After the unveiling of its visual last week, After Midnight, the debut album of Ghanaian songbird, Gyakie, drops today.
Directed by Alex Piper, a celebrated filmmaker who has worked with global stars including Rema, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott, the visual captures Gyakie’s artistry with cinematic depth, spotlighting her evolution from a young girl with music in her blood to an artist fully stepping into her power.
Born to the legendary Ghanaian musician, Nana Acheampong, Gyakie carries a rich musical heritage, but After Midnight is her own statement: a deeply personal body of work shaped in the stillness and mystery of the night.
The album’s title draws from the hours it was created, with nearly every song written and recorded after midnight. “Almost all the songs in the album were recorded after midnight,” Gyakie shares. “It is within those hours that I find my best inspiration to write. The peace and quiet, the sounds from the birds, the serenity, everything about that time fuels my creativity.”
After Midnight is a soundtrack to the myriad moods of the after-hours. It holds the weight of reflection, introspection and spirituality – hours spent in deep thought, in prayer, or in private emotional release, tied to a cherished family tradition of her mother praying for her and her siblings after midnight. It also tells stories of love, from the warmth of passion to the ache of heartbreak. And it celebrates joy, capturing midnight as the true beginning of festivity when music, lights and laughter spill into morning.
From the first frame of Alex Piper’s striking visual, it is clear that After Midnight will be both deeply personal and universally relatable, an album that invites listeners to live, love, reflect and celebrate in the magic of the night.
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