HALIMA INTERVIEW: Brooklyn-based, UK/Nigerian musician Halima has been a name on the rise for some time, her genre-fluid sound consistently earning praise for its unique blend of UK soul, experimental R&B, and futuristic Afro-pop. With her new album, ‘Sweet Tooth’, Halima makes a bold and commanding debut, tracing a cinematic journey of self-discovery and emotional reckoning. The album, which has been described as a “bold declaration of power from an undeniable talent,” sees Halima pivot between soaring club anthems and soul-baring ballads, exploring themes of desire and transformation. We caught up with the artist to discuss the creation of Sweet Tooth, her creative process, and how her multi-faceted background shapes her work. Get familiar…
What five words define your sound?
Raw, scorched, playful, glam, lyrical
Tell me something unique about your creative process.
I approach visuals like modernist design – form follows function. The way something sounds should dictate how it looks. I strip everything back to the core feeling so videos match the music.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
‘cocoa body’ is the most confident I’ve ever felt on a track. It’s empowering. I want people to feel that first.
What inspired you to make that song?
I traveled with my cousins to Lagos last winter. We went to a couple clubs, and the second was unlike anything I’d experienced in the West. There was a beautiful sense of confidence in queer expression, and we were all reflections of one another.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
Making my debut album. I wrote ‘SWEET TOOTH’ over the span of five years. Always coming back when I felt most vulnerable, to relieve the load, until the load became the album.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
The best experience so far would be my London EP release show last year. Hearing all my lyrics sung back to me and the room filled with so many people I love was so special.
What is your favourite song to perform?
It changes each performance but lately ‘Overdue’ from my last EP, ‘EXU’ has been thrilling to perform on stage. I am my most uninhibited.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
The song that made me really curious about making music was ‘Independent Women Pt. 1’ by Destiny’s Child. I had been making music by that point. But I hadn’t been curious about production until I heard the rhythmic shaker intro in that song. I was obsessed.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
My name ‘halima’ is Arabic. Some people say it means “gentle,” “patient,” or represents honesty, generosity and humility. Halimah was the foster mother of Prophet Mohammed so the name holds a lot of significance in Islam.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Hopefully finding joy in another art form.
What’s success to you?
Success to me is touring internationally, each show an immersive world connecting deeply with sold-out crowds. It’s also having my art fund a life of abundance, debts cleared, investments flourishing and waking up every day grateful I manifested my dream life.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Less about changing direction, more about course correction. The more I learn, the more my decisions become internal – and the clearer my path.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
My mailing list, we’ll stay close that way. Also my instagram @halimabot, that’s where I share any upcoming shows and new music.
Photos by Bellamy Brewster
‘Sweet Tooth’ Out Now
