Queen Naija is back on the promo trail for her debut album Missunderstood. The platinum-selling artist stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night to perform two new songs.
Behind a water backdrop illuminated by the moon, Naija, dressed in a white ensemble, kicked off with an acoustic rendition of “Say What You Mean.” She soon transitioned into the Lil Durk-featured track, which is influenced by the work of DeBarge. Lil Durk came through and delivered his hot 16.
Given a hard time by industry vets who weren’t necessarily moved by her recent rise from a viral YouTube sensation to a blossoming superstar, Naija proved her staying power in a cutthroat field with Missunderstood, which was released last fall. Many of the songs on the outing grapple with one universal topic: love. But like every good storyteller discussing that particular talking point, Naija effectively tells the version that best suits her heart and feelings.
Naija, who has three number-one singles to her credit, is working on a deluxe edition of the number-one album. She has yet to share a release date for the new work.
Watch Queen Naija perform “Say What You Mean” and “Lie to Me“ above.