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| Adekunle Gold |
Key Takeaways
Adekunle Gold revealed that he wrote a song for Beyoncé’s 2019 The Lion King project, but the song was ultimately not selected.
He said Parkwood Entertainment contacted him through his manager in 2019, around the same period he lost his father in Lagos while he was in Los Angeles.
Adekunle Gold submitted the song, titled “Simile,” late and eventually kept it, completing it in 2020 before releasing it on his latest album.
Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has revealed that he once wrote a song for Beyoncé’s The Lion King project but secretly hoped the American superstar would reject it so he could keep the song for himself.
Naija Brain reports that the opportunity came in 2019 after Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé’s company, contacted Adekunle Gold through his manager to contribute a song to the project.
However, the singer said the opportunity came at a difficult period in his life, as he had just lost his father while he was in Los Angeles, United States, and his father was in Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking on the One 54 podcast, Adekunle Gold said he was initially excited about the opportunity because Beyoncé is one of his biggest musical inspirations. However, the death of his father made it difficult for him to focus on writing music.
According to the singer, his manager encouraged him to work on something despite the emotional setback.
He eventually went into the studio and wrote a song titled “Simile.” However, Adekunle Gold said the song became so personal to him that he did not want Beyoncé to have it.
He admitted that he submitted the song late, partly hoping that it would not be selected and would remain his.
Adekunle Gold explained that the song was eventually left with him, allowing him to complete it in 2020 and later release it on his latest album.
Reflecting on the experience, the singer described the opportunity to write for Beyoncé as a remarkable moment in his career.
“Writing for Beyoncé, yeah, that’s crazy. That’s insane,” he said.