It might seem counterintuitive to think about a sad person’s happiness but rising Nigerian singer Salle knows a thing or two about performative joy. “I used to struggle a lot with actually believing in myself and my craft,” the Owerri-hailing singer tells Apple Music. “Even when amazing things were happening, I felt very comfortable in believing that once something is too good, it will definitely go bad. So, the best thing I could do then was go out more, smile more, laugh more and be the loudest. Sometimes, when I went out, I didn’t want to go back home because I knew when I got back home, there was no pretence anymore.” Only Sad People Smile is a journal of the heartbreak, crippling doubt and self-sabotage Salle faced after a video of her singing in Eastern Nigeria went viral in 2021. Deeply marked by that turbulent period of her life, the singer born Peters Kosisochukwu retreated to the studio to take stock of her life, deconstructing her feelings in a bid to heal and understand herself. The result is a curt body of work that switches between the nihilistic impulses that gave birth to this project and some illuminating tidbits that hint at her maturity. “If I lose myself wetin I go gain,” she sings on “Pressure”. All in all, Salle envisioned Only Sad People Smile as a salve for folks unsure about how to react to feeling overwhelmed and downcast. “I want people to understand that it is OK not to smile when you don’t feel like it,” she says. “Sometimes, life doesn’t give us reasons to smile. I want people to realise that it’s OK to dwell in sadness. When the time comes for you to be genuinely happy, you will be happy.” Below, Salle talks us through Only Sad People Smile, track by track. “Therapy” “‘Therapy’ is the song I broke out with. It’s very personal to me because every word I said, every lyric I wrote was exactly how I was feeling in the moment. It’s only fair for me to finally let the world listen to it in its full glory and understand where I’m coming from. You know when it feels like you’re trying to do so many things at the same time, but then you’re not doing anything—that’s the feeling I was going for. I felt really lost, and that’s what really inspired ‘Therapy’.” “Underskirt” “I made this one about women. This is me expressing my genuine respect and love for women because I’ve experienced things, growing up more with my mom. So, I’ve experienced her struggles, the way she’s been seen and addressed by people with societal differences. Even in the world of today, we see how women are being addressed just because of how they dress. So, in this song, I’m telling the world that there’s more to women than just the skirt they wear. Respect her more, get to know her and get to love her.” “Pressure” “‘Pressure’ was produced by Saszy. It’s about that feeling of being pressured. Sometimes, I feel the pressure to be something I’m not or do something I don’t feel like doing or deliver something I’m supposed to take my time to perfect. The whole pressure of those instances is what inspired this song.” “Rebound” “I went through heartbreaks during the period of my life that inspired this project. I found myself in a relationship/friendship where I felt like the rebound. I had similar characteristics to the person who this person was getting over. So I was the rebound; it’s a very literal song.” “Psycho” “I’m talking about a girl who is in love with a mad person. It was all good in the beginning, now it’s going all psycho. It’s a repetitive cycle, and I’m just singing about it honestly.” “If You Leave” (with Ayo Maff) “‘If You Leave’ is about a girl being vulnerable. I mean, I was very vulnerable and very stupid at that point in my life. You’re vulnerable and you’re stupid, but then you just want to feel loved, that’s it. Sometimes, regardless of how toxic or how little that love comes in, you still want that love.” “Umeya” “‘Umeya’ is a song I listen to when I’m getting carried away. This is my reality check. I wrote it just to make sure I have a glimpse of reality. Anytime I feel like I have it all, I remember that we’re just living to die, and life is really not as rosy as we think it is. So it’s like a wake-up call for me.”