Music has to feel honest – GIRA opens up on debut single “Champagne Dreams”

By Ayo Onikoyi

Akagu Gabriella known musically as GIRA, from Enugu State but based in Lagos has revealed her script to grab the reins of the tempo of the music scene with her debut single “Champagne Dreams”. It is a great piece of work that reflects her unique style as an Afro-fusion artists.

 ” I blend vibrant Afrobeat rhythms with Western pop, creating a sound that’s both soulful and full of life.

“My debut single, “Champagne Dreams,” is a confident Afro-fusion track. It blends those smooth Afrobeat rhythms with pop elements to explore themes of self-worth, disappointment, and just moving on. In it, I call out the empty promises and bare-minimum effort of a friend’s past relationship with sharp lyrics and playful energy,” she says.

With a sound as bold as its message, the song “Champagne Dreams”, truly captures the musical essence of GIRA at her most self-assured: honest, unbothered, and completely in her element.

In an interview with Potpourri, the budding artist shares her journey into music, her style, inspirations and aspirations. EXCERPTS:

1. You’ve described your sound as a vibrant blend of Afrobeat rhythms and Western pop, how did you develop this unique fusion style?

It honestly came from what I grew up around and what I naturally gravitate toward. Afrobeat is in my blood, it’s in the way we talk, move, feel, but I’ve always been drawn to pop melodies and dreamy textures. I would listen to Asa and Tems in the same breath as Frank Ocean or Lana Del Rey, Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat as well, so over time, those worlds just merged in my head. I didn’t plan it, it’s just the way music comes out of me now.

2. What inspired the story and message behind your debut single, Champagne Dreams?

Champagne Dreams came from a place of deep reflection, and a little amebo. It’s about a story my close friend shared with me about a past partner but I also included a little part about knowing your worth, even when someone tries to dim your light. It’s that moment when you stop begging to be seen and start pouring into yourself instead. The “champagne” in the title isn’t

about luxury, it’s a metaphor for sparkle, celebration, and choosing yourself. I wanted it to feel like a soft, powerful goodbye to everything that doesn’t serve you.

3. You said you’ve been forming melodies since you were five, can you share a childhood memory that made you realize music was your path?

I remember one time during a family event in my dad’s village during Christmas time, someone asked me to perform, and I sang this random melody I had made up in the bathroom the night before. I was shy, but the way everyone went quiet and actually listened, I felt seen for the first time in a different way. That moment stayed with me. I didn’t know what it meant back then, but now I look back and realize: that was music choosing me, and me choosing it right back!.

4. What does your creative process look like when composing your own songs?

It’s very mood-based. Sometimes I start with a beat made by my friend and producer Krooz, sometimes I start with a line that won’t leave my head. I like to write late at night when everything’s asleep. I usually hum melodies first, almost like voice notes to myself, then shape the lyrics around the emotions. I don’t force anything. If it doesn’t flow naturally, I pause. For me, music has to feel honest or I’d rather not release it at all.

5. You mentioned that Champagne Dreams is about self-worth and moving on, what do you hope listeners take away from it?

I hope it reminds people that it’s okay to walk away from people or situations that make you shrink. That softness doesn’t mean weakness. That you can be delicate and still powerful. It’s really for anyone who’s ever felt overlooked or doubted and needed a little reminder that they’re enough, no begging, no proving.

6. What challenges have you faced so far in carving out your own lane in the Afrobeat scene?

I think the biggest challenge has been being new and somewhat different at the same time. Afrobeat is such a big, bold genre, and sometimes people expect a certain sound or image. But ’m not trying to copy what’s working, or would get me hype quickly, I want to bring something that’s me. Being a woman in this space also comes with its own layers, but I’m learning to stand firm in my art and trust the process.

7. How does your background and upbringing in Enugu State influence your music today?

I actually grew up in Lagos, but made frequent visits every Christmas to Enugu growing up. It has this quiet beauty that I carry with me. Going up there so frequently taught me simplicity,

resilience, and soul. It’s not loud, but it’s rich, in culture, in stories, in rhythm. It’s always in the background of my sound.

8. Why did you choose the name GIRA as your professional identity, and what does it mean to you?

GIRA is a stylized version of my real name, but it also became its own identity. Being someone that tends to lean to shyness, it represents a version of me that can be fearless, expressive, and fully creative. When I step into “GIRA,” I’m not overthinking or doubting , I’m just being and doing. I also sometimes call it It’s my artist self, the version of me that’s free.

9. Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both locally and globally?

Locally, I really admire Rema and his constant ability to manipulate melodies to his will in his songs, Asa, for her ability to actually speak to someone’s soul when she sings, and Tems for her softness yet stern vocal style and evident lyrical intellect . They leave me in awe everytime.

Globally, I’d say, Amaarae, and Frank Ocean, the neighborhood, Tame impala, Doja cat, C.A.S, Lana del ray, Pnd just to mention a few, are artists in my opinion, who tap into deep emotion and still stay true to their own sound. I’m also drawn to older artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, timeless voices with meaning.

10. Now that you’ve released your debut single, what’s next for you, any projects or collaborations we should look forward to?

Yes! I’m working on a few follow-up singles that dive deeper into my sound, a bit more raw, a bit more emotional, with slower Bpm. Hopefully soon, a small EP will follow, and I’m open to collaborations, especially with artists who are genre-blenders like me. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited to grow and connect.

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