Nigerian singer-songwriter Jiire Smith is quietly carving out a space where vulnerability and exceptional songwriting coexist. From the heartfelt honesty of I’ll Be Fine to the deeply personal storytelling on Diamond in the Process, his music has resonated with listeners who find pieces of their own lives in his lyrics.

Behind the music is an artist who values authenticity over attention, choosing intention, solitude, and emotional honesty over chasing trends. Whether reflecting on creative discipline, navigating growth, or staying true to the voice that first inspired his audience, Jiire continues to prove that some of the most powerful artistry comes from simply telling the truth.

In this deeply reflective conversation with Glazia, Jiire speaks about vulnerability, creative discipline, the courage to remain original, and why he believes he’ll always be “a diamond in the process.” Enjoy the conversation!

Jiire Smith on Solitude, Songwriting and Staying True to the Voice That Started It All

G: You wrote your hit song I’ll Be Fine when you were just 16 years old and chose to release it exactly as it was. What gave you the confidence at that age to trust your raw, untouched perspective?

JS: I think what made me trust the raw, untouched perspective of I’ll Be Fine was that it was the exact representation of the feeling and experience I was trying to capture.

When I was producing the EP, I shared the raw version with my manager. I also went back to the studio to replay and re-record it, but I just couldn’t recreate the same emotion. There’s something about the purity of the first time you do something very difficult to replicate, especially when you’re creating with a goal in mind, like, “This has to be a great song for the EP.”

That wasn’t what I was thinking when I first wrote it. To preserve that feeling, I decided to stick with what was at the core of the song: the emotion and the experience.

G: You often describe yourself as a “diamond in the process.” When you listen to that younger version of yourself in your early music, how does it help you navigate your personal growth and creative changes today?

JS: I think the younger version of myself was obsessed with writing and simply pouring out what I felt.

These days, with the busyness of performances, studio sessions, and all the social media stuff you have to do to stay visible, you can sometimes forget what was at the core of why you started.

So I return to that younger version of myself. I run away, find solitude, write again, and just be the person I was before all the attention, applause, and criticism.

For me, personal growth and creative change should still reflect the core nature of the work, which is creating music that connects with people. At least, that’s what I like.

G: Bus 170 began as a deeply personal story but quickly became an anthem for so many listeners. How did seeing others connect so intensely with your private experiences change your approach to songwriting? Did it make you want to open up more, or did it make you feel more protective of your narrative?

JS: The most interesting part about Bus 170 was realizing that a story that felt so deeply mine turned out to be so many other people’s story too.

People would come up to me, and we’d end up sitting together for an hour while they told me their life experiences. I didn’t even know these people, but they related so deeply to the song.

When I released it, I was still in my second year of university. I was about 19. I was basically a child, yet I found myself listening to people in their thirties sharing their lives with me.

What it made me realize is that the specificity of our experiences is actually a tool for reaching others because millions of people have lived through similar things.

It didn’t make me more protective of my story. Music is a form of catharsis for me. Writing about the things I’ve needed to heal from, and even releasing them, has helped me grow. So I’m still very open and personal in my music.

G: Your track Celebrate beautifully balances joyful energy with the reflective realities of a difficult journey. What inspired that specific emotional contrast, and what headspace were you in when you created it?

JS: Yeah, it’s a complete contrast because the song is about celebrating, but it almost sounds sad.

The feeling I wanted was this: imagine you’ve been on a very long journey. You’ve walked for miles; you’re exhausted, but you can finally see the destination ahead.

At that point, you don’t necessarily need someone screaming, “Keep going!”

Sometimes you just need a gentle voice saying, “You’re almost there. Keep going.”

That quiet encouragement was the feeling that guided Celebrate.

Download the PR Power List Special Issue magazine to read his entire interview at www.glaziang.com/magazine