Johnny (Yemi Alade song)

"Johnny"
Single by Yemi Alade
from the album King of Queens
Released	October 14, 2013 (2013-10-14) [1]
Genre	Afro pop highlife
Length	3:54
Label	Effyzzie Music Group
Songwriter	Yemi Alade
Producer	Selebobo
Yemi Alade singles chronology
"Ghen Ghen Love" (2013) "Johnny" (2013) "Tangerine" (2014)

"Johnny" is a song recorded by Nigerian Afro pop singer Yemi Alade, taken from her debut studio album King of Queens (2014). The song was a hit in several countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The music video was directed by Clarence Peters and shows how the title character, "Johnny", cheats and lies about his relationship with several women in the clip. Before the song was released, it was leaked over the internet.

Background

"Johnny" was recorded in Enugu while she was on a nationwide media tour. The song tells the story of a cheating lover and was inspired by a real-life experience she unintentionally wrote during the recording session. ^{[2] [3]}

Music video

The official music video for "Johnny" was released on March 4, 2014, premiering on Vevo and her official YouTube channel. ^[4] Directed by Clarence Peters, it opens with a skit from comedian Bovi (later included as the first track off her debut album King of Queens), playing a reality show host that exposes unfaithful partners. ^[5] It follows Yemi Alade as she discovers that her lover, Johnny, (played by Nigerian actor and model Alexx Ekubo), has been cheating on her with multiple women, portrayed by Beverly Osu, Saeon, and Ajemina, among others. ^[6] The video also includes cameo appearances from Dil, Selebobo, and more. ^[7]

The music video currently has 177.1 million views on YouTube as of November 1, 2025. It is one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube by a Nigerian artist and the most viewed by a female Nigerian artist.

Accolades

"Johnny" was nominated for Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2014. ^[8] It currently now surpasses more than a 100 million views on YouTube. ^{[9] [10]}

Year	Awards ceremony	Award description(s)	Results
2014	The Headies	Best Pop Single	Nominated
		Song of the Year	Nominated
	Nigerian Music Video Awards	Best Indigenous Concept [11]	Won
		Video of the Year [11]	Nominated
		Best Pop Extra Video [11]	Nominated

References

1. "Johnny - Single by Yemi Alade". iTunes. 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
2. Q, Super (14 October 2013). "Get Familiar: Yemi Alade – Johnny [Prod by Selebobo]". 360nobs. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
3. Offiong, Adie Vanessa (27 June 2015). "I'm Close To Bagging A Grammy - Yemi Alade". Daily Trust . Retrieved 1 November 2025.
4. "Yemi Alade - Johnny (Official Music Video)". YemiAladeVEVO. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
5. Alonge, Tinya (4 March 2014). "Video: Yemi Alade – Johnny". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
6. Akan, Jonathan (4 March 2014). "Yemi Alade - Johnny". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
7. "NEW VIDEO: Yemi Alade – Johnny". Jaguda. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
8. Ochugba, Mary (10 October 2014). "The Headies unveils 2014 nominees". Business Day. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
9. "Yemi Alade's Song Johnny Hits 100 Million Views On YouTube". allAfrica.com. 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
10. "Yemi Alade's Music "Johnny" Reaches 100 Million vmViews on YouTube". Galantmedia. 2019-01-29. Archived from the original on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
11. Batimoore, Tyler (27 November 2014). "Winners List - The Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA) 2014". Tooxclusive . Retrieved 1 November 2025.