“I feel people tend to get any message being passed to them while they are in a place of comfort, so what I try and do is get people to dance to the message and learn subconsciously.” With these words, Nigerian singer, songwriter and musician Bella Shmurda sums up his approach to music. From amassing over 1.2 billion global streams to nurturing an ever-growing fanbase, Bella has carved a path for himself in the music industry. With the recent launch of his latest EP, ‘DND‘, Bella continues his musical journey, marking the beginning of a new musical universe shaped by what he calls his “do not disturb mode”.
Following the huge success of his debut album ‘Hypertension’, Bella’s ‘DND’ EP, encapsulates his current headspace, featuring collaborations with artists and producers such as Lil Kesh, Tiwa Savage, and Olamide. Despite the buzz of the global music scene, Bella remains attuned to his own vibrations, keen on producing authentic music without succumbing to external influences.
In our interview, we delve deeper into Bella’s inspiration behind the ‘DND’ EP, his strategies for handling the pressures of fame, and the recognizing and understanding of dualities.
photography by Samuel Agofure of 22.jumpstr
Bella, congratulations on your recent EP ‘DND’. It carries the theme of not wanting to be disturbed while focusing on a special someone. Can you tell us more about this personal sentiment?
Thank you very much. DND for me is where I am, it’s my headspace, it’s where I’ve always been. Just like everyone has their way of doing things, without wanting to be disturbed, I don’t want to be disturbed. I just want to do things the way I feel things should be done, and not being stressed while at it.
Your debut album Hypertension was a phenomenal success. How did that success influence your approach towards the ‘DND’ EP?
I’m thankful to God for the success of the album, so with the album, myself and my team watched the acceptance of the album closely, we looked at where we can improve our output and give the fans the best, and that’s what influenced and birthed the DND EP.
Your music touches on conscious themes and relatable struggles. What motivates you to use your music as a platform to educate listeners?
I feel people tend to get any message being passed to them while they are in a place of comfort, so what I try and do is get people to dance to the message and learn subconsciously.
“DND for me is where I am, it’s my headspace, it’s where I’ve always been. Just like everyone has their way of doing things, without wanting to be disturbed, I don’t want to be disturbed.”
With 1.2 billion global streams and a rapidly growing fanbase, how do you handle the pressures that come with fame?
It’s now over 1.2 billion even, but on how I handle fame, it’s straight and simple, I live like the regular human with everyday emotions. It can be hard sometimes because the demand that comes with being famous can be overwhelming, but I try to balance it well.
How has growing up on Fuji music influenced your musical style?
It’s like what I said about subconsious learning, what happens around you regularly tends to reflect on you. I listened to more of Fuji music growing up, hence the influence on me toady, and it’s a very positve one.
In a previous interview you’ve spoken about dealing with inferiority complex while growing up. Can you elaborate on some of the specific steps you took or strategies you used to overcome these feelings of inferiority?
I outgrew it at a point, I met people that helped me through it, and there are levels you get to that just give you a new level of confidence to enable you overcome somethings, I think that’s just it.
“It can be hard sometimes because the demand that comes with being famous can be overwhelming, but I try to balance it well.”
In another statement, you mentioned, “My philosophy is simply to acknowledge the reality of good and evil, right and wrong, black and white, right and left…” In your opinion, how can recognizing and understanding these dualities contribute to addressing the challenges our society is currently facing?
Recognizing and understanding these dualities would go a long way in addressing the challenges our society is currently facing, I believe everyone knows these things, but tend to do the opposite. And let’s be honest, the things society terms as bad are always fun, but by controlling yourself and understanding that this thing that is tagged as fun might hurt others – that is when the world starts to heal.
What values do you want to impart or leave behind in this world?
Be true to yourself!
Happiness is a ….
Happiness is a state of mind
Thank you so much for your time!
DND is out now: onerpm.link/DND-EP
Follow for more:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bella_shmurda
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bellashmurda
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bella_shmurda
