In an interview with Apple Music Africa Now Radio, Ckay explains that his sophomore LP 'Emotions' is reflective of his current position in life.
The album released on October 18, 2024, packs 12 tracks with guest appearances from Olamide, TY Dolla $ign, Cavemen, and Nora Fatehi.
According to CKay, the album is inspired by the different experiences of his personal life and romantic relationships.
"It's what I was just feeling at the time. I was in a very fiery place, so to speak. I was going through a lot, and I was also experiencing a wide range of things romantically, in my personal life, in my relationships, and in work as well. It's just been a whole lot of things going on, and music has always been an outlet for me, an outlet of expression."
Speaking on his Emo fusion sound, CKay says he likes to play with psychedelic sounds that make his music unique just like the red soil from his hometown of Anambra State.
"The part of Nigeria I'm from, it's called Anambra State; it’s in the southeast, and the soil is red there. So we have a unique type of soil that is red, and I always just saw my sound as something that felt otherworldly to me. I like to really play with psychedelic sounds. My stuff sounds like it's from somewhere else. So of all the planets in the solar system, the place that represented where I was mentally, if I was to describe it, it would be Mars. Mars also represents fiery emotions, which is, I would say, the spectrum of emotions on this album. It's a bit more fiery, it's a little bit aggressive sometimes, and it's strong. It's fiery. That's the word I would use, fiery."
On collaborating with different artists, CKay shares that he looks beyond just strategy when collaborating. Instead, he prioritises relationships and quality output.
"These are musicians that I vibe with, and I think we make something nice together. I collaborate with artists when I believe we can actually make something nice, something that is good, and something that is... It is not just a strategy thing for me."
On some songs on the album, CKay explored elements of Igbo indigenous music. The singer says he chooses to maintain touch with his roots irrespective of the globalisation of his music.
"I see music as art and I see it as self-expression first, before anything. So regardless of acceptance around the world and all that, I don't think it changes who I am or where I'm from."