Njerae: R&B star talks new album, relationship with Mordecai, new collaborations and Kenyan tour

The fast-rising R&B star real name Njeri Njeri, has opened up on her stratospheric rise to fame, crediting her loyal fanbase with her soaring success and widespread popularity.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Njerae was herself sometimes unable to come to terms with her overnight success, saying that she didn't see it coming, while at the same time humbled by Kenyans' love for her style of music.

Speaking of her viral hit 'Aki Sioni', sung entirely in her mother tongue Swahili, and which has been streamed nearly three million times on Spotify, Njerae said that the song just suddenly started receiving renewed listenership, enjoying a sudden resurgence despite being more than two years old.

"I don't even know what happened. I guess it's just me... It's Njerae. I can't explain why the sudden interest in that particular song...I think I need to apply the same formula I did in that song, to see if it's going to work on everything else I release..." she says, beaming in that infectious Njerae smile. 

The 'OTD' singer also reveals the inspiration behind the title of her latest project Four Letter Word - a project she dropped on 14th February 2025, aiming to tie it to the affectionate title Kenyans have bestowed on her 'Kenya's Lover Girl'.

"I wanted to do something for the Valentine’s season. For a huge part of 2024, I was identified as the Kenyan lover girl, and it just happened to fall on the 14th of February, so the timing was perfect," she said. 

"The reason it’s called Four Letter Word is that I didn’t want it to be cliché—just another love story or love-themed project. I wanted something that encompasses the different stages of a relationship. You start by liking someone, then you fall, and then there’s loss."

She added, ''All these emotions are part of the whole love sequence, and they just happen to align with four-letter words. So that’s why it’s called that."

Njerae also spoke on her relationship with fellow singer Mordecai, of Hart the Band, refuting speculations that the two were a couple.

Laughing off the suggestions from a section of fans on X, Njerae said: "There's absolutely nothing between us. I just shared a BTS photo of us during the shoot for my song Beg For It. People just took it out of control and started their own narratives. We're just friends who happened to collaborate on a project."

The singer also expressed her interest in touring Kenya and performing in places that are not just Nairobi, "I'm tired of Nairobi, " she laughs. "I think Nairobians have had enough of me. I've been performing here for far too long and I now want to take my shows to other places across the country, I want to meet new fans in different towns, different places, not just in Nairobi."

Despite establishing herself as an R&B artist, Njerae says that she is open to trying other sounds and even collaborating with other artists not necessarily in her preferred genre, adding that she has something already cooking with Wakadinali rapper Scar Mkadinali. 

She says, "I dabbled into some Amapiano sounds last year. I tried a few things that are not necessarily my style of music. My biggest dream collaborator is Tems but I am definitely open to working with artists from across the spectrum - in fact, there's something that should come out soon, a collaboration with Scar and King Kaka..."

On Tems, she said:" The first time I heard Tems, I loved her - this was a singer, songwriter and producer, just like me. I realised we were doing the same kind of music. Chill music, drama-free music. It's like Adele with an African touch and groove."

Check out the ENTIRE Njerae sit down with Citizen Digital by clicking on the link above.