Ghanaian singer Gyakie, known offstage as Jacqueline Acheampong, has opened up about how she now navigates social media criticism regarding her music and image.
In an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Gyakie revealed that while she values feedback, she’s learned to be more selective about the advice she takes from online comments.
“Sometimes heeding counsel from critics can be very confusing,” she said. “I just learn to appreciate what I feel is right because one person will say, ‘I don’t like the way your hair is always shorter,’ another person will say, ‘I don’t like the way your hair is long.’ So it’s like, what do you want me to do?”
She emphasized that her focus is now on doing what aligns with her artistic vision and what she believes her audience will enjoy.
“I am going to do what I feel is right or what I feel my audience is going to enjoy. Because whatever I put out is what is gathering the people that are in my market,” she explained.
Reflecting on how she handled criticism early in her career, Gyakie admitted it used to affect her deeply.
“In the beginning, I was really allowing a lot of the bad criticism to get to me. But right now, I just drop the music and do exactly what I have been brought on earth to do.”
When asked about her presence on social media, she confirmed that she’s still very active but now avoids reading all the comments.
“Very active [but] I don’t want to read [comments] anymore. Right now I just drop it and go.”
She explained that this change is a way of protecting her mental health.
“You know the mind is very tricky. You might think if I say anything I am not going to let it get to me, but you might see one comment and your entire week will be ruined because you are a human being. You have feelings.”
While she hasn’t completely stopped reading comments, Gyakie said she has reduced how often she scrolls through them on her posts, focusing more on her craft and peace of mind.