Two years after her big break, Kenyan singer-songwriter Njerae has firmly positioned herself within the African R&B scene. With emotive melodies and soulful storytelling, she opens up about the inspiration behind her latest project, Four Letter Word, her creative evolution, and the ambitions of collaborating across borders.

Since her big break two years ago, Njerae has quickly established herself in the African R&B scene, earning praise for her emotive lyricism and distinct style.

The Kenyan singer-songwriter and music producer, born Njeri Njeri, creates music that largely reflects a mix of Soul, R&B, and Pop. Her most popular record to date Aki Sioni, sung entirely in her mother tongue Swahili, has been streamed nearly three million times on Spotify. Another notable release, OTD, blends her love-themed groove with subtle reggaeton rhythms. Her recent EP, Four Letter Word, further cements her presence as a promising talent in East Africa’s RnB/Soul scene and Kenya’s lover girl.

Raised in Nairobi, Njerae’s upbringing reflected a mix of influences, especially early 2000s American R&B. Starting primarily as a songwriter, she dedicated herself to creating relatable and impactful lyrics. “Songwriting is like speaking; if you do it often, it comes naturally to you,” she tells Guardian Music. Having collaborated with Nigerian music producer Wondamagik—and an unreleased song with singer Nonso Amadi—she’s got her eyes set on Afrobeats. “I would love to get on stage in Nigeria and all the wonderful places around the world,” she says. In January, the recent signee at Universal Music Group East Africa was listed among Apple Music’s Africa Rising Class of 2025, further expanding her visibility across the continent.

In this week’s Guardian Music, Njerae discusses the inspirations behind her work, her growth as an artist, and plans to broaden her musical reach.

What inspired the title, Four Letter Word?

I wanted to do something for the Valentine’s season. For a huge part of 2024, I was identified as the Kenyan lover girl, and it just happened to fall on the 14th of February, so the timing was perfect.
The reason it’s called Four Letter Word is that I didn’t want it to be cliché—just another love story or love-themed project. I wanted something that encompasses the different stages of a relationship. You start by liking someone, then you fall, and then there’s loss. All these emotions are part of the whole love sequence, and they just happen to align with four-letter words. So that’s why it’s called that.

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Are your love stories hypothetical or you’ve lived them?

It’s a bit of both. It’s my experience, but then also things I’ve seen around and stories I’ve heard. I don’t think there’s anything fictional about it. It’s just that some of the stories are not necessarily mine.

Spinning off from your last project, Unintentional, how did you explore this project?

When I created Unintentional, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about what I was doing. Unintentional was just supposed to be a collection of songs I had been singing over the years—songs my fans knew but that weren’t recorded or released. But with Four Letter Word, it’s very intentional. Unintentional was written as a companion for someone going through a breakup, while Four Letter Word is like the phase after you’ve healed and are stepping into a new relationship or stage of life. It’s more mature, more grown. Unintentional feels like it came straight out of teenagehood, while Four Letter Word is where you know yourself better. You know what you want, and you’re putting it out there—whoever takes it, takes it.

So, are you pitching your tent with R&B till the end?

For sure, my music is heavily influenced by R&B—growing up, that’s what I consumed the most. And as a songwriter, my sound naturally falls into the singer-songwriter space, a kind of indie-type music. But I’m exploring and experimenting with different sounds because I don’t necessarily want to remain just an R&B artist. I want to see how Njeri can fit into Afrobeats or even a pop song.

Who did you listen to growing up?

Growing up, I mostly listened to R&B music—Westlife and a lot of the older-generation sounds because I was mostly consuming music through my parents. There was always a lot of R&B playing. Then, as I became more aware of my own tastes, I moved on to artists like Chris Brown and Rihanna, since I didn’t feel like there was anything in my country that I could attach myself to. Then came the era of Sauti Sol, and suddenly, everyone was looking up to them because they were doing what so many people wanted to do. Sauti Sol had a huge influence on me as a musician. I’ve even had the chance to interact with them, and they’ve shaped my music. I also used to listen to a female Kenyan artist called Fi, and for a long time, I looked up to her to understand how R&B music worked in Kenya. Beyond that, I listened to a lot of Tori Kelly, as well as gospel artists like Tasha Cobbs and Hillsong. I grew up in the church, so that type of music was also a big part of my life.

My music has always been influenced by these slower, more soulful sounds. During high school, I started learning about songwriting. That’s when I got more curious and started exploring different genres just to understand how songwriting works across different styles.

Ever worked with a Nigerian musician?

I worked virtually with a producer called Wondamagik. I released two songs, last year, Aki Sioni Remix, and a song called Nyumbani. He worked on them.

Did the mix of cultures impact the record at all?

Yeah, it was a really enjoyable experience for me, to be honest. Because I feel like here in Kenya, we have a kind of lazy way of creating. We rely a lot on technology, so we don’t have to put in too much work. As long as we have the lyrics, everything else will fall into place. But with Magik, he took me through the process of layering, like stacking different vocals in various spaces to make the sound richer and more dynamic. That whole session with him opened my eyes and changed how I think about recording. So moving forward, I’m excited about how I approach vocals in my music.

What’s your typical creative process?

Well, I write every day because I realised songwriting is like speaking. If you do it often, it becomes second nature to you. So I don’t think I have a creative process, because, from that practice of just writing, I’m able to put myself in that space very quickly. I can write anywhere in any situation. I don’t have a ritual or anything like that. So, I’m a very boring writer.

How has the support been in Kenya, with helping more women get into the music scene?

Unfortunately, the female support system in the entertainment industry here in Kenya is quite lacking. You rarely see female musicians performing together or sharing the stage. That’s something I wanted to change from the very beginning, even when I was still an unknown artist. I started a programme called Sikiza, where I collaborated with young people, especially university students or recent graduates, who knew what they wanted to do but didn’t know where to start. The idea was to offer shadowing opportunities.

So, for example, if you’re an aspiring architect, you’d get paired with a practising architect and shadow them for about a month to see if the reality of the job matches your expectations. I did this with a lot of young creatives, and it was such a rewarding experience. Beyond that, I’m also very intentional about how I present myself. I don’t want anything to take away from the music. So even in my performances, I stay away from the typical stereotypes of female artists, like the expectation to rely on hypersexualized performances.
Instead, I prefer working with young women who want their talent and craft to shine beyond just their looks.

I also actively take applications from young girls who want to be involved in Njéri’s brand in any way, and I’m always open to helping however I can. I’ve been championing this female movement for a long time, and I’m constantly looking for like-minded artists who share this vision. I’m hopeful that by the end of 2025, we’ll have a strong, united movement of female musicians in Kenya.

What are your favourite pastimes when you’re not making music?

I have about nine dogs, so I like spending time with my dogs. I also enjoy swimming.

Any Nigerian collaboration you’re looking forward to?

Well, I would love to collaborate with Tems. I’m obsessed with her. I would love to collaborate with Ami Faku as well. She’s dope. I think my mind right now is just focused on those two people, and once I get there, I’ll know where to move.

What’s your favourite part of your artistry?

Performance.

What’s your favourite performance memory?

I put on my own show last year in August, and I didn’t think it was going to turn out as amazing as it did. It was sold out, and everyone there was ready to sing my music. That was the first time I’ve ever done that. At that point, I was second-guessing myself and the kind of music I do. I love being on stage and hearing the fans sing with me, and I think that’s usually the most motivating thing ever.

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Any standout experience with a fan?

I’ve been on stage singing before, and someone was sobbing, crying like she couldn’t even stand.

What next from you this year?

There are a lot more releases planned. I should be releasing something in April. There are also a lot of collaborations coming up. By the way, there’s a collaboration with Nonso Amadi.

Finally, what is the vision for your career?

I would love to, for now, perform on an international stage. That’s where my head is. I’ve been performing here in Nairobi forever. I would love to get on stage in Nigeria, South Africa, and different places in the world. That’s my goal for this year: to get onto some stages outside Kenya.