Gyakie, the Ghanaian musician also known as Jackline Acheampong, has opened up about the challenges she faced at the start of her career.

In an interview with BBC Africa, Gyakie revealed that after the success of her hit song “Forever,” she felt immense pressure from fans to continuously produce hit songs.

Gyakie admitted that the pressure often brought her to tears. She explained, “If I’m yelled at or feel pressured, I’ll grab a tissue and cry. I don’t like being pressured or shouted at.”

She further shared, “At the start of my career, I would cry almost every three days at home because the pressure became overwhelming, especially after ‘Forever’ became a hit.”

The ‘Rent Free’ hitmaker explained that while the expectation to create hit songs can be motivating, it becomes challenging when it feels like an overwhelming pressure to constantly deliver. She added, “It’s good when it feels like motivation, but it’s a different story when it starts to feel like you’re pressuring me to do something.”

However, Gyakie shared that over time, she has grown more resilient. She has gained a better understanding of the music industry and learned how to handle criticism and negative comments, especially those on social media.

Gyakie further explained, “It took me a while to get used to negative criticism, especially when it came from a place of malice. At first, hurtful things people said about me online would affect me. But now, when I see something untrue about me, I shrug it off and think, ‘Someone get me some water to drink because the country is already tough.’”

Despite the challenges, Gyakie has established herself as one of Ghana’s most celebrated female artists, proving her resilience and determination. Her hit single, “Forever,” has surpassed 150 million combined streams, and she continues to release hit after hit, thriving in the music industry.