Ghanaian singer Gyakie is redefining what it means to chase a dream, not with mere passion, but with an insatiable hunger. Though her silky vocals have catapulted her onto global stages, she says the fuel behind her rise goes far beyond love for the craft.
“Passion alone can be fragile. With passion, you could be blown off. Anything can stop you,” she told Melvin Da Enigma during a recent interview on Luv FM’s DriveTime. “I’m not just passionate about music, I’m hungry and striving to push through.”
That hunger has been her engine, even as many assume her journey was smoothed by pedigree. As the daughter of Highlife legend Nana Acheampong, she’s often viewed as an heir to success, but Gyakie insists she built her career from grit, not gifts.
“It wasn’t like it looked I was. I was really hustling,” she said. “Though Nana Acheampong is my father, he taught me to do it myself.”
Gyakie’s independent spirit now drives her creative choices. Her upcoming album After Midnight, she revealed, is a personal journey shaped by self-reflection and intention.
“After Midnight is calm, you get to reflect and the impact is great,” she said. “I’m actually giving out love because I love to see people happy. I’ve experienced the positive aspects of love, and those are the things I want to share.”
But it hasn’t always been smooth. She admitted there were moments of uncertainty, even self-doubt, during the making of her music.
“I felt I didn’t do much, but after the song came out, my fans made me realize it was the best,” she said. “Sometimes I want to give up, and then I get a DM saying, ‘I love your music,’ and that’s my wake-up call.”
That kind of fan feedback, she says, keeps her grounded. “I don’t joke with my fans. They can make or unmake you.”
Gyakie also opened up about stepping back from social media, describing it as a necessary boundary for her mental well-being.
“That’s where the demons are hovering now,” she said. “People have made their home on the internet. If you want to give up in life, go and live there. I regulate my life outside the internet—that’s how I’ve been able to stay true to myself.”
To young people, especially young women, her message is one of authenticity and personal freedom.
“Baby girl, if you want to wear a skirt, go ahead. If you want to braid your hair, do it. Don’t live to impress people or you’ll lose yourself,” she said. “Let’s live like we’re human beings. Let’s stay like there’s no Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook—and life will be simple.”
With Sankofa, the lead single from her forthcoming album already creating buzz, Gyakie is carving a space that’s both artistic and honest. After Midnight promises to go beyond music, offering a glimpse into the heart of a woman who’s building her legacy on her own terms.
