During a recent appearance on the WithChude podcast, the
‘Johnny’ hitmaker recounted her experience with the habit, which she said began
as an experiment but quickly spiraled.

Alade, 36, described a period where she “started needing to
smoke before I go to bed,” acknowledging she was becoming addicted to the
lifestyle.

The situation, she said, created an internal conflict for
her. The singer said she found herself living a double life, hiding her
cigarettes in public to maintain her image. According to her, the secrecy
became the catalyst for her decision to stop.

“When I was at the university, I tried smoking. It did not
work out. Before it did not work out, it worked out a bit too much. In that I
started needing to smoke before I go to bed,” she said.

“I was getting addicted to that lifestyle. But also in
public, I would hide the cigarettes. So I was like, what is this life, the
discomfort that I cannot go to bed without smoking, and when I go out, I am
going to hide.

“As a teenager in the university, trying to find life, I
also made some decisions for myself that if I was going to hide to do
something, I am not going to do it. Because I like to be aware of my
environment, my decisions, and I just said I do not think cigarettes are for
me. And they affect my voice anyway.”

The ‘Mama Africa’ hitmaker said despite the addiction, her
self-imposed discipline kicked in. She revealed that the smoking phase lasted
less than a year, crediting her ability to set strict personal boundaries.

“Smoking did not last for me up to a year. I am a kind of
person who can be stubborn. I make ultimatums for myself in my head, and I try
my best to stand by them. But I get tempted every now and then, like every
other human being,” she added.