A Ghanaian student’s love song held the top spot in Nigeria for four weeks. In 2021, Gyakie’s “Forever” remix, featuring Omah Lay, sat at number one on the TurnTable Top 50, Nigeria’s official chart. Few Ghanaian songs had done that, and Gyakie was barely twenty.
Highlife blood
Gyakie was born Jackline Acheampong. She is the daughter of the highlife singer Nana Acheampong, one half of the Lumba Brothers with Daddy Lumba. She grew up in Kumasi around music and later studied at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Seed
“Forever” was released in 2020 on Seed, her breakout EP of five songs. It was a gentle, mid-tempo love song with a simple, catchy hook. The EP gathered millions of streams across platforms.
The remix
Gyakie wanted a male perspective for the remix, because the original was written from a woman’s point of view. She has said Omah Lay was the first artist she thought of. The Nigerian singer was rising fast after his 2020 hits. The remix was released on 19 March 2021.
Number one in Nigeria
The remix spread quickly on Nigerian radio, TikTok and streaming platforms. It reached number one on the TurnTable Top 50 and stayed there for four weeks. Its success in Lagos turned Gyakie into one of the most talked-about new voices in West Africa.
The video
The remix video paired the two singers and added to the song’s appeal. By August 2023 it had passed 50 million views on YouTube, and 3Music reported in May 2026 that it had surpassed 100 million.
Her voice
Gyakie’s voice is soft and smoky, and she rarely oversings. That restraint helped “Forever” cut through louder Afrobeats records. It also drew comparisons with her father’s highlife phrasing.
A song for both countries
The remix worked because each singer stayed in their own lane. Gyakie kept the soft, patient phrasing of the original, and Omah Lay answered in his low, unhurried Port Harcourt style. Neither tried to outshine the other. Listeners in Accra heard a Ghanaian song with a Nigerian guest, and listeners in Lagos heard a Nigerian hit with a Ghanaian voice at its centre. That double ownership is rare, and it explains why the song kept climbing long after its release.
After Forever
Gyakie followed with more releases, including the EP My Diary and singles such as “Something”, building a career beyond one hit. She has performed across Africa and Europe and remains one of the best-known young Ghanaian female artists.
What it showed
For years, Ghanaian artists complained that Nigerian audiences ignored them. “Forever” was one of several songs that changed that conversation. A love song from Kumasi, sung softly, found its biggest audience in Lagos.
