levels are usually high whenever I know I’m coming back to Nigeria. I’m not going to lie.

Do you know what? I completely understand that. I mean, it’s a different life over there, but I hope it’s not too stressful. Do you have like anything exciting planned whilst you’re there?

I mean, I’m back home, so I don’t really have anything exciting. And besides the project that is supposed to drop in a couple of hours, I’m pretty excited for that. So I wouldn’t really be able to; I can’t say that I’m going to get back into resting because there’s just so much that needs to be done, you know? Yeah, so I think I’m pretty excited for that.

Your last EP, Dutti Love, explored the messier and more unpleasant sides of love. On R&Bling, you move through intimacy, distance, fixation, heartbreak and letting go. Has your understanding of love changed between these two projects, or are they looking at it from a different angle now?

I think my perspective on love is, and I probably think would always be, the same because I think I can identify that love, unfortunately, has two sides to it. There’s always the bad and the good side. I don’t think there’s anything that can be all the way good. So, a lot of times in my projects and my songs, I address the multifaceted concept of love. But I think the difference in this project is it’s more or less, like you said, it borders on a lot of intimacy.

And I think for this project, I’m focusing more on a genre-blending type of thing, as opposed to the themes of the songs or the theme. So, I think my intent with this project is to show the different sides to, I would say, my talents or how I perceive music a lot of times. I know people usually say that they can feel a lot of soul in my songs, and that goes without saying, because I feel the same way. I think even if the genre of music is dancehall or Afrobeats, there’s still that element of R&B in it as well. So that’s why I decided to take away R&B, just to mesh those two worlds. You have the R&B side that’s like very soft and sultry. Then you have the bling side that is supposed to depict boldness and bravado, and just like the genres of music that give us more excitement and make us want to get up on our feet and move. It’s only more of a plus that a lot of the songs touch on love because that seems to be my favourite thing to write on, but in a less toxic way this time around.

Does it feel like you really like to write about because that’s the stage you are at in life now? Is it linked to a particular place or a person, or is it just the general idea of love that makes it so great to write about?

I think a lot of the times it’s out of my control because I think I could pretty much be distant from love at a point in my life and the topic love is so profound in my music because when it comes to how I write and how I form my storylines, it’s an inspiration that drops in me and a lot of the times an instrument or a beat would pretty much tell you what it wants to be about. You just have to figure out how you want to take it there.

I always say that I don’t know how exactly I form my stories, how stories come about in my head, because it’s easy for someone to be like, okay, this beat is making me feel all lovey-dovey, so let’s make it love-related. It’s something that I can’t explain with the direction that I choose to take it every time that I tell a story, so I can only say that my inspiration comes from God. I think he’s like the epitome of love. To me, it makes all the more sense why I am always drawn towards love as a theme, although some tracks do not speak of love at all.

I know there have been times when I’m really heartbroken and, I’m like if I ever say that I love someone again, you guys should stone me or something like that, and then I’m still able to go into the studio and write songs as if I’m deeply in love with somebody, so a lot of times when I do write the songs, I don’t have anybody in mind or in place like 90% of the time.

Do you think being a songwriter makes you better at love?

Oh, this is such a good question. Do I think it makes me better at love? Damn, I will say I don’t think so. I think the best way to enjoy love is to be blind to it and be ignorant, you know? But as a writer, I feel I almost have to see all sides to it.

I have to always make sense of every part and analyse all the sides to it because how can I write from different perspectives if I don’t take that into account or if I don’t acknowledge that it’s even there. I think that ignorance has already been stripped away, and it’s a little bit difficult to go into things blindly these days, especially when you feel like you’ve already been there, done that, and you don’t know if you’re willing to go back again. The truth of the matter is, love is toxic, like that’s just point-blank period, it’s toxic.

The grade of toxicity or the magnitude is now what matters, or how you choose to channel it because I feel like it’s toxic to say someone should love you unconditionally. I feel like that’s not fair; from an angle if you hurt someone and you still expect them to stay because they should love you unconditionally. It’s like a crazy thing to ask of someone, even though we are supposed to love unconditionally. But if you think about that aspect, it is toxic. The concept of this is toxic in itself. So going into it, you’re going into it with the mindset of, yeah, I know that I’m approaching something toxic and I’m willingly deciding to go into this toxic thing. Do I know how toxic it is going to be? Is it going to be the unhealthy form of toxic or the healthy kind? I don’t know, but I’m willing to go into it with my eyes closed.

I don’t think it makes me a better lover, honestly. I think I’m able to articulate more in my romantic relationships. I’m able to give words of affirmation; I’m really good at stuff like that. It’s easy for me to even deceive people, too, because I am very good at words, but I don’t think it makes me a better lover.

As you were talking, a part of me was also thinking, is love really actually toxic? And once you explained, I thought, do you know what? This makes perfect sense in my brain. Because the way the world works, and as you said, there is this notion that we should love unconditionally, but we kinda can’t, can we? Because if we do, it could get real bad for us women.

Yeah! But God literally tells us to love unconditionally. That’s what’s crazy about it.

But I think that’s only meant for Jesus. I don’t think it’s for us.

You know when he’s like, when someone slaps you on this cheek, turn your other cheek, that’s unconditional love.

I don’t know. I like my cheeks the way they are. I don’t think so, you know.

Honestly, the concept is crazy. It takes a lot, honestly, for you to decide that you know what, for this person, maybe if it’s not like too heavy a slap, you know, I mean, not a literal slap – but it’s like, okay, maybe I should turn the other cheek. You just keep giving and giving, and they keep taking. It could be good. It could also be bad. But there’s also the grace to identify the bad and identify when this isn’t worth fighting for. This isn’t a relationship you should stay in.

You’re Igbo, funny enough, so am I, and you’re also from Anambra State. When life gets busy, and you’ve been travelling and working constantly, what brings you back home to yourself? Is it a particular food, song, language, person or place?

What makes me feel very at home when I’m so far away is my family. They’re like the number one connector for that because I don’t really think home is a place as far as I’m concerned, especially because I’m 26 and I’m at a point in my life where I feel I should live in two different countries before I get to the age of 30. I can’t really think that a particular place is home. Wherever I have my family, if they’re not there, if I’m able to speak to them on the phone, they just bring me back to base. My parents never forget to remind me of where I come from. That phrase, remember where you are from type shit. I might be feeling lost, lonely. I might be feeling like an outcast in several countries that I go to. But whenever I speak to my family, sometimes my friends too, they bring me back to base. And I’m so grateful for them, to be honest, because sometimes it gets difficult when you’re travelling and you’re like a tourist in all these places.

That one thing I must say that I do love about the Nigerian culture. We’re very much rooted in our culture, in our family. And there’s a strong pillar of people reminding you of who you are, where you come from, what you’re doing, what you’re doing it for. However, it can come with its pressures. Have you ever felt that way?

You have to master the practise of keeping them at a length that is not unhealthy for you. Because at the end of the day, I try to always remind myself that I’m not living my life for my parents. I’m living my life for myself. And as much as there are beacons that I look up to, I always have them at the back of my mind. At the front of my mind, I can’t disappoint them. I think you have to keep them at a distance that is not so damaging. I think that’s just the bane of being an African child.

Especially when it’s an African parent who has lived their whole life in Africa. It takes a lot for you to try and explain to them that things are not how they used to be. Times are changing, and you need to change with the times. So a lot of times when you try to inform them, it’s like beating a dead horse or something. You have to figure out a way to be at peace with them at all times and also at peace with yourself. The only way for you to do that is to create a perfect balance. And I think that’s something that I’m still in the process of mastering, but I know that I’m somewhere way better than where I was a year ago. Because I think it’s just very difficult. But at the end of the day, I can’t lie. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think a lot of my stories, and who I am as a person, I owe it to my parents and my upbringing.

Thank you for your transparency in this interview. I know it’s not the easiest to discuss these kinds of topics, especially when it comes to family culture. I 100% agree and will say you are doing amazing. You are doing more than well enough. When I was told about this interview, I was like, shut up. If you ever have those moments where you’re like, oh, I don’t know. Remember this interview.

I will, honestly. I think you have made it so easy for me to talk!

Your songs were very intimate. But you’ve also spoken about protecting parts of yourself. Has there ever been a lyric you’ve written that’s made you think, I don’t know if I want people to know about this?

In one of the songs on the project, “Paparazzi”. I think that song, I really communicated my life. I think I tried to swerve people’s interpretation of what the song is by making it with such a heightened energy type beat. You’re in the club, you’re vibing. You’re not really paying so much attention to the lyrics.

I didn’t sing it when I was all sad or making it into this crazy deal where you feel sorry for me or whatever. But in the song, I was basically talking about how it’s difficult a lot of times to be yourself when it always feels like you’re living your life every day like you’re on set. It’s like when you go on a movie set, or you’re on a photoshoot set. And then they’re like, cut. You’re automatically supposed to stop acting now and be yourself. Go back to being normal. Imagine just always being on set. There’s never a time you’re hearing cut. You just have to keep acting. You have to keep being this person for the world because you know that there are always cameras around. It’s like you’re at the airport. You need to be very intentional about how you’re appearing all the time. Because you don’t know when someone’s going to flip their phone or their camera. Or maybe someone wants to talk to you, and you’re having a bad day. You can’t have a bad day. You have to always be on 100. I think being in the spotlight has definitely been something weird for me to navigate. Because when I decided to be an artist, when I decided to make music, I never considered the aspect of being popular. I don’t know how.

I think it was when I started getting noticed in public spaces, and I was like, oh, okay. This comes with doing your craft. I think what makes me happy is making music. So if I could do that without being popular, I would honestly take it. Because to me that’s what is most important. When you tweet, people take your tweet, and then they turn it into this whole fiasco because you’re popular. So obviously everything is online for public scrutiny. Meanwhile, you’re just a regular person with regular feelings, and you’re just trying to make a regular tweet.

I think just being in that space and being vulnerable enough to write it in that song, I think that’s an aspect that I don’t necessarily talk about too much. But I don’t think being popular is as enjoyable as people might make it seem.

How are you finding ways to manage that? To help you cut the scene, essentially? Have you found ways that make you feel more like yourself?

I think I’m still figuring it out. I’m at this weird point in my life where I’m famous, but at the same time, I’m not famous. It’s a weird headspace for me. For example, I was in Paris a few weeks ago around Fête de la Musique time, so people were having different block parties and stuff like that. And obviously, in a place like Lagos, I would need to walk around with a couple of people because it would be so easy to be asked questions or asked to take pictures. But in Paris, I was just walking on my own, and I didn’t feel the need to be that way.

I felt like, okay, yes, I’m an ordinary girl right now in this moment. But then I went to some parties, and then with my friends, we would all be introducing ourselves back and forth. Like, oh, hey, nice to meet you. My name is… I’m from… And then when I tried to introduce myself to people, it was a very awkward… Some people would laugh. They’d be like, girl, of course I know who you are. And I’m just like, okay, but I still want to introduce myself to you, though.

Imagine how rude it would be for me to just assume that you know me. Like, hey, don’t you know who I am? Or not introduce myself type shit. I feel like, yeah, I’m famous. But at the same time, I’m not. I can’t really get my head in that headspace of, okay, you’re a celebrity. That’s why I don’t like to call myself that or anything. I just think I’m famous in some parts. I prefer to be in the headspace of an ordinary girl. But it’s difficult because I can’t really do that. Can I? If not, I will get myself into weird situations trying to be regular.

That makes sense, but I think 2 worlds can be the same. But I would say you’re pretty famous.

You should say I’m not famous; that’s what I want to hear!

I mean, I feel like, girl, it’s a bit too late for that. You know what I’m saying? Just a little bit. You know what I mean? Just small. I’ve also noticed that your style can move from streetwear to upcycled pieces to much more glamorous looks. What makes an outfit feel like FAVE to you?

I think a lot of times it depends on what I’m feeling at the moment or what I’m into, but I will say that the number one rule of thumb that I try not to compromise on is my comfort. I love to be comfortable in whatever I put on. It doesn’t matter the amount of skin that is being shown, if I’m not comfortable in the outfit, then I don’t want to wear it because if you’re comfortable, then you’re confident, and then you can literally do anything.

But I would say in this era of R&Bling, I think the things that I want my outfits to consist of, that would identify with FAVE right now…. shine, bling – stuff that shines and glitters all over the galaxy.

I love the concept. So exciting. It just screams Nigeria to me, and it makes me love the music more. Music is always changing, but I appreciate that artists are still making music that is cohesive with the culture. It’s similar to what you were saying earlier about having a sad song that’s still upbeat. If one wants to do a ballad, go for it. However, we’re gonna party. We might be crying. We gonna party.

Yeaahh exactly! I’m going to steal that. That’s really what the project is about.

I have to ask about the nails because your beauty looks are always so detailed. How involved are you in creating the visual and beauty world around your music?

I would say I’m very involved because I think I’m like an all-around creative, so I would love all the time to be able to just figure out how we want to move for this song or I even think essentially I have to be involved because at the end of the day, the story behind the song, I think, I’m the best equipped to like explain what was in my head or be able to explain how best we can go about visually, telling the story now. I think I try as much as I can to, you know, like, let my ideas be known, and then now listen to people on my team so that we can combine ideas and go back and forth and bounce off each other’s minds. As creative as I am, I love to surround myself with creative people because it is so important to me! I think if, if, if I had a team and it wasn’t like creative minds, it was more like administrative. It would be sometimes difficult to explain what you’re trying to achieve because a lot of people, in that type of thinking, are very close-minded to a lot of things. It doesn’t even have to look good for it to make sense in the end. You have to be able to see the vision without it being right in front of you. Being able to communicate that to creative people is something that I love to do, and I think it also ties in with the creation of the music. Those are like activities that I love to be actively involved in, which actually makes me excited to talk about visuals, talk about what we’re wearing for this, what’s the photo, what’s the cover art going to look like? All those things make me giddy. The business side of music, I don’t like to talk about, but the creative side, I could do that like every day.

Would you ever like to be a director of a movie or a fashion show? You seem like you’re a very forward thinker.

I have this perception that creative direction is different from directing itself. I think those are 2 different things. When it comes to creative direction, I know for a fact that that is an area that I would completely kill and excel at. But the direction itself, I don’t know, it would be something that I would jump at. I would be excited to do it, but I know that I would have a lot of learning to do.

Creative direction has always been something that I’ve been doing for all my music videos.

Being an artist in Nigeria would make you be multi-faceted, I think, especially if you’re the kind of artist who wants to be involved in your process, because there are artists that I know that I do not want to know what the plan for their music video is going to be. They show up and trust these people to figure it out, and I know it’s going to be bomb. But for artists, I want to be fully involved in their creative process; you almost have to take up several roles if you want to ensure that it comes out how it is supposed to.

Because a lot of people are not willing to push the boundaries, they’re just willing to stay within what they know and what they are aware of and what they’ve done before, and it worked, you know? And people are scared to do something extra, do something different. So a lot of the time, I have to be 100% in it. I try to make them understand that when you see something great or revolutionary, it’s because that person did it first. It’s not because they decided to do something that has already been done. They did something new. Something that people now think, you know what? People have been doing it this way, and this is now a different way to do it. When you’re in the initiation room and trying to think of the idea, it might sound absurd and crazy, but you never really know until you do it. And like a rule of thumb for me is if it is crazy, you should probably do it. I do think that I have an eye and love just creating in general.

I saw your Instagram bio that asks, how can the music I make be diminished by genre classification? Why does being placed within a genre feel diminishing to you? And do you think the industry still struggles to let African artists exist outside of those boxes?

I would say yes to that question because I feel a lot of times when people hear African or Nigerian artists, they automatically assume Afrobeats. I think that that’s a problem that we have to figure out a way to break from those chains. Then why my Bio is what it is, is because I just think it’s diminishing. Usually, when I meet new people what’s your name, you’re an artist? And I’m like, yeah, the next question usually is, what kind of music do you make? And to me, that doesn’t really make much sense. It’s like, should I tell you all the genres of music that I do because I have one R&B song? Even the fact that they say Tems is an R&B artist. I can name a couple of Tem’s songs that are not R&B. So, you can’t meet her and ask What kind of music do you make? She’s not going to tell you R&B.

To me, the question doesn’t really make much sense. And when I answer, I’m like, all kinds of music. I might not have made a ballad before. I may not have made lo-fi music before, but I mean, who’s to say I’m not going to take that next week? But I’m not going to sit and list all the genres of music that I’ve done. I think you would have to like open your ears and be willing to receive whatever is coming out, and if what is coming out is a genre you’ve never heard before, then I guess we should just say it’s like FAVE genre. To me, it is like diminishing. I don’t want to say it’s insulting because it’s normal, you know? But it is diminishing because you’re trying to restrict or reduce my ability, and I don’t fuck with that.

When I saw your bio, I really admired it. Not many artists self-proclaim and basically say Get with the programme here, guys, in that way. And you should never box artists, except those specific artists who want to be boxed or have a particular niche; then it completely makes sense. But we come from a very talented nation where people shouldn’t stereotype the skill set that musicians and artists provide, period.

Exactly. If you’re going to ask your furniture maker now, oh, I’m a furniture maker. You’re not going to ask them what kind of furniture do you make? I make music, period.

Period. Listen to the radio. I don’t know. Sort it out.

When you’re not working, what does a genuinely perfect, completely uneventful day look like for you?

An eventful day! That would be me on my couch watching a show. Maybe Real Housewives of Atlanta or Love Island.

Oh, which Love Island, though? Love Island, UK or USA?

To be honest, I usually watch the 2 of them, but I’m more crazy for the US because it’s shorter, but I watch both. This year, I haven’t started the UK one for some reason. I guess I’ve just been in a hurry because I was travelling. I think I’m going to start like the UK one pretty soon. But yeah, to me, I just want to be indoors. I would not touch my phone at all. Perfect Wi-Fi, all the food that I want and inside my couch – inside my couch.

I love that you say inside. Do you mean like in the creases?

Yes! Very, very inside! I love that couch or bed is like… That’s when you lie on it, you really sink into it.

Oh, sounds amazing already. I’m jealous.

Do you watch Love Island? Are you a Love Island fan?

I do watch Love Island. I haven’t watched the UK one. I did watch the previous season of the USA one with Nick and Olandria. I was about one year late, but I watched it. But I haven’t finished it. Anyways, but I will start the UK one soon, though. I saw, do you know what actually made me want to watch the USA one with the Olandria and Nick? I thought to myself, this is a beautiful couple, and I thought, this handsome white man with this beautiful, melanated woman here. I thought, how the hell did this happen? So that’s what made me start to watch it.

And the funny thing is that you watch it, and then you don’t even see any romance between them.

I’ve stopped just when they are about to get serious. I’ve just been busy with life, but I will finish it.

Yeah, I get that haha

After RnBling is released, the numbers, reactions, and opinions begin arriving. What do you hope you personally feel when you listen back to it alone?

Well, honestly, usually whenever I release the project, I never listen to those songs again hahaah.

Really?

I have already rinsed those songs on my own before the release. I don’t even know how to answer this question. I just never. I eventually go back and start listening to my own release again, because now the songs on the project are no longer on release. They are not released to the whole world. You know? I never go back to listen to it again, except when I’m performing them, obviously. Let me just rephrase it this way and say what I would hope that people feel when they listen to the project is that they’re able to apply themselves to the songs. That they’re able to, like, have takeaways from each of the storylines, that they’re able to immerse themselves in the rhythm of the bling! So like that’s really what I hope people take from it, you know? I also hope people love the features on the project because it’s going to be my 1st time ever featuring an artist. This is like new territory for me. And I had to make sure that the 1st feature is someone that I love so much, and that’s Yemi Alade.

I’m really, really excited that I have her on the project for real. If people end up loving those songs more, even better for me because I like it when I collaborate with an artist, and he makes this song 10 times better than it was when it was just me on the track. I’m just excited to hear people’s opinions and hear what their favourite song on the project is, honestly.

No better way to celebrate than back home. I assume you may or may not have an album release party or have some type of party. I’m excited for you and hope you enjoy.

No, my party will be on Instagram Live.

When?

Tomorrow at midnight!

Okay, wonderful. I will be there! But that’s all my questions done. And I wish you all the very best. I can’t wait for the whole world to listen to the album. I hope you also have fun in Nigeria and rest well and live your best life. Enjoy the bling.

Hahaha, thank you so much, Nancy. You are the best, honestly. This has been such a great interview. Hopefully, we meet in real life.

I would absolutely love that. Take care, have a lovely day and love the music.

Love you to Nancy. Thank you. Bye.

RbBling is out now, follow via @faveszn

Interview Nancy Anekwe