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21-year-old Libianca has been into music for many years now. She has to her credit a number of songs, including ‘Special Loving’, ‘My Place’, and ‘Thank You’.
But it was her song ‘People’ that gave her the spotlight and shot her high to the billboard charts. The song went viral on the social media platform, Tik Tok, and the rest was history. Users of the app began to duet the song, and others acted out scenes to the audio, causing it to spread.
‘People’ talks about handling depression and the lack of attention from loved ones in times of sorrow and hardship.
Currently, (week of January 7, 2022), stands at number 5 on the Billboard U.S Afrobeats chart, from 9th place last week.
Many artists and promoters have since expressed their love for the project, with America’s Chris Brown and Nigeria’s Joeboy joining the queue.
But like with all entertainment fame, Libianca’s newfound glory has not left her immune to attacks and controversies. Many have called her out for not recognising their support for her on social media platforms.
Others too have come to her defense stating that Cameroonians did not give her the newfound fame and so have no right to tell her what to do. They also argue that sharing her works should not be to seek recognition but to encourage the art.
“We can only strategize to tap from her viral moment, not the other way round…” wrote Digital Creator and Vlogger, Eric S Bannav.
Libianca herself has been mute over the controversies and continues to prioritise her music. Beyond the figures, she would have to break the spell of one-song wonders many artists face. This would not only maintain her relevance but give her a larger and more impactful body of work to hinge on for negotiating power and cashing out fatter paychecks.
The female singer is one of many Cameroonian artists based in the diaspora making waves in the entertainment scene. Her success comes as another push factor, giving many of her kind the hope of breaking into the Cameroon music market through success elsewhere.
Libianca was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States of America in 2001, to parents of Cameroon’s North West Regional origin. At the age of four, she was brought to Cameroon alongside her brother, where they were raised. She later attended an all-girls boarding school before returning to the US to meet her father at a teenage.
She also devoted time to work on her craft, building her interest in music. In 2019, she took part in The Voice music show. Today, she remains attached to her roots, often describing herself as the girl from Bamenda.
Fun fact: Her name Libianca is a melange of Liane and Bianca, both names her parents wanted to bestow on her at birth.
