| Libianca | |||||||||
| Birth Name: | Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 23 July 2000 | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.[1] | ||||||||
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Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji (born July 23, 2000), known mononymously as Libianca, is a Cameroonian and American singer. She is best known for her breakout single "People" (2022). She previously competed in the 21st season of American TV show The Voice in 2021.
Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji was born on July 23, 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] [3] In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Libianca recalled that when she was four years old, her family experienced issues with immigration. Her mother decided to have the family relocate to Bamenda, Cameroon, before they could be deported.[4] In her upbringing in Bamenda, Libianca sung in gospel choirs and attended a boarding school, where she learned how to play the guitar.[5]
In 2021, Libianca competed on the twenty-first season of NBC's The Voice, where Blake Shelton was her coach.[6] [7] She made her way to the top 20 before being eliminated.[8] Her covers of "Everything I Wanted" and "Woman" on the show were later released as singles via West Side Creative Agency.
| Performances on The Voice season 21 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Theme | Song | Original Artist | Order | Original Air Date | Result |
| Blind Auditions | "Good Days" | SZA | 5.8 | October 4, 2021 | Ariana and Blake turned; Joined Team Blake | |
| Battles (Top 48) | "Save Your Tears" | The Weeknd | 8.2 | October 12, 2021 | Saved by coach | |
| Knockouts (Top 32) | "Everything I Wanted" | Billie Eilish | 11.5 | October 25, 2021 | ||
| Live Playoffs (Top 20) | "Woman" | Doja Cat | 15.17 | November 8, 2021 | Eliminated | |
Libianca signed to 5K Records and Sony in 2022.[9] In December of that year, she released "People", a song inspired by her cyclothymia. The song debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard Afrobeats chart, at No. 1 in UK Afrobeats chart, peaked at No. 2 in UK Official chart, and received wide attention across social media.[10]
Libianca performed as an opening at Alicia Keys' 2023 Keys to the Summer Tour.[11]
Libianca takes influence from genres prevalent in her upbringing, such as Cameroonian music, Nigerian music, and highlife. She describes her music as an "intersection of R&B, Afrobeats, [and] soul". Her songwriting has been praised by publications such as Complex UK for its honesty.[12]
In April 2024, Libianca announced that she was postponing her North American tour following death threats for performing with a Cameroonian flag issued by separatists fighting in the Anglophone Crisis. The separatists consider the Cameroonian flag brandished by the singer as a sign of support for President Paul Biya, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders and dictators.[13]
| Details | ||
| Walk Away |
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| Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [14] | CAN [15] | FRA [16] | NLD [17] | NZ [18] | SWE [19] | SWI | UK [20] | US [21] | WW [22] | ||||
| "Level" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Place" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Revenge" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Thank You" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Special Lovin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "People" | 2022 | 22 | 39 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 80 | 20 | ||
| "Jah"[31] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [32] | ||||
| "Mistaken" | 2024 | 16 | Walk Away |
! |-|rowspan=3|2023|rowspan=2|Herself |Best Francophone Female Artist/Group| |rowspan=3|[33] |-|Best Female Artist | |-|"People" |Song of the Year |
! |-|rowspan="1" |2023|Herself|Prize for Music
||[34]
! |-|rowspan="1" |2023| People| Best Afrobeats| | [35]