Jidenna has had one busy 2018, thanks to the release of his critically acclaimed album 85 To Africa. He’s also been shaking the table while speaking on controversial topics like toxic masculinity and same-sex relationships.
You can always expect an insightful conversation when Jidenna rolls through, which is why ESSENCE appreciated this incredible interview with him on the Yes, Girl! podcast. For all the ladies who are wondering, Jidenna is single as a dollar bill. However, don’t get your hopes up. He’s actually putting dating on the backburner…and for a very good reason.
Our Yes, Girl! hosts, Charli Penn and Cori Murray, inquired about a tweet the Nigerian-born artist issued last month saying he’s “looking for wifey.” According to him, that tweet was more of a stream of consciousness than a request.
“This album is me being more open than I’ve ever been, and I’m just getting started,” he says explains. “That [tweet] was part of it. During the ‘Classic Man’ era, I was closed. I did not trust. I already had my own trust issues just coming off previous relationships [and] my parents’ relationship, because it was not healthy. So, I was like, ‘nah, I’m not going to date.’ You start just re-dating exes. Then there’s an expiration date at a certain point. So with this campaign, I want to be open. That was me talking to myself and putting it out there. Sometimes you forget [while tweeting], ‘you’re sharing this with everybody in the world, buddy.’ But it’s cool…that’s how open I am now. I wouldn’t say it’s a hunt. It’s me accepting it if it comes.”
As far as his dating life, it’s not as active as you may think.
“I like connection, but the time’s not there,” he continues. “I don’t want to say I don’t have it, but I’m not going to make the time right now. Not in the middle of 85 To Africa. Maybe in between albums. The tough part is artists have to be in stock more than ever now and you have to push out content. Creatives do, period. You have to crank out so much content and you’re so available because of the phone. All those things make it really hard for anybody to date. And you’re so swipeable now that you might like, ‘eh, I just didn’t like the little bump behind her earlobe.’…it’s ridiculous now.”
Though Jidenna isn’t actively looking for love at this very moment, his respect for women is felt in every area of his life, including his business. “The thing that I’m always trying to rewire is the bits of misogyny and sexism that still exist in me every day constantly,” he says. “If it’s not in me and I see it in another man, I’ll have to educate [him] and clear it out at a certain point. I’ve fired so many men over the years. I work with a lot of women on the team, and I don’t want an environment where women don’t feel comfortable. That kills everything I stand for.”
Listen to the full Yes, Girl! interview with Jidenna below.