Nigerian singer Oludipe David, popularly known as Spyro, has opened up about his early struggles with fear of failure and how his father’s negative words affected his confidence while growing up.
The singer revealed that his father was often hard on him and regularly used discouraging words as a form of correction, which made him internalize fear and start believing he was a failure.
Spyro shared that he struggled academically during secondary school and doubted his ability to complete his university education because of the psychological effects of atychiphobia — the fear of failure.
In a candid conversation with veteran broadcaster Frank Edoho, Spyro revealed that at some point in his life, he believed he would die poor.
He said, “I thought I was going to die broke. I always had this fear of failure. And my dad contributed to that. He took every opportunity he got to always tell me that I am a failure.”
According to the “Who Is Your Guy” crooner, he eventually overcame his fear of failure after building a personal relationship with God.
Spyro also disclosed that before his breakthrough in the music industry, he was on the verge of quitting and had started a career in interior design. His song Who Is Your Guy went viral in 2022, marking the turning point in his career.
The remix of the hit track featuring Tiwa Savage in 2023 further cemented his fame, and the song went on to win Best Collaboration at the 16th Headies Awards later that year.
