Llona Is Finding Himself ‘On The Road’

Llona is motion personified. The effects of frequent relocations as a youngster growing up in Kano State and Northern Nigeria—which forms part of the basis of his successful debut album ‘Homeless’—made him accustomed to the idea of seeking out success through a nomadic lifestyle. As a child, he was never in one place long enough to make new friends. 

However, since embarking on a monumental nationwide tour spanning across 25 cities for most of 2025, thousands have found solace and companionship with Llona off the strength of his music. Beyond storytelling, Llona’s music serves as a mirror (both for himself and for others) to examine who we really are, what we struggle with, and the catharsis that comes from overcoming those obstacles. As an artist constantly on the move, he has had to learn those lessons on the road. Documenting this process over the last two years created the framework for what is now his sophomore album, ‘On The Road.’ 

“We’ve been on the road for several months after ‘Homeless,’ which was a very vital part for the second album,” Llona tells NATIVE Mag. “If that was not done, there was no way the second album would be in the works. This whole album was built from motion and for motion.” 

The tour’s success was remarkable considering the ongoing concerns about insecurity around the country. As an artist who first made his mark battling other rappers in the court of public opinion, Llona cannot overestimate the importance of sharing the music with the fans. “The tour was a way for everyone to experience the album like they’ve never experienced before,” he says. “Getting to see them gave me a feeling that my people will always be my people.”

Above all, Llona aims to make his fans feel seen. That’s why his shows often feel like a collective outpouring of emotions from people who feel less alone in their silent battles after the experience. He is not a preacher nor therapist, he doesn’t claim to be; but his depth and authenticity in a shallow world gives those who interact with his music a way back to themselves.

Through the release of ‘Homeless’ and the duration of the tour, though, Llona admits he has changed a lot. “I became dangerous; more resilient, more experienced,” he explains. “Everything that comes with the job was something that I learnt while doing it. So it made me a different type of person. We could make a plan and something goes bad, but I promise you, I’m still active.” He credits his team as a major influence in the growth of his career; a set of innovative, forward thinking individuals that have guided and protected his creative process even when it is least convenient. 

One particular incident while on the Homeless Nationwide Tour stood out: “I had to go on stage at 1AM in Umuahia and Mide asked me not to because he didn’t like the stage. He had them redo certain things and these people were patient enough to wait. After everything, at about 2 or 3AM, I performed and it was beautiful. On this tour, I learnt that plans can change.”

After the tour, Llona needed time to recover from the tour’s intensity and finetune his ideas. Now in 2026, he is ready to go again. He released “Dead Flowers” while on the Homeless Nationwide Tour in 2025 and performed it at the final show in Lagos. His decision to withhold singles in the buildup to his latest album ‘On The Road’ was a bold one that was difficult for his team to accept. “It was very intentional,” he admits. “Right from the start, in 2024, I knew that‘s how I wanted to do it. I wanted it to come as a brand new full album. I didn’t want the singles to dilute the full excitement of it. You don’t know what you’re expecting, just like the way I was, not knowing how it was going to turn out. I wanted them to have that feeling too.”

While the tour turned out to be a creative catalyst for his latest work, it was, first of all, a vehicle for extensive post-release promotion of ‘Homeless.’ This time around, however, Llona is releasing ‘On The Road’ in its entirety, aiming to prove that its impact will be felt without a traditional rollout. “Before we even got to the music aspect, there was a lot of psychological work I had to do,” he says. “I wanted to know a lot of stuff. I like to read a lot. I figured out there was a ‘sophomore curse’  around artists doing their second albums. I wanted to know why it was that way. I had a lot of questions and I got answers to them.”

Following his stunning debut, Llona continues to unravel before his audience. ‘On The Road’ is an attempt to question interactions with both his inner and outer worlds, explored through an array of lyrics that carry themes of trust, lust, emotional control and positive portrayals of masculinity wrapped up in mellow, Jazz-influenced production. Being exposed to the perks of superstardom has given him a platform to test his personal growth in real time, and he sings about the times he has fallen short despite his best intentions. “‘Anger Management’ made me realize all the times where you know anger is a bad reaction in the moment, and you promise yourself to work on it,” he starts, “But when the moment shows up again, you forget all the things you tell yourself, making the same mistakes.” 

Always with his heart on his sleeve, the vulnerability in Llona’s music has turned into his biggest strength. Across the project’s twelve tracks, we’re taken through a cohesive body of work that requires your ears and heart in equal measure. He creates pockets where his raspy vocals intertwine with subtle bounces to make you dance, sweetening an already intimate and wholesome experience. 

Llona packs a short but impactful guest list on the album, collaborating only with those who could add colour to his story. “I was chilling in Ghana when Blacko (Black Sherif) asked me to come over to his place,” he says about the creation of the album’s third single, “Cry.” “I felt like I needed to play the album for him, top to bottom, just so he could understand what I was trying to do. Next thing I know, he starts to turn off the lights, he gets in the zone and starts recording.”

Llona weaves musings about the loss of friendships on the journey to stardom into a vibrant, bouncy instrumental. Morrelo’s smooth vocals contribute a layer of warmth to an emotionally dense record that is “Different Pictures.” “During ‘Homeless’, I went over to see Morrelo to finish a song. I heard him play an instrumental from his phone and I got so moved that I asked that we record on it. He had plans for the instrumental but he trusted the energy that I had about the song and let me have it.”

‘On The Road’ also had moments of near misses. Llona had initially planned to feature Tems on “Masculine Love” but wasn’t able to due to scheduling conflicts. “It’s a special record for me and I chose that name because it’s provocative,” he explains.” I think masculinity is being preached to our women wrongly. We cannot survive in an environment where our women are being taught to hate us.”

With the release of his second album, it feels like the work has only just begun for Llona. So, what impact does he expect ‘On The Road’ to have on his career? “I want my fans to completely know me. I don’t want them to second-guess the fact that they know Llona. I want them to know that I’m a crazy guy. I never beg for anything. I want them to know that we are up forever.”

Listen to ‘On The Road’ here. 

The post Llona Is Finding Himself ‘On The Road’ appeared first on The NATIVE.