As a young, up-and-coming act, Magixx was so concerned about his chances of breaking through that he’d become physically ill. “I used to have serious anxiety about life after school and what would come next with my music,” he shares with me. “I got so sick from worrying that I felt like I was falling down.” Much of the singer’s concern was a product of the notoriety he had already garnered while studying at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he was already regarded as a star-in-waiting. “There was pressure to live up to that image for your supporters and the people that love you,” he says. “I was very old in my head and it felt like I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing with my life.”

Real name Alexander Adelabu, the singer was resigning himself to a move back home with his family in Ogba when he was contacted by Mavin Records in March 2020. For Magixx, it was a sign that he was on the right path of a journey that had started when he was just a kid. Growing up between Lagos and Ogun state, music was always present and he has fond memories of listening to records with his father that schooled him in storied oral genres like apala and fuji as well as contemporary hip hop and R&B. “From primary school, I always wanted to be in a rap group,” he recalls. “My secondary school was somewhat of a music school where I learned how to play the clarinet, trumpet and flute.”

Around 2013, after years of leading a rap group in his church, he approached a friend who was “messing around with software” and asked for help with recording a song. A fire was lit, and by the time he arrived at UNILAG two years later, he had two demos that helped him build his credibility in the university’s artist community. The experience he gained during his time, performing and connecting with fans, served him well when he was offered the opportunity to undergo training at the Mavin Academy. “I had to prove to these people I was worth the investment and could take things to another level. I was recording from Monday to Friday but I loved it because I was ready to go.”

The graft paid off when he was offered a recording deal one year later. “I was always confident that I’d be signed because I felt undeniable. I never doubted how my music sounded so the deal was just confirmation.” Still, when the time came for his introduction to the public in 2021, his mum was suffering a serious health challenge. “It was the worst feeling in the world,” he admits. “I didn’t enjoy that weekend of my unveiling because I wasn’t fully present. Every smile I gave during that period was work.” Things picked up following the release of the Ayra Starr-featuring refix of ‘Love Don’t Cost A Dime’ in February 2022. Importantly, the increased visibility that the song provided him allowed him to take more responsibility at home. “It changed the trajectory of my career and life,” he says emphatically. “I was able to take care of my mum because before then it wasn’t easy.”

Since then, Magixx has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most talented rising acts. His series of features and singles have showcased his talent and knack for teasing out melodies that track his life experiences. While most of Magixx’s past songs have confronted the dilemma of romantic attraction and the thrills of being upwardly mobile, he’s now firmly in a place where, as his music has evolved, he wants to share more of his story. ‘Vibration’, a sweltering 2024 collaboration with rapper Jeriq, sounds like a chest-thumping flex but its subtext is a quest to always be certain of one’s worth. “We go through a lot of stuff that's not dependent on whether we’re successful or not,” he says. “People see you on Instagram and think everything is fine but it’s not always rosy. I’ve had to understand that everything you want will always be ahead of you and that’s my message now.”

Much of his debut album, ‘I Dream In Colour’, stays faithful to that objective, playing out like an inner monologue that contends with where he’s come from and how he’s evolved since encountering fame. It’s a collection of slippery mid-tempo jaunts that explore hurt, anger, elation and hope with a level of fastidiousness that’s as disarming as it is intense. ‘Winter & Summer’, a lovelorn anthem about being unable to move on from a lover, flows into ‘Okay’ that grapples with the battle scars of being on the threshold of superstardom. “This is me telling the world about who I am,” he explains. “This album is my reality. It’s also for people working towards their aspirations – it’s for the dreamers.”

The album’s been ready for a while but he delayed putting it out to ensure the fidelity of what he was putting on record. “I wanted to take the time to experience certain things to be sure that some songs were right,” he says. “I had to experience my fair share of setbacks to be certain about the integrity of the feelings because it’s self-reflective music. There are very few love songs because it’s a very realistic album.”

As our conversation ends, I ask Magixx if there is one word that can describe what this album might do for anyone who listens to it. He ponders on it a while and decides otherwise: “I think people will get up on their feet,” he tells me. “I want them to be inspired to do things because sometimes life can knock us off our feet. Regardless of what’s happening, we need to keep chasing what we desire. That’s the message I’m trying to pass with this album: the need for that steadfastness.”