Singer-songwriter Kold AF shares her transformative journey from studying law to embracing a life of music, creativity, and empowerment—just in time for International Women’s Day.

“Happy International Women’s Day. This is Kold AF, singer-songwriter and soon-to-be superstar,” she said at the start of our conversation. Not many people would jettison the lure of practising law for the uncertainty of a music career.

But Kold AF isn’t most people—she’s a force of nature fuelled by an insatiable passion for creativity and reinvention.

Her journey has been anything but ordinary. With roots in Nigeria and a creative spirit that defies easy categorisation, she dared to leave the safety of a potential legal career behind. “I studied law at university. I have my LLB certificate. However, I chose not to go to law school because I didn’t have the zeal and passion for it, even though I was pretty good at it in school.”

Although more than a bit of dithering, the call of music was too resonant to ignore. After two years of soul-searching, persistent encouragement from friends like the artist Isusa, and a realisation that waiting any longer meant compromising her true self, she took the leap. “It took me about two years to actually decide to chase music because I needed to come to terms with the decision.”

In 2020, she began posting videos of her singing on Instagram. This was the genesis of her bold transition from performing under the moniker “Koel” to reinventing herself as “Kold AF”, a name that heralded her musical and personal revolution. “I refuse to be put in a box. I refuse to be just an R&B person,” she asserts.

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Her sound, an eclectic blend of R&B, Dancehall, and Afropop, is the result of constant experimentation and an insatiable curiosity to explore new musical terrains. She marries raw emotion and uncharted ideas into a sound that is uniquely hers. Drawing doses of inspiration from her Nigerian heritage and collaborating with visionary producers like her A&R manager, Excel Joab, Kold AF thrives on the challenge of transforming. “Music is a blank canvas, and you can paint with sound,” she remarks.

Yet, her journey isn’t solely defined by her music. It’s also a story of personal reinvention, an unending self-discovery, resilience, and the will to overcome personal and social limitations. Her 2022 debut project, Kold Season, marked the birth of a newfound identity and artistic clarity that she hopes will launch her into the big leagues. “I want to be a household name here and abroad. I want to have my mark in history,” she tells Guardian Life.

For Kold AF, every song is more than just music—it’s a parcel housing layered messages meant to inspire and empower, particularly women who often feel confined by societal expectations. Her work is about building a community, encouraging others to break free of any box that attempts to define them.

Her love for movies, a lifelong passion, serves as a continuous source of inspiration. Every film and every scene adds layers to her artistic perspective, feeding into her songwriting and stage performance. This multidimensional approach allows Kold AF to evolve continually, experiment, and challenge the norms of the music industry.

Amid the whirlwind of recording sessions, live performances, and endless creative brainstorming, Kold AF remains remarkably grounded. Although her career now demands a constant presence both on stage and on social media, she insists on protecting her personal life with as much passion as she does her music. “When it’s time for work, it’s time for work. When it’s time to play, it’s time to play,” she says.

On International Women’s Day in 2024, her commitment to celebrating female empowerment in music took centre stage as she teamed up with Aema to deliver the inspirational track Everyday (I Dey Pray). The collaboration is a heartfelt call to persist, to work hard, and to believe that every sacrifice eventually pays off.

Looking to the future, Kold AF’s vision is as expansive as it is audacious. She envisions a career that spans multiple creative fields—music, acting, fashion, and even voice acting—and is determined to leave a legacy that inspires future generations. “There will always be new discoveries that I want to explore, and my music will evolve into something beautiful each time,” she says.

Her ambition is clear: to build a legacy that not only redefines what it means to be a modern artist but also empowers young women everywhere to chase their dreams, no matter the risks.

As fans await her next big release, the promise of more groundbreaking music, dynamic collaborations, and transformative performances seems a constant.

“My music is going to change. It’s always going to grow; it’s always going to blow your mind every single time.”