Gyakie returns to London with the ease of someone unlocking a familiar door. Fresh off the release of After Midnight, her most immersive and personal body of work yet, the Ghanaian singer is stepping into a new creative “room,” as she calls it, and inviting listeners along for the journey. While in town, Gyakie reflects on the intimacy she craves as a performer and the collaborations that came together through pure feeling rather than strategy. From 6LACK to Headie One, Kojey Radical to Young Jonn, the album calls on voices that amplify her vision rather than overshadow it.
Ahead of her intimate show at the prestigious Jazz Cafe, where many icons from Jamiroquai to Amy Winehouse have all performed, Principle sat down with Gyakie to talk late-night recording rituals, long-awaited collaborations, early material, and how the reception from After Midnight has been what she hoped.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Eazy Visuals
FASHION
Ahmad Alek
HAIR
Vodka at W Artists
using Bumble and Bumble UK
MAKE-UP
Louise Hall using Fenty Beauty
Look KULAKOVSKY / Shoes Realm Shoes
Welcome back to the UK! I’ve read that London has always been a great place for you. How do you feel to be back here?
It always feels like home anytime I come to London. I’ve been able to build a good family here, so whenever I visit, I feel at home.
You’re days away from performing at Jazz Cafe, where you have played before. What’s it like knowing you’re about to return to such a prestigious venue?
One thing I love about Jazz Cafe is the intimacy. You’re not far from the audience, and you get to connect and speak to them. The ambience, everything about the space, just makes sense with my music and the kind of songs I sing. I love it when I can get close to someone while singing. Even if it’s a big crowd, I want the stage to be close to the audience so I can feel like they’re really with me in that moment.
Do you prefer intimate shows then? A lot of people find them quite scary.
It’s the opposite for me. The intimate shows feel more relaxing.
Jacket KULAKOVSKY / Necklace Retro Chic / Shoes Realm Shoes
The show is in promotion of your new album, After Midnight, which dropped at the end of the summer. How have you felt about the reception?
The people love it just as I hoped they would. I can genuinely see that everyone is spinning it from track one to track seventeen. I strongly believed people would go on that journey with me because the tracklist was designed so that, as you listen, it feels like you’re actually on a road with me. The arrangement helps the listener understand the message I’m trying to give. Starting from track one, not many will skip, because every track feels good and flows into the next. I truly believed the listeners would go from beginning to end.
The album was written and recorded late at night, hence the title. How does the stillness of those hours influence your songwriting?
The serenity and calmness of dawn really describe me as a person. In those moments, I’ve been able to be very creative because the world becomes so quiet and peaceful.
Do you see this album as a continuous story or a moment in time?
This album is the beginning of a new door I’ve opened in my life. I see my life as filled with many rooms I have to enter. Every new chapter feels like walking into a different room. This is the start of one of the many rooms I’m meant to step into—a new phase for Gyakie.
Look Insatiable / Shoes Realm Shoes / Earrings Retro Chic
Which song was the hardest to complete and why?
“y2k love” with Omar Sterling has that old-school R&B/hip-hop vibe. We really wanted it to sound vintage. I also sampled one of my dad’s songs, so we had to find the perfect spot where it would fit. Because of that, it took a couple of weeks to fully complete the record.
On the flip side, which song was the easiest to write?
That has to be “fire on the mountain.” I remember getting into the booth and freestyling the whole thing from start to finish. Then I just had to build a meaningful story behind the melodies. It was very easy to write.
The album features collaborations with artists from all walks of life, from Kojey Radical, 6LACK and Headie One to Young Jonn and Omar Sterling. How did you choose which voices you wanted to bring on this project?
I always have an imagination when I make a record. I can hear which artists would sound great on it. For all these collaborations, I had a feeling who would be the right fit. When I send the song or play it to them, they actually love it. It’s all a feeling, I trust it, and it usually leads to something beautiful.
6LACK features on “adore u,” which is one of my favourites.
6LACK is an artist I’ve been listening to for years. I love his music, it really speaks to me. I remember sending him a DM a few years ago, giving him his flowers and saying that someday, I’d love for us to be on a record together. And here we are.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Doechii. I became a fan of her music from a few of her early drops before the album came out. I love her aesthetic, her artistry. Even when it comes to fashion, we share some things in common. I really love her.
Jacket KULAKOVSKY / Top and Skirt Critter / Earrings Lagomist
When you reflect on your material from 2019/2020, how do you feel like you’ve evolved artistically or personally?
I’ve matured, completely, like a full 360. Looking at how I used to make music, how I used to write and create in general, I can see how much I’ve grown. Maturing as a human has influenced my music, and even my production has evolved. Everything that happens to me as a person reflects in my music.
Do you think your creative process has changed?
No, I still record music in the dark. I still record after midnight, since 2019. Maybe back then I was doing day recordings, but I realised I didn’t enjoy recording in the afternoon. I preferred those late-night sessions, and since then, that’s what I’ve stuck with. My creative process is still the same, I freestyle, build melodies, then write the lyrics, all around that time. I don’t know if it’s a rule for others, but for me, the moment I enter any studio, I want the lights dimmed before I start creating. I can still work without it, but I’m at my best when the space feels cozy.
Have you started to think about what’s next?
No, I haven’t even been in the studio since. It’s only been a month, and with 17 songs, I still have so much in store for each record. Right now, I don’t have new music in mind, but you never know. If I end up making a record that feels too good to keep to myself, it’ll come out.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
So many times. And when it happens, I don’t force myself to create. If there’s a deadline and I’m not inspired, I can get frustrated. It’s like trying to make your brain work when it’s not ready. So when I have a creative block, I wait until I’m ready, until the creativity comes naturally.
Look Dima Ayad / Shoes Realm Shoes / Earrings Lagomist
What are some of your main career goals?
I want to sell out big venues. I want to meet my fans all over the world. I’m just about to go on tour, and I’m really looking forward to performing all my amazing records with all the amazing people out there.
Where in the world haven’t you visited where you want to go next?
I really want to explore East Africa more. I’ve only been to Tanzania, but I want to visit a few other countries, Uganda and Kenya especially. I’m really looking forward to going there.
