Lost and Found is a confident assemblage of tracks distinguished by Simi’s sonorous vocals, specially orchestrated for listeners to experience the music that propelled her into prominence.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
The trajectory of many Nigerian artistes often takes off in church choirs, and Simi’s artistic journey is a pure testament to this common genesis. Before becoming an immutable part of West African music and gracing global stages with her stellar performances, Simi’s first platform was the church pulpit, where her striking, melodious voice first resonated with the congregation.
However, unlike other artistes, the sonorous vocalist transcended mere participation as a chorister in church; she kickstarted her career in gospel music and even sealed it in 2008 with a gospel-tinged project titled Ogaju—the album that laid the foundation for her career.
Much can be said about the growth and transition within the sixteen years between her debut gospel album to her first Afro-Pop project, Restless, in 2014, and now her new album, Lost and Found. This project explores the internal struggle of evolving her musical identity without losing her essence and the external challenge of audience reception.
In 2017, a year before her eponymous album, Simisola—the project that revealed her core artistry and is widely acclaimed as her magnum opus—Simi had already permeated the mainstream consciousness with Chemistry, a 2016 collaborative project with rapper, Falz. Eight years after her debut Afro-Pop project, she has built an impressive career as one of the leading female artistes pushing the envelope of Nigerian R&B and Soul music. With a catalogue boasting hits and quality projects, she debuted on the Billboard World Albums Chart and even toured last year with Grammy-winning artiste, Alicia Keys.
Months before the release of her latest album, Lost And Found, Simi had released three tracks: “All I Want”, “Men Are Crazy” featuring Tiwa Savage, and “Borrow Me Your Baby” with rapper, Falz, respectively. However, these releases offered no foreshadowing of an upcoming album until the official announcement in June. In addition to the album rollout interview, where she described this album as a symbol of rediscovering parts of herself she hoped hadn’t been lost permanently, the cover art also provided clues, featuring an image of her opening a rediscovered treasure box.

Early into the album, she sets the mood with the reflective ballad, “Lost And Found” opening with the lines: “If I no weak oh, how I wan take know what it’s like to be strong? If I don’t grow old, how will I tell the stories of when I was young? If I was never alone, how will I know how it feels to be loved?” She delivers these poignant, rhetorical questions against a backdrop of soft, atmospheric piano chords, which makes the song fall into the style of introspective album openers.
The mood shifts with the Louddaa-produced track “Miracle Worker”, featuring Lojay on a lively Afrobeats song that explores the turmoil of a toxic relationship. “You leave me follow Martha, you forgeti say I be somebody daughter”, she sings. The song narrates a woman’s decision to reject her unfaithful lover. While Simi has a history of dominating her duets—evident in tracks like “Running” with Chike and “Darling” with Seyi Vibez—Lojay’s unique melody and delivery add a compelling dimension to the track.
As an artiste with a catalogue brimming with Nigeria’s most euphoric love songs, Simi occasionally indulges in hedonistic themes in her lyrics. In “Gimme Something”, she expresses a yearning not just for love but for the physical touch and kisses of her lover. To replicate the magic and success of “Know You”, one of the biggest songs in 2020, Simi taps Ladipoe, once again, on “Know You II”, delivering a mid-tempo Afro-Pop song that highlights their smooth synergy.
On “Alafia”, Simi’s soothing vocal sets the ball rolling as she pleads for genuine love and peace, and an assist from Bella Shmurda complements her flow perfectly. The standout collaboration on this project is “Messiah” featuring Asa. Here, both singers join forces to deliver a goodbye message to a troubled relationship, set against Louddaa’s mid-tempo instrumental. Asa and Simi share a commonality in their striking, sultry vocals and thoughtful lyrics, making this song culturally significant for Nigerian music.
Simi’s heartfelt crooning reveals her yearning for genuine affection on “All I Want”. She openly expresses her desires to her lover, singing: “All I want my love, no go take me play away, away. Though I don’t want too much from you, baby”.
The lover-girl persona continues on the log-drum-inflected “One of One” and the relaxed bop tune “Romance Therapy” until it changes on “Borrow Me Your Baby” with Falz, and “Men Are Crazy” with Tiwa Savage. While the collaboration with Falz celebrates sneaky link culture, the track with Tiwa Savage critiques the toxicity that men often perpetuate and escape, while also expressing a yearning to be with a man.
The floating sense of love and affection that inspired “One of One” also pervades “RnB Luv”. This sultry, low-tempo bedroom ballad is arguably one of the album’s best love songs.

Just like her Fela Kuti-esque 2021 release, “Woman”, which consciously gives a voice to the concerns and fears of women, “Woman to Woman” is another celebration of feminine strength and beauty. The song’s lyrics, “She a queen, she a vision, pretty woman, beautiful woman, so fine, she causing confusion”, are a heartfelt ode to the grace and impact of women.
When Simi reimagined Ebenezer Obey’s 1987 classic juju record of the same name, “Aimasiko”, in 2017, it captured the airwaves and quickly found its place at Owambe—a Yoruba term for a large, lavish party often characterised by food and music. However, instead of following the same template, she featured the legend on “Jowo” to recreate his 1980 old love classic “Olomi Gbo Temi.” While “Aimasiko” thrived on its delivery and highlife flow, “Jowo” fails to capture the beauty of the original song.
Lost and Found is a confident assemblage of tracks distinguished by Simi’s sonorous vocals, specially orchestrated for listeners to experience the music that propelled her into prominence.
This project demonstrates that she remains deeply connected to her artistry, creating soulful sounds rather than conforming to the popular Amapiano trend or chasing commercial success—and reaffirms her position as the connoisseur of modern African ballads.
Lyricism – 2.0
Tracklisting – 0.8
Sound Engineering – 1.0
Vocalisation – 1.5
Listening Experience – 1.0
Rating – 6.3/10
Abioye Damilare is a music journalist and culture writer focused on the African entertainment Industry. Reading new publications and listening to music are two of his favourite pastimes when he is not writing. Connect with him on Twitter and IG: @Dreyschronicle