Essosa’s creative journey began in East London, her childhood spent writing stories, drawing pictures, and by the age of seven, songwriting. Born Joy Aiseosa Bakare to Nigerian parents, she was raised in Toronto, Canada, before later moving back to Essex. The British-Canadian-Nigerian singer began releasing music independently at age 17, releasing her first single, “The Retreat,” as a protest to Brexit and the mistreatment of minorities in the U.K.
Through social media, the 24-year-old has garnered an audience, viral hits, and platforms to connect with fans. Her debut EP, Dreamworld, was released in 2021, followed by her single, “Lemonade.” In 2023, she released “Waste My Time,” which has become a staple, earning over 48 million streams on Spotify, resulting in a record deal with Atlantic Records and Soundcloud’s ‘Ascending Star’ recognition. The year 2024 saw the release of her EP, Essies’s World.
Essosa was inspired by artists like Nelly Furtado and Michael Jackson, as well as ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s music. Now, she’s pushing her pen and honing her talents to make a lane for herself.
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Music and friendship with Kaytranada
The R&B and Alternative Pop singer revealed to MadameNoire that she has worked with Haitian-Canadian producer and DJ, Kaytranada, and is hopeful for a release this year, stating, “It’s not come out yet, so you’re not late, but we have actually worked together behind the scenes, so I’m hoping that this year something will come out.”
Kaytranada reached out to the songstress after hearing her viral song “Waste My Time,” and the two began collaborating. “We’ve been working together for a while now. He really loved ‘Waste My Time,’ and reached out to do a remix of the song, and we just started working together. He’s been a really good friend to me,” she shared.
Essosa named Kaytranada and Tyler, The Creator as her dream collaborations, so she’s already halfway there.
New Music
A new six-track EP is on the horizon with plans for a 2026 release—fingers crossed for a Kaytranada track. Essosa described the EP as “Very pink, very girly – girly-pop, upbeat but also has you in your feels a little bit… I’m excited for everyone to hear—I’ve been sitting on this music for almost a year now.”
Life on the Road
Essosa wrapped up 2025 on tour with London artist Rochelle Jordan, and kicked off 2026 touring with rapper Kanii. The songstress opened up about overcoming anxiety while touring as Jordan’s opening act, explaining that through perseverance and connecting with audiences, she was able to win them over.
“It was my first time performing for people who weren’t there for me and having to warm up a crowd. That was my initial fear—that was my initial anxiety,” Essosa recalled, adding, “Me and Rochelle Jordan lowkey make the same music, so I knew they would warm up to me… it took about maybe one or two songs, but when they liked me, they liked me.”
Performing on tour has reinforced Essosa’s passion for creating dance music that audiences can connect with, stating, “It’s made me have a shift towards making upbeat-sounding music and having a more upbeat sound… It’s just reinforcing that—like this is really what the audience wants.’
“The highlight about tour life was just meeting new fans, getting new fans, seeing new faces, seeing people who already knew ‘Waste My Time’ or already knew ‘Lemonade.’ … It’s been a blessing, honestly.’
Check out the official video for Essosa’s viral hit, “Waste My Time” below:
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