My fulfilment comes from Music, not acting – Asher Yelo

One would imagine that the son of the acclaimed Nigerian-British actor, David Oyelowo, would dabble in the film arts, as he grew older. However, for the 20-year-old Asher Yelo, music is his own preferred route into the arts. 

“I just love telling, learning, and emoting stories. As much as I enjoy modelling and the prospect of acting, my true place of fulfilment comes from creating music,” he tells Weekend Beats. 

The singer whose recent song, Go Backwards, was featured in Oprah Winfrey’s TV series, Queen Sugar, says that he finds the diverse realities of life as his strongest muse. 

“I’d have to say that the chaotic and unexpected nature of life is my primary inspiration. Having such a diverse and multicultural background, alongside the many life experiences I’ve had—whether falling in love, experiencing loss, the beauty of community, and the darkness of isolation—inform the topics I touch on in music. They’re all things that play into the human experience. And so, I believe I’ve been positioned in a way to be able to face these matters head-on and articulate them in a way that is relatable to others.” 

The singer and record producer also teased his upcoming album dubbed Mister Misunderstood, noting that it offers a deeper introspection into the self, as well as a slice into his culture as an African. 

“This EP is a very visual and cinematic sound centered around pop, trap, and Afrobeat. The songs are all very personal stories about my experience with loneliness, isolation, sadness, and internal conflict emotionally and mentally, but the project concludes with a lot of hope and clarity on those experiences.”