Following the critical acclaim of her 2025 EP, Surulere, fast-rising singer Oluwakemisola Otekaiye, popularly known as Nkan, is set to serenade listeners once again with her latest single, ‘California Love.’
Dropping just in time for Valentine’s season, the new track signals a softer, more atmospheric direction for the singer, showcasing the evolution of her signature “Kosmopolitan” sound — a fusion that bridges continents and cultures.
Unlike the percussion-heavy vibrancy of earlier releases such as ‘Pepepe,’ ‘California Love’ leans into lush, ambient production, allowing Nkan’s powerhouse vocals to take centre stage. The song explores the tenderness of long-distance love, sun-soaked memories and the emotional pull of a romance born in America’s Golden State.
For Nkan, the single is more than just another love song — it is a deeply personal testimony.
“Music is a vessel for truth and emotion. With ‘California Love,’ I wanted to capture that specific warmth you feel when love transcends distance,” she said. “It’s about the memories that keep us glowing, no matter where we are in the world.”
The inspiration behind the song traces back to a pivotal season in her life. Weeks before relocating to the United States, the singer fell seriously ill — an experience she now views as spiritually symbolic.
Around that period, the iconic ‘California Love’ by Tupac Shakur repeatedly echoed in her mind, despite her not yet deciding which U.S. state she would call home.
“I would wake up singing it,” she recalled.
During her flight to America, she said the song resurfaced in what she describes as a spiritual moment. “Just before the arrival announcement, I heard ‘California Love’ again in my spirit. I woke up smiling and said, ‘Daddy, you are so hilarious,’ referring to God.”
Two months after settling in Oakland, California, love found her — a real-life chapter that would eventually become the heart of her new single.
‘California Love’ serves as a bridge between Nkan’s Nigerian heritage and her formative musical years in the United States. The track weaves Afro-influenced soul with global pop sensibilities, delivering a soundscape that feels intimate yet universally resonant.
With this release, Nkan continues to carve out her lane as a storyteller whose music blends vulnerability, spirituality and cross-cultural rhythm — reaffirming her place as one of the most compelling voices in Nigeria’s evolving music scene.
