Meet Njerae: Kenyan singer blending love and soul into R&B

Two years after her breakthrough, Kenyan singer-songwriter Njerae has made her mark in the African R&B scene.

Known for her melodies and heartfelt storytelling, she shares the inspiration behind her latest project, Four Letter Word, her growth as an artist, and her hopes for future collaborations.

In a recent interview, Njerae revealed that her big break came towards the end of 2024 after her track 'Aki Sioni' from her album Unintentional, which was released back in 2022.

During the interview, she stated that she got her name Njerae from people who majorly did not know how to pronounce her name 'Njeri', revealing that people would pronounce the 'I' as 'ae'. 

She said that she didn't expect to blow up from Aki Sioni as she considered the song to be just another song in the album. 

"Aki Sioni was just a song in the album, I don't know where and when it just started getting all this attention. I don't know why two years later is when it is starting to get all this attention. I wish I could know why so that I put my all in a similar song," she said.

Njerae says she draws her music inspiration from human interaction and love, pushing her to venture into the music genre of Rhythm and Blues (RnB). 

Owing credit to her nickname, Kenya's Lover Girl, she saw it best to release an EP titled Four Letter Word during the Valentine's period on February 14 

"When I was thinking about the name of the EP, I wanted it to be something that captures love but not in a cliche-like type of way that is called love something or just not something boring like that," she said.

"I wanted something that touches on love but also the things that are around the whole process of being in love."

Njerae also spoke of her great moment being signed by the music record label Universal Music Group East Africa (UMG EA)  back in August 2024.

Upon receiving this news, Njerae says she was sceptical at first, but understanding the history of some artists who have gone through this, she accepted the offer.

TNjerae also speaks about Kenya's music space, saying that it has changed and there is new music coming out from Kenya every single day, crediting the youth for their creative abilities. 

In Kenya, she revealed that she is always ready to work with Kenyan giants Bien and Bensoul, among other artists.

"I look up to Tems as one of the artists who sound the same. When she first heard her music, she was amazed by the talent that Tems brought to the African music industry," she says.

"The first time I heard Tems, I loved her. She is a singer, songwriter and producer, just like me. I realised we were doing the same kind of music. Chill music, drama-free music."

"It's like Adele with an African touch and groove"

Njerae also spoke on her relationship with fellow singer Mordecai, refuting speculations that the two were a couple.

"There's absolutely nothing between us. I just shared a BTS photo of us during the shoot for my song Beg For It. People just took it out of control and started their narratives. We're just friends who happened to collaborate on a project," she said.