For Adekunle Gold, his 2019 song ‘Simile’ carries a deeply personal memory: it was written at a time when he was grieving the death of his father and struggling to make sense of his emotions.
The singer recently reflected on the story behind the song, revealing that its creation came during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
According to Adekunle Gold, he was dealing with the loss of his father when he wrote the track and was searching for something that could help him navigate the weight of his grief.
He described his state of mind at the time as one of feeling lost and uncertain about how to process what he was experiencing.
Years later, performing ‘Simile’ with an orchestra gave the singer an opportunity to revisit those emotions and reflect on how far he has come since the song was written.
Adekunle Gold said the performance reminded him of the version of himself who wrote the song in 2019 — a younger man who could not have known what the years ahead would bring.
He reflected on the fact that, seven years on, he is still making music, pursuing his ambitions and achieving some of the dreams that once appeared distant.
For him, the song has therefore taken on a meaning beyond the grief that inspired it.
Adekunle Gold said ‘Simile’ now serves as a reminder that difficult seasons can change, even when a person cannot see a way out while going through them.
He encouraged listeners facing their own struggles to draw hope from the message of the song, stressing that painful moments do not last forever.
“Simile reminds me that life can change in ways you cannot see when you are in the middle of the darkest part of it,” he said.
The singer added that he hopes the song can reassure anyone going through a difficult period that there is still light ahead.
Released in 2019, ‘Simile’ remains one of Adekunle Gold’s notable songs, with its themes of loss, love, endurance and hope giving it a deeply personal place in his body of work.
