I wrote a song for Beyoncé in 2019

Adekunle Gold, a talented Afrobeats singer and songwriter, shared a poignant story about writing a song for Beyoncé during one of his toughest times.

In 2019, shortly after losing his father, Adekunle was invited by Beyoncé’s team to contribute to her ‘Lion King: The Gift’ album.

Adekunle wrote ‘Simile’ in his studio in Lagos while grappling with grief. The song means “rest on me” or “lean on me” in Yoruba. He submitted ‘Simile’ to Beyoncé’s team but secretly hoped it wouldn’t be selected. ‘Simile’ remained unreleased until 2024 when Adekunle’s collaborator Michael replayed it. It’s now part of Adekunle’s latest album ‘Fuji’.

Adekunle hopes ‘Simile’ brings comfort to listeners dealing with grief or loss, emphasizing that “you don’t have to carry it alone”. He describes ‘Fuji’ as his “boldest project yet”, blending traditional Yoruba Fuji sounds with modern music production.

Adekunle said: ““At the time, I was too consumed by grief to even think about music. But one day I forced myself back into the studio. Out of that pain, I wrote Simile.

“For years the track remained unreleased until 2024, when my longtime collaborator Michael replayed it during a session. It reminded me that even in my deepest loss, I was not alone. I had God to lean on,”

“Grief isn’t just about losing a parent. It can be the loss of a person, a friendship, a dream, or even a version of yourself; whatever it is, you don’t have to carry it alone,”