AFRO-fusion artiste Jemiriye has released Olúróunbí, a new single with an accompanying music video inspired by a Yoruba folktale, exploring ambition, identity and the cost of pursuing success.
The song blends the artiste’s commanding vocals with Nigerian rhythms, indigenous Yoruba chants, live orchestral instrumentation and modern production. It was recorded and produced across Paris and the United States, while its accompanying video was filmed in Bali, Indonesia.
Rooted in Nigerian cultural heritage, the track asks a timeless question with sharp contemporary resonance: What would you sacrifice to become everything the world expects you to be?
Through the song, Jemiriye revisits the story of Olurounbi, a woman who longs for motherhood, prosperity and social status. In the folktale, she strikes a bargain with a sacred Iroko tree, promising her unborn child in exchange for her wishes. When the time comes to fulfill the promise, her anticipated prosperity gives way to anguish.

“Olúróunbí takes me back to those village nights under the stars,” says Jemiriye. “As a child, I was drawn to the chant and rhythm. Growing older, I began to understand the weight of the story. It speaks to something deeply human—the desire for a better life, the pressure to prove ourselves and the danger of pursuing success without asking what it might cost us.”
The artiste said she also sees parallels between the folktale and the pressures faced by women seeking to break professional and social barriers. “As a Black woman working to break barriers, I understand the pressure to over-promise, over-deliver and constantly prove your worth,” she said.

According to her, “Olúróunbí is a reminder to stop chasing emptiness, protect your peace and refuse to trade your humanity for a seat at a table that demands everything from you.”
Jemiriye noted that the refrain “oníkálukú jẹ́jẹ́ ewúrẹ́ (ewure, ewure), onikaluku jeje aguntan (aguntan bolojo); oluronbi jeje omo re (omo re apon bi epo), oluronbi o jo jo iroko jo jo,” draws on the cadence of Yoruba oral tradition, into a contemporary Afro-fusion soundscape, making the work both culturally specific and globally accessible.