Johnny Drille

Johnny Drille, born John Ighodaro, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, producer and sound engineer from Edo State. Raised in a large family with a clergyman father, he grew up singing in his father's church and around his older sister, and taught himself music production as a teenager, experimenting with cassette recorders before moving to digital tools. He studied English and Literature at the University of Benin, graduating in 2012.

He emerged as one of Nigeria's leading voices in folk and alternative music, a distinctive lane within a pop and Afrobeats-dominated industry. His song «Wait For Me» earned him a Headies nomination for Best Alternative Song in 2016, establishing him as an artist to watch outside the mainstream. In 2017 he signed to Mavin Records, one of Nigeria's most prominent labels, which broadened his audience considerably.

Drille's music is defined by intimate, acoustic-leaning arrangements, warm vocal delivery, and lyrics that lean toward vulnerability and romance, drawing comparisons to Western singer-songwriter traditions while remaining rooted in Nigerian storytelling. Songs like «Halleluya», «Believe Me» and «Angelina» showcase his blend of folk, R&B and pop sensibilities. His work has made him a reference point for artists pursuing a softer, more introspective sound within Nigerian popular music.