Trending in Libianca’s World
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Walk Away
Released Dec 8, 2023
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Story
Quick Facts
Born
2000
2000
From
Cameroon
Cameroon
Journey
Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji was born on July 23, 2000, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but her roots trace back to Bamenda, Cameroon. When she was four, her mother moved the family to Bamenda to avoid deportation, and it was there that she spent much of her early childhood. She grew up singing in church choirs, learned to play guitar in boarding school, and often looks back on those years as deeply formative. Her Facebook bio proudly reads, “IT’S LIBIANCA FROM BAMENDA,” a nod to the city she still considers home. After about six years in Cameroon, she returned to the United States as a teenager, carrying with her a mix of Cameroonian heritage and American upbringing that would later shape her music.
Music was part of her life almost from the beginning. She remembers being drawn to it as early as age five or six, first through school chapels and church services in Cameroon. Initially shy about sharing her voice, she kept her songwriting private until encouragement from family gave her the confidence to perform. By her teenage years, back in the U.S., she was already recording in studios, blending the African sounds she grew up with —Afrobeats, Makossa, and gospel—with the R&B and pop she absorbed in America. Those early influences, together with church choirs and open-mic nights, laid the foundation for the artist she would become.
Her first brush with fame came in 2021, when she competed on Season 21 of NBC’s The Voice under Blake Shelton’s team. She made it to the live shows and reached the Top 20, with her soulful covers of Billie Eilish’s Everything I Wanted and Doja Cat’s Woman gaining recognition and eventually being released as singles. The following year she signed with 5K Records and Sony, and in December 2022, she released 'People' (Check On Me), a song inspired by her own experience with cyclothymia. Honest and vulnerable, it quickly became a global hit, peaking at #2 on both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Afrobeats Chart, making her the first Cameroonian artist to reach the UK Top 10. Remixes with Ayra Starr, Omah Lay, Cian Ducrot, and Becky G only pushed the song further, and by mid-2023, it had clocked hundreds of millions of streams worldwide.
With her breakout success came more opportunities. In 2023, she opened for Alicia Keys on the Keys to the Summer tour, performed at the BET Awards pre-show, and joined Becky G onstage at Coachella. She also released Jah, a spiritually charged single, which she later performed on A COLORS SHOW. That December, she dropped her debut EP 'Walk Away,' a six-track project featuring collaborations with Oxlade, Chlöe Bailey, Blaqbonez, and MOLIY, showcasing her seamless fusion of Afrobeats, R&B, and soul.
Her career continued to flourish in 2024 and 2025 with a steady flow of singles, including God’s People, a charity release to support victims of Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, Promiscuous with DJ Tunez and Wande Coal, Side with KJ Spio and Harmonize, Darling with Lewis Fitzgerald, No Water, and Up or Down with DeJ Loaf and Runtown. These releases confirmed her as one of the most versatile and sought-after voices in the Afrobeats and R&B space.
Beyond music, Libianca has become known for her activism. Her release of God’s People in 2024 was part of a fundraising effort for victims of the Anglophone crisis, and she has spoken openly about her desire for peace in her home country, even in the face of backlash and threats. Carrying the Cameroonian flag onstage, she has made it clear that her art is not only about self-expression but also about healing and unity.
Her sound is often described as Afro-soul, sitting at the crossroads of Afrobeats, R&B, and gospel. She sings in English, Cameroonian Pidgin, and French, reflecting her bicultural upbringing, and her voice—smooth, expressive, and soulful—has been praised for its ability to convey raw emotion. Songs like People resonated globally because of their openness, showing her willingness to talk about mental health struggles and encouraging others to check in on loved ones.
Although she generally keeps her personal life private, Libianca has been open about her experience living with cyclothymia, a theme that has influenced her songwriting. She studied at Macalester College in Minnesota before leaving to fully pursue music, a decision that proved transformative. She continues to embrace her Cameroonian heritage, often incorporating it into her fashion and performances while balancing her American identity.
Recognition has followed quickly. In 2023 she won the BET Viewers’ Choice Best New International Act award, becoming the first Cameroonian artist to do so. That same year she was nominated for an MTV VMA for Best Afrobeats Video, and in 2024 her breakout hit People earned a BRIT Award nomination for Best International Song. Publications such as The Guardian, BBC, Rolling Stone, and Complex have all highlighted her as one of the most promising artists of her generation, with Rolling Stone calling her “the Afro-Soul siren who can do everything.” With millions of monthly listeners and chart success across continents, Libianca has carved out her place as a rising global star whose music speaks as much to personal struggle as it does to collective healing.
