Adultsville is not a place where it's all roses, ponies and rainbows.” Bellah is an artist who’s being frank about finding herself thrust into adult life, an experience to which so many of us will relate. But in a world where so much of what we share with others is meticulously curated, she’s getting real about life’s ups, and its downs. “For me, the tone of the project is not always positive, because in my experience of being an adult I have very beautiful moments, but I also have not-so-beautiful ones. I wanted to accurately reflect that.”
With her newest EP Adultsville currently set for release in July 2022, it’s a continuation of her captivating blend of vulnerable songwriting and tales of life development, articulating the growing pains of moving into adulthood. “It's true to the experience of what I think ‘Adultsville’ is,” the artist explains, “this weird space where all of a sudden you wake up and you're an adult, and no one told you how to do it – you're just floating really. ”
Following 2020’s The Art of Conversation, the artist stepped back for a process she sees as “levelling up” in her musicianship, evidence of an ongoing commitment to improving and refining her sound. Here, she’s moving into a maturer sound vocally, conceptually and sonically, working alongside renowned musicians like Grammy-winning Ari PenSmith, who executive produced the record. He makes up part of a star-studded team involved in the project such as the likes of producing duo Sons Of Sonix and Jonah Christian, who aided Bellah in crafting a more current sound.
Music-wise, her tones and vocals have seen her put firmly in the R&B space, complemented by her expert songwriting and lyricism. “At core of everything music-wise it's R&B, but I feel like I can fit anywhere,” she says. As such she’s willing to play with other styles. “I’ve got some Afro on there, other styles. And it will sound like that specific genre, just with an R&B rising if it was a star sign,” she laughs.
Diverse melodies and lyricism shine on EP opener “Adultsville,” a resounding, soft R&B track outlining her concept for the project: “Just got evicted from my youth, didn’t even get a notice” she sings. “I was in the studio and knew I needed to say that line,” she says. “It just encapsulated the mindset.
Othertimes, tracks like “Evil Eye'' utilise languid, woozy, Afro-swing rhythms, and sees the artist playfully referencing her Nigerian heritage. “Wahala cause me no stress,” she sings, warding off negative energy and calling for discernment. “Garden” is a song that Bellah describes as a “sonic experience,” inspired by difficulties in a prior relationship whilst “In the Moment” was crafted alongside producer Sensei Bueno, an upbeat, lilting track showcasing her vocals.
“Prototype” is a standout track produced by Sons Of Sonix, written in reference to growth and life development over the years. It’s full of nimble delivery, almost falling into a blend of sung-rapping. It's an example of her fluidity in R&B, and raises comparisons to the likes of Kehlani, SZA and Frank Ocean, musicians who heavily inspire her.
The artist is a native of North London born in Enfield, moving to Hertfordshire then to Essex with her mother at age 16. Her love of song was something nourished in childhood; she’d started off in musical theatre from as early as 4 where she learnt to perform and craft her talent on stage. Encouraged by her mother, her first studio session was held at age 10. She’d had an advanced taste, she recalls, doing a rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” It was part of an eclectic range of music that’d form the basis of her later artistry. She’d loved musical greats like Destiny’s Child, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill and Brandy, as well as classical pop artists like ABBA who taught her the importance of good hooks and song structure.
Seeing Beyoncé perform at the O2 in her late teens is something that’d inspire her to dream of her own career more vividly. “I was like ‘that looks like fun,’” she smiles. It’d be around that time that Bellah would gain her first taste of the music world; she’d be inspired to perform a cover of “Flawless” at a summer concert that same year, which led to a festival where her current managers would be in attendance.
This would start a blossoming trajectory into the music world and begin up to 5 years of extensive artist development which helped her bring her songwriting and performing skills to that of who we see today. Bellah’s artistry is testament to a commitment to her craft in the ways of her predecessors in the genre. “Being able to study, learn and evolve is my story,” she says. “I feel like it’s my secret power; that I can practice, sit down, take on criticism and do things.”
And as of 2022, Bellah has officially been pinned as a “one to watch,” by the likes of British Vogue, BBC Radio 1Xtra and Capital Xtra amongst other platforms, with publications such as The Fader, Complex and GRM Daily also showing support. The artist has also graced worldwide stages performing at 2021’s MOBO awards ceremony and garnering a nomination for “Best R&B/Soul Act,” as well as debuting single “Evil Eye” on the renowned COLORS platform, the video of which is set to hit 1 million views. This comes alongside a collective 10 million+ streams across platforms and Spotify plays in over 20 countries.
And with Adultsville, listeners are now getting a chance to see her growth in real time, and meet the woman who is determined to be “a reliable source for R&B in the UK.”
“I care about music and entertainment, and I’m intentional about recreating that feeling for others. We’re so quick to demonise that nothing good comes from the UK music-wise. But when we make good R&B it's really good – it's worldwide! I want people to see that we have good R&B artists in the UK, and I want to be one of the frontrunners.
