Liya
Afrobeats singer and former signee of Davido Music Worldwide, Liya, has opened up about the reason behind her exit from the label, citing a lack of attention to her career as a major factor.
Speaking in a recent interview on The Wahala Podcast, the singer—who was the first female artiste signed to the label owned by Davido—said she made the difficult decision to leave in pursuit of personal and professional growth.
According to her, despite releasing songs such as Lakiriboto and Melo during her time at DMW, she felt her career was not receiving the level of support and direction it needed.
Reflecting on that period, Liya said, “I left years ago. I left because I wanted more for myself, both as a person and as an artist.”
She added that the experience took an emotional toll on her. “It was sad, it was depressing. I was tired, I was sick, but it was a decision I had to make for myself. It was a strong decision because people thought I had it all figured out. They called me names, said I was lazy and didn’t know what I was doing—that money was being spent on me and I wasn’t doing anything.”
The singer also spoke about the intense pressure she faced, particularly on social media, which affected her confidence and visibility.
“For over a year or two, people kept saying I didn’t know what I was doing. I even started blaming myself. I didn’t know how to post anymore because there was so much pressure. Two weeks ago when I posted, someone was shocked and asked if my account had been hacked. I told him I posted it myself,” she said.
