Singer-songwriter Johnny Drille has shared advice for upcoming artists, highlighting the importance of financial discipline and strategic long-term planning.
Speaking on the CreativTEA podcast, Drille cautioned against the temptation to emulate the extravagant lifestyles of high-profile musicians. He urged young creatives to focus on saving and investing to secure lasting financial stability.
Drille explained that an artist’s time in the spotlight is limited, as public attention eventually shifts to newer talents. He encouraged using peak earning years to build a strong financial foundation rather than indulging in fleeting luxuries.
Reflecting on his own financial choices, Drille revealed that he recently purchased a home with his wife and is constructing another for his parents in Benin. He warned that flashy displays of wealth in the industry are often just for show and may not reflect genuine financial health.
Advocating a balanced approach, Drille said artists should enjoy the present while planning responsibly for the future. While he admitted to owning a few high-end items, he stressed that his spending remains modest compared to the excessive trends seen among some peers.
Johnny Drille said: “My retirement advice to artists is that I think it’s the same principle across. Yeah, definitely save, invest, whatever form that would take.
“My wife and I just got a house, trying to build one for my parents back in Benin. So it’s like, I see a lot of people, a lot of artists, you know, because they see Wizkid and Burna Boy flaunt all these cars. And maybe that’s what we should be doing.
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“That’s what artists do. So let’s do that too. Be flaunting and be spending all your money on like, you know, luxury that you don’t really need and at the end of the day, it’s like, as much as we want to believe that everybody’s going to be relevant forever, everybody will not be relevant forever. Everybody has a set amount of time where you’re going to pop and you’re going to make money.
“And there’s going to be a time people are not going to be interested in you. They’re going to go look for the next guy or the next new guy. That’s going to be their person.
“I think every, every, every person, every creative has a span and you have to make the most of that span and that is saving, investing and not, not copying whatever flashy lifestyle you see out there. And sometimes a lot of those things I’ve heard some of them are not even real, like people are boring to show off, you know, and you can’t let that inspire you, you have to think for yourself and think of a future, but I think a lot of artists don’t really think about the future, just in a now. Let’s enjoy our lives.
“Of course, enjoy your life, but also think about the future. Well, it’s crazy. I mean, I do have like one or two expensive things, but, but nothing, nothing, nothing crazy. Well, please advise them”.
