Adekunle Gold - Before you wake up

What this video is

Released March 1, 2019, 'Before You Wake Up' arrived during a pivotal inflection point for Nigerian Afro-pop, when artists like Adekunle Gold were consolidating domestic success while pursuing broader international recognition. Produced by Sess, the track followed Gold's collaborative single with Simi ('Promise'), situating it within a run of romantic, relationship-focused output that defined his 2018–2019 creative…

Why it matters

The video is a key artifact in the Urban Highlife / Afro-pop romantic sub-genre that Adekunle Gold pioneered post-'Sade' (2015). It exemplifies the 2019 Afrobeats visual grammar: HD production, warm saturation, lifestyle montage editing, and intimate-yet-aspirational aesthetics. As one of the…

The director

Des Gray, born Josiane Desir, is a Haitian-American music video director, producer, and founder of production company Foreign Made. She majored in Theatre Arts at Alabama State University, interned at Sony Music, and gained early career experience at BET.…