Nigerian Singer Fave Heats Up The Dancefloor with “Cold Outside”

The award-winning Nigerian singer teams up with Dre Skull for a bouncy Afro-dancehall crossover release. “I love to lean into that side of me that appreciates dancehall music, and Dre Skull’s sound is very dancehall,” she shared

Nigerian singer Fave gets the dancefloor busy

Acclaimed producer Dre Skull continues his run of crossover bangers with a new dancefloor-driven release. Award-winning Nigerian singer Fave sets the clubs in motion on her latest single, “Cold Outside.”

The bouncy club banger, produced by Dre Skull under his own Mixpak Records, was inspired by a beat that immediately caught Fave’s attention, sparking the creative direction behind the track.

“Dre Skull and I were in the studio earlier this year. I was recording songs and just trying to get ready for my album and Cold Outside was among the first songs that we created when we found ourselves in the studio alone without other artists there. And it was just a bang on arrival once I hit the beat, I just knew that what we would create would be fire because I love to lean into that side of me that appreciates dancehall music and Dre Skull’s call is very dancehall,” Fave explained.

She further added, “I think when you hear that type of beats, you immediately think of the club and getting crazy in the club. I just remember saying, 'is it cold outside, is it cold outside because here, the whole club is hot hot hot” and we went from there. It just gave the club energy and I leaned into that.”

Fave, who collaborated with dancehall artiste Masicka on the track Fight For Us (featured on Masicka’s Generation of Kings album), was nominated in the 2022 All African Music Awards in three categories, including Best African in African Reggae/Dancehall.

Speaking on her creative chemistry with the Billboard-charting, Grammy-nominated producer Dre Skull, Fave described the partnership as fluid and collaborative. “Working with Dre is awesome. We’re able to pick each other’s brains at any point in the session. He’s very open to trying new things, and so am I,” she said. “Sometimes when I’m singing, Dre will suggest switching a word or trying a line a different way. He has such a great ear for music.”

She added that their shared instincts often lead to creative dilemmas in the best way. “When his ideas and my intuition clash, it’s always a conundrum because both sides make so much sense. I weigh my options and choose the better one, but I love that process. I love working with a producer who’s truly about making music-the full composition, the full journey-and Dre is fully in it.”

Fave, who studied law in South-Western Nigeria, has released two EPs to date - 2022’s Riddim 5 and 2024’s Dutty Love. She was also featured on Davido’s Grammy-nominated album Timeless on the track “Kante.”