Blog

FOLA samples Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech at Harvard University’s Class Day in May 2018 on “How Many,” a track off his album “9.”

The song features excerpts from Adichie’s address, in which she discusses fear, procrastination and the balance between self-doubt and self-belief. In the speech, she says, “Procrastinating is a form of fear and it is difficult to acknowledge fear.”

Another excerpt focuses on the role of confidence and uncertainty in creative work: “You cannot create anything of value without both self-doubt and self-belief. Without self-doubt, you become complacent. Without self-belief, you cannot succeed. You need both.”

Adichie is listed as a composer in the credits for “How Many.”

Beyoncé previously sampled Adichie’s work on her 2013 song “Flawless,” which incorporated excerpts from the author’s TEDxEuston talk, “We Should All Be Feminists.” The talk examined gender inequality and feminism, introducing Adichie’s ideas to a wider audience through the song.

With “How Many,” FOLA incorporates Adichie’s reflections on fear and confidence into a track from “9,” following Beyoncé’s earlier use of the author’s words in popular music.