Discover Uwade: From Stanford’s Classrooms to Its Stages

With a voice that first captivated audiences as the opening of Fleet Foxes’ Grammy-nominated Shore, singer-songwriter Uwade has quietly become a luminous presence in contemporary music. After touring with indie and R&B favorites like The Strokes, Jamila Woods, and Sylvan Esso, she now steps confidently into the spotlight with her debut album, Florilegium.

This April, Uwade brings a special performance to The Studio with selections from Florilegium, bringing the album’s warmth and introspection to life. We had the chance to chat with Uwade recently and, drawn to her unique relationship to our university and her pursuit of both academic and artistic excellence, asked,

"What is the story to discover behind Uwade?"

Uwade’s musical roots run wide and deep, stretching across multiple genres from pop, indie-folk, R&B, hip hop, rap, and afrobeats. Raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, she became heavily involved in church choral communities.

Uwade resisted being defined solely as a performer. Drawn equally to music and academics, she pursued both with intensity—studying, writing, and performing—all in parallel. 

Falling in love with the world of classic literature, she enrolled at Columbia University, followed by a Master’s degree at the University of Oxford. Currently, she is a PhD candidate of Languages and Literature in Stanford’s Department of Classics.

Now, she spends her days researching fables, poetry, and philosophy, specifically Greek and Roman literature. Alongside her academic work, she has also built a career as a professional musician, balancing two demanding paths that continue to unfold in parallel. So it’s no wonder that Uwade’s songs draw us into worlds and realities touched by Greek myths, Roman fables, and Nigerian proverbs. Described as a songwriter with a “studied, careful hand,” (Grandstand Media), Uwade seamlessly melds her academic pursuits with a thorough introspection of her everyday lived experience through her music.

Uwade’s academic background and artistic endeavors intersected when, while reviewing texts for class, she stumbled upon the word Florilegium, Latin for “a collection of flowers.” She had been searching for a debut album title that would  provide an introduction to her evolving, multifaceted life. “Florilegium”—which has transformed over the course of history, now referring to a curated collection of literature, or “literary bouquet”—seemed to perfectly encapsulate her artistic journey.

Nigerian-born and North Carolina-raised, Uwade’s work is informed by both the perspectives and stories  of past generations, meshed with her own lived experiences and the communities she interacted with growing up in Charlotte. 

Each track on Florilegium stand distinct all on their own, coming together in a garden of music and writing that represents Uwade’s upbringing. “Clearer Through You” tackles grief and the loss of her father, while “Amenaghawon” references larger Nigerian proverbs passed down by her mother. Meanwhile, “Call It A Draw” dances freely and playfully—or, as her mother describes it, “a hot song… something with a little salt and pepper.”  

“It's exciting to kind of add to the chorus of Nigerian artists, because generally, Nigerians are very proud, like they're very proud people, it feels good to sort of have a team behind me, supporting me,” says Uwade, who draws inspiration from some of her favorite Nigerian artists such as Fela Kuti, Burna Boy, and Rema.  “So there's always going to be that side of me that feels very proud and representative of West Africa. But I also have my own experience of growing up into that fusion, I think (that) is what's most exciting to share more than anything.”

Despite the rigor and structure often associated with research and academics, Uwade often finds herself welcoming unexpected and serendipitous developments, battling perfectionism in her production process, and accepting the beauty and the magic in imperfection. Uwade celebrates those human flaws: if you listen closely, you’ll find improvised, unfinished first-takes that are included in the final versions of her songs.

Uwade is careful to ensure that her creative process is not overshadowed by her academic life. 

More and more, Uwade creates a distinction between her two selves: the academic and the artist. Fantasy and fable fuels her artistry, but she intentionally separates herself from academics, using writing as a reflective mirror that allows her to escape from her work and tune into and channel her own lived experience. 

Eventually, though, Uwade believes the double life will have to fade as she works toward pursuing her dreams as a full-time artist. “Up to a certain point, it’s possible to juggle 15 things like we do,” she says. “But I feel like Beyoncé wasn’t like, ‘Oh, should I be a consultant, or give myself to the pop star life?’ She just had to pick one.” 

Uwade’s still figuring out her next move, but it’s clear that music is in it. “And I don’t want to be like Beyoncé,” she laughs, “but I think she makes good decisions.”

Hear more of Uwade’s thoughts on the future :