Woman of Steel is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer Yemi Alade. It was released on August 30, 2019, through Effyzzie Music Group and Universal Music Africa. Described by Alade as a "buffet with different kinds of meals and drinks", the album represents a thematic and personal shift in her sound. Musically, it is an Afrobeats record that incorporates elements of R&B and highlife. Woman of Steel features collaborations with Rick Ross, Duncan Mighty, Angélique Kidjo and Funke Akindele. It was supported by the previously released singles "Home" and "Give Dem". Although critical reception to Woman of Steel was mixed, the album was considered to be Alade's best album yet.
Background and promotion
Woman of Steel primarily explores topics such as love, socio-politics and poverty. Yemi Alade spent three years recording the album and said it would be released on August 30, 2019. Musically, Woman of Steel is an Afrobeats record that incorporates elements of R&B and highlife. Alade describes the album as a "buffet with different kinds of meals and drinks". She named the album Woman of Steel to reflect her tough veneer to command the same degree of respect as her male counterparts. Moreover, she derived the title after coming to the realization that she is her own superhero. The album's cover art features Alade wearing a headcap inspired by the Nefertiti Bust artwork. Artists featured on Woman of Steel include Rick Ross, Duncan Mighty, Angélique Kidjo and Funke Akindele. In an interview with The Star newspaper, Alade said some of the songs that made the album were recorded the previous year while others were recorded in August.
Yemi Alade teamed up with Belaire Rosé to launch and promote the album in Lagos, Paris, London, New York and Nairobi. The Lagos edition of the launch party was held at the IMAX Theatre in Lagos; celebrities such as Denrele Edun, Dat Warri Girl, Illbliss and DJ Sose were all present at the event. The launch party in Kenya was held at the Blue Door Restaurant and Lounge in Westlands, Nairobi. Celebrities who attended the event include Chimano, Musyoka, Nadia Mukami, Naiboi, Patricia Kihoro and Victoria Kimani. Alade launched the album in Kenya because she considers Nairobi to be her second home. In October 2019, Alade submitted the album to The Recording Academy for consideration in the Best World Music Album category at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Composition
The album's opening track "Home" is reminiscent of church music; in it, Alade sings about her appreciation for her love interest. The mid-tempo track "Give Dem" contains Latin strings and an Afrobeats-infused percussion; the song takes a showy route. In "Vibe", Alade portrays herself as a sexually liberated woman; this is exemplified by lyrics like "I want a boy wey go love me scatter, wey nor go knock before e enter, wey go love me pass him sister, give me brain make I mental". In "Night and Day", Alade incorporates guitar melodies found in Soukous music.
The nostalgic track "Shekere" is a remake of Angélique Kidjo's "Wombo Lombo". The reggae track "CIA (Criminal in Agbada)" tackles political corruption. The romantic ballad "Remind You" contains lyrics recorded entirely in conventional English. In the Igbo highlife track "Yeba", Alade speaks about rejecting marriage proposals from two broke men. The Duncan Mighty-assisted track "Shake" has a dancehall feel and is reminiscent of Tekno's "Pana". In the R&B and Afrobeats-infused track "Lai Lai", Alade is acceptant of her love interest despite his humble account balance. In the pro-wealth track "Poverty", Alade denounces poverty and endorses wealth. She enlisted Kenyan singer Ivlyn Mutua to translate the song into Swahili. "Nobody" draws comparisons to Wizkid's "Sweet Love".
Singles
The album's lead single "Home" was released on August 21, 2019. Its production incorporates elements of fuji music and live instrumentation. Alade released a music video and a short film to support the song's release. The music video for "Home" was shot and directed by Alade's frequent collaborator Clarence Peters; in the video, Alade is seen dancing and wearing flashy African attires. The video features a folky narrative and follows Alade and her love interest's romantic relationship at the beach. The short film that accompanied the song's release was written and directed by Clarence Peters. The film depicts an emotional love story between Nneka (Alade) and Austine (Frankincense Eche-Ben). In the film, Nneka escapes an abusive grandmother and a mundane life in rural Nigeria in order to reunite with Austine.