Rising Nigerian artist Kold AF has been highlighted as the Spotify EQUAL Africa program ambassador for April. This is following her selection as Spotify’s Fresh Finds artists in 2023. Spotify’s EQUAL program supports female artists in music, giving them a global platform through playlists, content hubs, and partnerships.
The year-round EQUAL program empowers female creators with a global platform for growth. The EQUAL hub connects listeners in over 180 markets with this pool of artists.
Kold AF recently released a 2-pack EP called “no PITY” alongside alternative soul artist Aema. She emphasises the importance of staying true to her artistic vision noting, “People often try to fit me into their preconceived moulds, guided by their prejudices. Yet, as a young woman navigating the labyrinth of the music industry, I refuse to be confined by such limitations. My focus remains unwaveringly fixed on staying true to my artistic vision.”
“Participating in the EQUAL program is a genuine honour, a testament to Spotify’s commitment to supporting female artists. It also serves as a gentle reminder to me to extend a helping hand to the aspiring women who will follow in my footsteps,“ Kold AF added.
In 2023 alone, Spotify hosted 15 EQUAL activations and over 14.8 million artist discoveries stemmed from EQUAL playlists, and EQUAL artists received 11,800 editorial playlist adds.
As a child, Kold AF dreamed of being a star, performing in front of millions of people but was riddled with fear for many years before 2019. However, that was the year she decided to act on her dreams and follow her heart.
Back then, before establishing her path and unique sound, she listened to whatever her parents were a fan of at the time. That included icons like Fela Kuti, Lagbaja, Plantashun Boiz, Psquare, Angelique Kidjo, Fally Ipupa, Awilo Longomba, and the stars that came after them like Asa, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Cynthia Morgan, etc.
Describing her style of music, Kold AF had this to say, “I would describe my sound as a Fusion. It’s electric and full of emotion. A fluid sound that will always infuse beautiful genres. My foundational genres are Dancehall, R&B and and Afropop but I’m as versatile as it gets and I’ll never be afraid to show it any chance I get. I speak on real and relatable topics and I’m probably the biggest fan of my own music. When you press play on anything I’m on, you can be sure one thing is constant, quality.”