“I Want People to Feel Every Word and Every Message” – Faith Martins on What Inspires Her Music

Faith Martins is not interested in making music simply for the sake of making music. For her, every song has to carry a feeling, a story, or a message worth holding on to. Her soon-to-be-released song, “Dájú,” embodies this: a soulful, Yoruba-rooted song inspired by a simple but weighty reminder from someone close to her who said to her: “The world is wicked already. Control the things you can; please don’t die.”

As the song gains traction across the Nigerian internet, Faith Martins speaks to BellaNaija about the experiences that shape her music, her love for Afro-soul, growing up in Lagos and the church choir, her late-night songwriting process, and what she hopes listeners take away from “Dájú.”

Hey Faith Martins. How are you today?

See, I am okay and feeling fine.

Let’s start here. “DÀJÚ” is one of the most popular sounds on the Nigerian internet right now. What does the title mean to you? What inspires the song?

Someone very close to me inspired Dájú. He would always say, “The world is wicked already. Control the things you can; please don’t die.” Those words stayed with me and eventually became the foundation for the song. I wanted to pass that same message on, but in a very serious and almost cautionary way. That’s how Dájú was born. The Yoruba language and traditional imagery felt important because they allowed me to communicate that message in a way that felt deeply rooted, familiar and authentic to me.

The song feels like Afro-soul, with a few blends. It doesn’t lean into a more mainstream Afrobeats sound. What drew you to this particular sound?

Hmm. I always have this saying: If I don’t feel it, I won’t sing it. Music, to me, is really about feelings, emotions, and the story it tells. I naturally connect more with Afro-soul because soulful music…