Sheebah Calls Out Comparison Culture Among Female Artistes
Sheebah Karungi has addressed one of the longest running debates in her career, the constant comparisons to other female artistes in Uganda.
Over the years, fans and industry voices have lined her up against names like Cindy, Spice Diana, Lydia Jazmine and Winnie Nwagi, with rising acts such as Ava Peace also entering the mix.
The comparisons have kept the debate alive, often boiling down to one question: who stands at the top?
But in the debut episode of her podcast Let’s Talk About It, Sheebah addressed it directly.
She was asked: “Of all the artistes people compare you to, which ones feel like a compliment and which feel like disrespect?”
The “Ice Cream” hitmaker did not entertain the idea of ranking herself against others.
Instead, she pushed back on the pressure to compete, insisting artistes should focus on themselves rather than measure against others.
You need to first work on yourself instead of trying to compete with the artiste you have already found there. It is like me coming and trying to compete with Juliana at the time I came. Even right now, I do not want to compete with Juliana. She is a legend. I cannot compete with Iryn Namubiru. I do not have to.
Instead of rivalry, she pointed to a different standard, one built on respect for those who came before her, without needing closeness or approval.
I just have to pick a leaf from them and respect them. I do not even have to be their friend if I do not want to. I do not have to like them if I do not want to, but the respect for the work they put in has to be constant.
Sheebah then explained how she shows that respect in her own journey.
How do I respect them? By not comparing myself to them. By just picking a leaf and making my art better or unique, because what makes us artistes is the uniqueness that you bring to the table. So bring your uniqueness.
And in the end, she brought it back to the bigger picture, warning that comparison does more damage than people realise.
You do not have to compare yourself to me. I do not have to compare myself to anybody, because comparison is a thief of joy. The more you compare yourself, first of all, you are not going to be grateful for what you have.
