By Ayo Onikoyi
Nigerian music star Adekunle Gold has announced that his sixth studio album, titled Fuji, will be released on October 3, 2025. The project, revealed on September 9, marks his boldest creative direction yet and has sparked conversations about whether he can finally give Fuji music a platform in the mainstream.
Fuji, a Yoruba-rooted genre that fuses percussion-heavy rhythms with storytelling and vibrant performance culture, has long influenced Afrobeats. Yet, despite shaping the sound of several superstars, it has remained largely in the background.
In 2008, 9ice’s Gongo Aso drew heavily from Fuji and Hip-Hop, yet the genre itself did not gain mainstream recognition. More recently, Grammy-nominated artist Asake has blended Fuji with Afrobeats and Hip-Hop to global acclaim, but the spotlight never fully shifted to Fuji music itself.
Adekunle Gold, known for infusing Yoruba indigenous sounds into his discography, has leaned closer to Fuji in recent singles Coco Money and Bobo featuring Lojay and Shoday. However, the decision to title a full album Fuji is seen as a defining statement in his artistic journey.
Music analysts suggest that if Adekunle Gold embraces Fuji’s sonic identity—while modernizing its style for global audiences—the album could mark a turning point. Beyond the sound, Fuji’s cultural elements, including Yoruba-inspired fashion, flamboyant performances, and street carnivals, could also find new visibility.
With Adekunle Gold at a career high and commanding global attention, the release of Fuji will test whether the genre can finally step out of the shadows and claim space on the international stage.
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