FEATURE:
Spotlight
interviews I want to get to, but I will start out with start out with one from 2024. Vogue Scandinavia focused on this amazing Norwegian-Nigerian artist. Tolou is someone that you need to know. I am quite new to her music, though I have been listening back to her earliest tracks. Her phenomenal debut album, Energy, came out in January. I am going to move on to interviews published close to the release of that album:
“Does musical artist Tolou believe in fate? “Girl, absolutely,” she responds with a smile, a bright blue headband holding her signature, superfine blonde microbraids back from her freckled face. “I believe in God, I believe everything has meaning, that everything happens for a reason,” the Norwegian-Nigerian 26-year-old says. Whether or not you’re also a believer, you can’t deny something powerful is at play when it comes to Tolou’s journey.
Fittingly, it all began in a church. The Arctic Cathedral, to be specific, with its imposing triangular facade jutting out from the mountainous landscape of Tromsø, the northernmost city in the world and Tolou’s Norwegian hometown. “It’s so far north, if you go on a map, it’s as north as you can get. We’re right up near the North Pole,” she giggles. Within the towering angular walls of the remote cathedral, Tolou, with her natural vocal talent, directed the youth choir. And one day, as fate would have it, legendary Haitian rapper and record producer Wyclef Jean – renowned for his work with Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, and Fugees, to name a few – just so happened to walk through the cathedral’s doors. “He was here in Tromsø performing and they were filming an acoustic music video,” Tolou explains. After seeing her perform, Jean invited her to his concert, and then, with his manager, challenged her to sing on the spot. “I did, of course,” she says, her confident tone never wavering.
Alongside her pop fixation, the musical influences of Tolou's youth were varied and eclectic, including her Norwegian grandmother’s love of country music (“I sang Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ to my school of about a thousand kids when I was super young”) and her older brother’s metal band, who called on her to step in as vocalist from time to time (“I was head-banging on stage, rock’n’roll, it came so naturally to me”). Tolou’s musical passion is so palpable that even the way she speaks is melodic, with staccato rhythms and syncopated pauses leading into breathy, rapid-fire riffs of words.
Tolou credits her unfaltering confidence, in part, to the time she spent working with Jean, albeit remotely; their collaboration coincided with the Covid lockdown, which left her stuck in the distant northern reaches of Norway. “It made me even more independent,” she explains. “Often as a female artist, you go to a studio with a producer and you’re just sitting at the back. You don’t know yourself or what you can do.” But by necessity during lockdown, Jean had Tolou writing, producing beats, recording and mixing all by herself, in Tromsø. “It really taught me that not everybody else knows better than me sometimes,” she says. “I should trust myself.”
Aside from her Spotify plays and live performance dates, Tolou’s popularity is most evident on social media where she’s racked up legions of fans – her recent drop ‘A Little Bit Sad’, which addresses the heartbreak that kept her, fatefully, in LA, resonated on her buzzy TikTok account. But Tolou is unfazed by the attention. “It’s really fun when I see all those views on my videos, but it doesn’t really affect me. Us people from northern Norway, we’re very authentic. We just are who we are. Like, we’re not that mysterious,” she smiles.
As her star rises and her name becomes more internationally recognised, Tolou’s sincere authenticity cannot be shaken. “I want to make global music and I want to be wherever the music takes me,” she says. “People ask me, ‘Why don’t you go somewhere else for your braids when you’re in the UK or USA? Why don’t you just have someone else do it?’, but I need to go back home for my soul. It’s crucial for me to stay connected to Norway and my mum, to remind myself of my values and where I came from”.
I am going to move to an interview with CLASH and their Next Wave feature. Published last month, whilst one might see Tolou as purely or mainly Afro-Pop, she has this very eclectic and wide-ranging musical upbringing. I am really eager to see where this artist heads. I do hope that she plays in the U.K. at some point, as I know that there will be many here that want to see her perform:
“Growing up as a Nigerian-Norwegian in the North of Norway, Tolou chose to view it as a strength, refusing to let her environment limit her; “I’m a Black girl, I can do pop”. Her blonde micro braids signify a connection between both cultures, as a crown of who she is and the pride she takes in her upbringing and how she was raised. “I always wanted to take that with me as much as I could; as much as I knew honestly.”
Tolou’s debut album ‘Energy’ reflects influences from both Scandinavian pop, which she grew up on, and afrobeats, which her Dad often played when she spent time with him in London. “I grew up with a lot of Scandinavian pop, and RnB. Beyonce was actually the first record I bought. I looked up to her and Rihanna since they were the only people that looked like me at the time. When I travelled to England to visit my father, he would play afrobeats, and I would go to the family gatherings and everybody would dance. I thought it was so cool how everyone was dancing, every age. That’s when I realised I wanted to make people dance like that”.
Her debut gave her an opportunity to be vulnerable, bridging the gap as she focused on themes of self confidence, finding genuine connection, and having a stable foundation in life during moments of heartbreak. Expressing what she wants, Tolou voices her desire for honesty when meeting someone new. “Show me your intentions. I need to know that you’re seriously into me before I even give you the time of day… my song ‘into me’ focuses on that moment when a guy likes you, but you don’t know why they like you. Like is it my face, or because of who I am as a human being?” When asked to give advice on love, Tolou simply says; “Don’t rush. You have time, and you’re not supposed to be stressed out. If he’s stressing you out, and making you doubt yourself, he’s not right for you. Honestly, my biggest lesson in 2025 was to surrender and let God handle it. It’s not my thing to control at the end of the day.”
‘Energy’ shows that journey of finding yourself again whilst going through a lot of change in life. Tolou’s personal life had a lot of influence in the album, songwriting becoming a diary for her feelings to be housed. “Every song is like a diary of how I was feeling at that specific moment. After I got signed and came to America, I went through my trials and tribulations. I had to go through a journey of self rediscovery.” When you’re in a certain environment for so long that’s the only version of yourself you know. Being placed in a drastically different environment forced Tolou to explore who she was outside of Norway, whilst getting used to the reality of her career setting off. “I definitely had to be broken down before I built myself up again”.
The warm ambiance of the album will have you wishing for a year long getaway on an island. When asked about what songs she would recommend as the soundtrack to a vacation, Tolou responds; “See, it’s different vibes. If you have someone at home that you’re missing, then ‘wasting your time’. I actually wrote that song about a boy in my hometown. I was like, even if I’m wasting my time and risk getting heartbroken, I still like you. If you’re looking for some new love, listen to ‘body’. Body is actually an interpolation of ‘so sick’ by Ne-Yo. Tricky Stewart (grammy winning producer) and Theron Thomas wrote it. That’s the only song on the album that wasn’t written by me; it’s definitely important for my artistry to write”.
The final interview I am including is from 1883 Magazine. They included her in their 18 Questions feature. I have selected a few that caught my eye. Anyone who has not discovered Tolou needs to check her out now. Someone who is going to go very far and has a long career ahead. Energy is a remarkable debut album:
“Favourite memory growing up?
Performing on stage. That was always my happiest moment—whether it was with my brother’s metal band or singing in church. That was my favorite place to be. There was this yearly festival we used to play at, and it felt like a dream.
Where was the last place you travelled to?
I just came from Paris. I had rehearsals there with my choreographer and dancers, and I also went to a fashion show for Kwame Adusei.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
I laughed really hard at my mom on the phone yesterday. She has the funniest comments sometimes – with a little bit of shade, haha. I definitely get my sense of humor from her.
What’s your nighttime ritual?
The one thing that stays consistent in a busy travel schedule is my skincare. I love putting on all my serums and creams so my skin is glowy. And sometimes I’ll drink a cup of tea to calm my voice.
Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list?
I’m such a music lover – Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Lana Del Rey, Sade, Frank Ocean, Wizkid, Beyoncé.
What is the major throughline on your debut album Energy?
The major throughline of the album is learning to trust and embody your own energy. Moving with faith, confidence, and presence rather than fear.
What were your favourite moments from recording the project?
Traveling to Atlanta and making “Into Me” and “Body.” Working with the legend Tricky Stewart was incredibly inspiring. He’s literally the king of crossover records and has worked extensively with artists I admire so much, like Rihanna and Beyoncé.
What’s on your rider for a show?
Nuts, fruit, water, ginger, honey, and tea.
Finally, what is one thing you would like to manifest for yourself and why?
A sold-out world tour because performing live is where I feel most alive, and connecting with fans and sharing that energy around the world is my dream”.
One of the most promising new artists around, I feel that the next few years will see Tolou play huge international stages and collaborate with some of her music idols. This is a very special talent that you need to bring into your life. Go and throw your support behind Tolou. You just know that she is primed to…
TAKE over the world.
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