Yemi Alade to sing Iyanu series theme
Nigerian singer, songwriter and Grammy winner Yemi Alade will lend her voice to the theme song of the upcoming animated superhero series Iyanu.
The main title theme is a collaborative between Alade, the creative teams at US-based prodco Lion Forge Entertainment, record label Alcon Sleeping Giant and Femi Agunbiade, who serves as the lead composer for the Iyanu series.
Also known as Mama Africa, Alade has captivated audiences across Africa, Europe and the US. She is celebrated as Africa’s leading female Afropop artist, with four albums, an EP and numerous hit singles including Johnny, Shekere, Africa, Oh My Gosh, Ferrari, Na Gode and Bum Bum.
Alade won a Grammy in 2022 for her collaboration with Beninese music icon Angelique Kidjo on the album Mother Nature, which won Best Global Music Album.
In July 2019, Alade was featured on Don’t Jealous Me, a track from Beyoncé’s compilation album The Lion King: The Gift, alongside Mr Eazi and Tekno. Rolling Stone magazine noted that Alade also recorded a verse for an earlier version of My Power, another track on Beyoncé’s album.
In September 2020, Alade was appointed as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, and her latest album, Rebel Queen, was released on July 26.
Iyanu is the brainchild of Nigerian filmmaker Roye Okupe and is produced by Lion Forge Entertainment. The series is an adaptation of the popular graphic novel series Iyanu: Child of Wonder, published by Dark Horse Comics and YouNeek Studios.
Set in the mystical kingdom of Yorubaland, Iyanu follows a teenage heroine who must uncover the mystery behind her newfound powers to save her people from an ancient curse threatening humanity.
Okupe expressed his excitement about Alade’s involvement in the series: “I’ve been a huge fan of Yemi Alade for over a decade, so when I found out she’d be part of Iyanu, I was over the moon. From blasting her hit single Johnny in my car back in 2014 to now hearing her incredible voice on the Iyanu theme song, this is truly a dream come true!”
The all-African voice cast includes award-winners such as Serah Johnson, AMAA winner and Vogue US cover star Adesua Etomi-Wellington, three-time AMAA nominee Stella Damasus, multi-award-winner Blossom Chukwujekwu and Shaffy Bello from Netflix’s The Black Book.
Okupe serves as an executive producer, writer and director on multiple episodes, while Brandon Easton takes on the role of story editor, leading the Iyanu writers’ room, which also includes Emmy-winning writer Kerri Grant.
Other executive producers include David Steward II and Matt Heath from Lion Forge, Erica Dupuis of Impact X Capital, Ryan Haidarian of Forefront Media Group, and Doug Schwalbe.
Iyanu is scheduled for release in 2025 in both the US and across Africa. US viewers can catch the series on Cartoon Network and Max, while audiences in 44 African countries will be able to watch it on Showmax.