Nigerian Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold has revealed that he once wrote a song for American superstar Beyoncé—and it came during one of the toughest times of his life.
Speaking about the experience, Adekunle Gold explained that in 2019, shortly after losing his father, he was invited by Beyoncé’s team to contribute to her Lion King: The Gift album project.
“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,” he shared.
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Although he submitted the track, Adekunle admitted that he secretly hoped it wouldn’t be selected because of the emotions attached to it. The song eventually remained unreleased—until 2024, when his longtime collaborator Michael played it again during a studio session.
That moment, he said, reminded him that even in his lowest times, he was never truly alone: “I had God to lean on.”
Now, Simile has found a new home on Adekunle Gold’s latest album, “Fuji,” where he hopes it can bring comfort to others going through grief or loss.
“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,” he added.