Nigerian musician Oludipe David, better known by his stage name Spyro, has talked candidly about his battle with failure-related anxiety and the effects of his father’s disparaging remarks on him throughout his early years.
According to the musician, his father was harsh with him and frequently used derogatory language when punishing him.
He claimed that this caused him to internalize his fear and eventually come to terms with the fact that he was “a failure.”
He described how the psychological repercussions of atychiphobia caused him to struggle with low grades in secondary school and even question if he would be able to finish his degree program after being accepted into the university.
Spyro revealed in an open interview with seasoned media personality Frank Edoho that he once believed he would die impoverished.
“I believed I would go bankrupt. I’ve always been afraid of failing. My father also played a part in that. He always told me that I was a failure at every chance he had,” he recalled.
The musician claimed that after growing closer to God, he was able to get over his fear of failing.
He also revealed that, just before his breakout single, “Who Is Your Guy,” went viral in 2022, he had already dabbled with interior design and was about to give up music.
After “Who Is Your Guy” became viral online, Spyro rose to fame. His 2023 remix with Tiwa Savage cemented his fame.
At the 16th Headies Awards later that year, the song took home the Best Collaboration trophy.
