"Everywhere I Go, I Always Stand Out": Wavy The Creator, Nigeria's Newest Artist That Refuses To Conform

Dec 19

Dec 19 "Everywhere I Go, I Always Stand Out": Wavy The Creator, Nigeria's Newest Artist That Refuses To Conform

Wavy the Creator’s unconventional style complements the effortless individuality expressed in her music: her vast array of layered necklaces, the amalgamation of rings on her fingers and her short beaded braids all serve to magnify the fact that Wavy the Creator is not like any other singer. The Nigerian-born, American-raised recording artist prides herself on her eccentric melodies and lyrical storytelling, and her presence in the music scene marks a new era in how we conceptualise the ‘Nigerian’ sound.

She is a ‘creative’ in the truest sense, with her photography, fashion designing and film-making intertwining with her music in order to create a multidisciplinary approach to her art. Her welcoming nature and calming presence is reflected in her songs, which are defined by the soft vocals that take centre-stage in every track. Wavy is a part of the next generation of Nigerian musicians, and has no intention of trying to fit into the narrative created by her predecessors. Drawing people in with her non-conformist attitude; her bold fashion choices and synth-heavy music serve to critique society’s narrow definition of normality.

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Wavy became immersed in the Nigerian music scene whilst being a personal photographer for the Nigerian hip-hop artist Olamide. After being offered a studio session by a photography client, Wavy recorded H.I.G.H, which went on to be her first release. “I never actually wanted to do music, but looking back, I feel like it was meant to happen, I feel like everything in life always aligns”. When listening to Wavy’s music, it is hard to believe that music is a career that she just ‘fell’ into - her sultry vocals seamlessly accompany the flicking beats into songs that are short, impactful and concise. Moving from Lagos to Kansas as a child, Wavy explained how “It was a challenging experience to switch cultures, and adapt to a new system and way of living. I went to a predominantly white school; it was very challenging.” Defining herself as an ‘alien’, Wavy the Creator explains that her out-of-this-world persona is an intrinsic part of her identity,

““in all aspects of my life, I’ve always been singled out. Everywhere I go, I always stand out. In America or Nigeria, I’m just hovering”.

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Liminality is an integral part of Wavy’s life, but as she has grown older, she no longer sees it as a vice, but a force for good. Having pride in her difference, Wavy refers to herself as a ‘alien’, because “When you see an alien, it’s very easy to notice an alien”. Wavy the Creator wants to stand out, to be seen, to dissociate herself from the mainstream. This side of Wavy is showcased in her finsta (meaning a fake/second Instagram account) entitled ‘the aliens’ playbook’, which was created after she felt restricted from the pressure that comes with curating a public Instagram account. Through ‘the alien’s playbook’, Wavy wants to remind her fans that “I’m an alien, but I’m not hard to read.'' The finsta acts as an avenue for Wavy to express herself in her truest sense, “People see my hair and piercings and expect me to be a certain way, but I realised that I have to accept that this is me, and people will always have something to say, but that is life.” So how does one be an alien? Wavy’s answer is simple: “Just be yourself. Being the best version of yourself is how you are an alien.”

Wavy’s cosmic and futuristic sound is simultaneously underpinned by nostalgia. This is mirrored in her music videos which are characterised by their retro and vintage nature, shot with a grainy filter that mimics a video recorder. Fusing the past, present and future, Wavy’s music has a timeless feel to it: “I believe we are in the future. everything rotates around the

future. Everything that we’re doing is for the future”. Released in 2017, a track titled ‘Stay’ is emblematic of Wavy the Creator’s perennial vibe. The accompanying music video is a “deeply personal video” which Wavy explains is “about heartbreak”. Intimacy is a central element of Wavy’s music, and is an avenue to express her deepest emotions, explaining how, for her, “the best way to be open and start a conversation is by singing through it”. Her newest release, ‘3’ continues on this theme of intimacy. A discussion of a love triangle that Wavy was involved in, ‘3’ showcases how her story has three sides that connect, but rests on confusion, misunderstanding and dependency. The music video for her song ‘Body Deep’ explores Wavy’s ‘alien’ side, depicting a party in the year 2032, where an alien descends onto earth and parties with humans, evoking feelings of freedom, uniqueness, difference and fun: all central tenets in Wavy’s philosophy.

“ “When you’re Nigerian, people expect you to be a certain way, act a certain way, look a certain way.””

Wavy the Creator’s positive spin on her idiosyncratic nature is a necessary attitude to adopt within an industry where difference is viewed in a negative sense. When talking about the challenges of being a ‘non-conforming’ Nigerian artist, Wavy mentioned that “When you’re Nigerian, people expect you to be a certain way, act a certain way, look a certain way.” After releasing H.I.G.H, Wavy continued to make more music, but realised that as she put more songs out, people expected her to embody an afrobeats vibe, “I would make songs and people would be like ‘you need to put it with a more ‘African’ sound. But if I did that, I wouldn't be staying true to myself”. Being authentic is more important to Wavy than following trends, because ultimately, her uniqueness has given her fans for life. “At the end of the day, it’s gonna be a win for me, because I’m gonna gather my supporters (who are) following me since I do things in a specific way, they’ll be loyal.”

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2020 will be a big year for Wavy the Creator, “I want to keep on creating. I’ve just started with music, and I wanna see what more I can create with sound.” For Wavy, next year will be defined by learning and growing as an artist, by finding her niche and building on it, “I want to be able to take all of my inspirations and fuse it, and create my own genuine sound”. Wavy has plans to bring back her fashion brand, continue with photography, whilst exploring her passion for filming, perhaps creating a project that fuses elements of film and music. There is no doubt that greatness is on the horizon for Wavy the Creator.

Follow Wavy The Creator on Instagram @wavythecreator

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