Nigerian singer Simi has responded to the backlash she received for her earlier comment about not listening to music, acknowledging that her remarks may have been misunderstood.
On July 18, 2024, Simi took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify her statement. She admitted that her comments might have seemed “weird” and recognized that she should have been more thoughtful in how she expressed herself. Simi explained, “In hindsight, I should have had this conversation more carefully. I didn’t because I honestly didn’t consider that it could be something that some might consider as cocky. I’ve never been proud of it. I don’t even see how it’s something to be proud about.”
She further clarified that her statement about not listening to music was not meant to be taken literally. “I do see how saying ‘I don’t listen to anything’ repeatedly can come off as weird, but it was not literal. I’m always tweeting about songs I like or sounds I discovered. I’m just terrible at keeping up with things that most other people know. Not just with music. I don’t remember names. I don’t know what charts or shows are trending, I’m always singing the wrong song on the wrong beat, so my friends dey always tell me ‘You no dey ever know anything,'” she explained.
Simi reflected on the context in which her comments were made, attributing the misunderstanding to the casual nature of the interview. She expressed her frustration over the way the viral video was edited and circulated out of context. “It was banter. In the wrong place. This is why I know I should have had this convo more carefully. It was a 2-hour interview with drinking and cussing, so I was chatting like I would with my friends. It does hurt that whoever cut that clip and wrote that headline did it with intention. It’s impossible to watch the entire interview and come away with the feeling that you would have watching the clip that everyone was sharing,” she said.
Simi concluded her message by acknowledging that the situation was a learning experience. “It’s all good though. All is well. My friends did say to leave it alone, but things linger. And I really hate being called a liar. But e don finish now,” she added.