Simi Battles Health Hurdles for Chike Collaboration

Afrobeats icon Simi has finally broken her silence on the harrowing physical and emotional toll behind her latest single, ‘Where You Dey,’ featuring soul-stirring vocalist Chike. In a candid revelation that has sent ripples through the music industry, the singer disclosed that the song’s release—originally slated for 2024—was derailed by a debilitating health crisis. Simi shared her journey via a series of posts on her X account, describing a period where her body simply refused to cooperate with her creative ambitions.

The ‘Duduke’ crooner revealed that during the recording process, she was grappling with intense sickness, chronic fatigue, and persistent nausea. These symptoms were so severe that they turned her world into a “blur,” making it nearly impossible to meet her self-imposed deadlines. Even the snippet video, which fans praised for its artistic flair, was recorded while she was at a physical low point. Simi admitted that she was merely “trying her best” to mask the discomfort and project an energy she did not truly possess.

Further deepening the narrative, reports from the studio sessions suggest that Simi was actually pregnant during the recording of the track. This hidden struggle explains the overwhelming nausea and exhaustion she faced while trying to maintain her rigorous professional standards. Despite the physiological strain, her dedication to the craft remained unshaken. She recounted watching back the studio footage with a sense of disbelief, wondering how she managed to find the strength to perform while feeling so unwell.

Central to the song’s successful completion was Chike, whom Simi hailed as a consummate professional. Simi explained that she had always envisioned Chike’s velvet-toned vocals as the perfect accompaniment to the track. When she reached out to him, his response was immediate and enthusiastic. Despite his own busy schedule, Chike reportedly headed straight to Simi’s studio the day after returning from a trip, unaware of the physical battle his collaborator was fighting behind the scenes.

The technical production of ‘Where You Dey’ also proved to be a hurdle. Simi, who is known for her hands-on approach to music production, struggled with the mixing phase due to her lack of energy. In a surprising move born out of a desire to see the project through, she took on the task of mastering the track herself. She jokingly admitted to hating the mastering process, questioning her own logic in taking it on while sick, but attributed the decision to her deep emotional connection to the song.

The delay in the song’s release was a point of personal frustration for the singer. Having teased fans with snippets months ago, she felt a sense of disappointment at not being able to capitalize on the initial momentum. Simi confessed that she lacked the vitality required to create the usual deluge of promotional content that accompanies a major Afrobeats release. She expressed a sense of being “bummed” that she couldn’t give the project the high-octane rollout she felt it deserved.

However, the song’s eventual release serves as a powerful testament to her resilience. Simi urged her listeners to listen to the track with a “less is more” perspective, asking them to provide the energy and enthusiasm that she was physically unable to provide during its creation. The track is being hailed by critics not just as a musical triumph, but as a victory of the human spirit over physical frailty.

In addition to the health revelations, Simi used the moment to subtly address long-standing rumors about her career trajectory. Responding to critics who suggested she had slowed down her musical pursuits following her marriage to fellow superstar Adekunle Gold, she positioned ‘Where You Dey’ as definitive proof of her unwavering commitment to her art. The song stands as a bridge between her roles as a dedicated mother and a top-tier global artist.

As ‘Where You Dey’ begins to climb the charts, the narrative behind it has added a layer of depth to the listening experience. Fans are now celebrating the collaboration not just for the vocal chemistry between Simi and Chike, but for the sheer grit required to bring it to life. For Simi, the project is finally out of her hands and in the hearts of her audience, a labor of love that survived a “blur” of sickness to find its light.