Some songs arrive quickly. Others refuse to leave.
For Darkoo, “That Girl” belonged firmly in the second category.
When Billboard Africa catches up with the British-Nigerian star, she’s only days away from releasing the single alongside one of Afrobeats’ biggest names, Asake. On paper, it looks like another high-profile collaboration following the runaway success of “Favourite Girl,” the record that became one of the defining African crossover hits of the past year. But listening to her tell the story, “That Girl” feels less like a calculated follow-up than a lesson in patience.
“I’ve always believed timing is everything,” Darkoo says, smiling. “With music and with God, if you put the two together, you’ll go far.”
That belief is woven through every stage of the song’s journey.
Darkoo reveals that “That Girl” was originally written nearly a year ago with someone entirely different in mind — a South African global star she hoped would feature on the record. The collaboration never materialised, but the idea refused to disappear. Instead, she kept returning to it.
“I dropped other records after that,” she recalls. “But every time I listened back, I thought, ‘This song is mad.’ I couldn’t leave it behind.”
Months later, after returning from Australia, she found herself sitting alone in her car before sunrise, microphone plugged into her laptop, re-recording the vocals.
“I wanted to give it a different take,” she says. “A little more confidence. A little more sexy.”
The next morning, she woke up with one thought: Asake.
“I texted him, went back to sleep, woke up again and he’d sent me his number.” Within two days, the verse was back.
For an artist she openly describes as her “favourite artist,” the collaboration became one of those rare moments where instinct and timing aligned perfectly. Rather than asking Asake to revisit the amapiano-infused sound that helped define much of his global success, Darkoo intentionally imagined him somewhere different.
“I wanted people to hear him on something they hadn’t really heard before,” she explains. “That Afro-dancehall energy felt exciting.” The chemistry is immediate.
Built around vibrant percussion and melodic hooks, “That Girl” feels effortless, but beneath the infectious production sits something far more intentional: confidence. Not the performative kind often associated with pop music, but something more internal. “I want every woman to feel like she’s that girl after listening to this track,” she says. “It’s like a superpower.”
That idea extends far beyond the music itself.
Throughout our conversation, Darkoo repeatedly returns to women, not only as listeners, but as the creative centre of her world. Her videos intentionally place women at the forefront because, as she puts it, “they’re the majority of my fanbase.”
“I want them to see themselves,” she says. “I want girls watching my videos to feel connected.”
That same thinking unexpectedly spilled into fashion.
What began as customised T-shirts made for the Favourite Girl video evolved into Fav Girl, her growing clothing brand. Originally intended as simple memorabilia for fans, the demand transformed it into something much bigger.
“I’ve always loved fashion,” she says. “It almost happened by accident, but sometimes that’s how the best things happen.”
The overlap between music, style and identity feels increasingly natural for an artist whose creative universe continues expanding beyond records alone.
If “Favourite Girl” introduced Darkoo to a wider global audience, “That Girl” feels like the sound of someone becoming even more comfortable in her own voice.
As our conversation draws to a close, she doesn’t describe the song as simply another release.
She describes it as something listeners can carry with them.
“I want people to put this song in their handbag before they go out,” she laughs. “Whether you’re about to pass your exams, walk into a meeting or just have the best night of your life — I want it to make you feel unstoppable.”
For Darkoo, that’s always been the point. Not simply making a hit. Making women feel like they already are one.
