Less than a year on from the massive success of his acclaimed debut album Hypertension, which garnered over 250 million global streams and birthed hit singles including ‘New Born Fela’, ‘Contraband’, and ‘Philo’, independent afrobeats superstar and Dangbana Republik president BELLA SHMURDA is excited to announce his upcoming new EP titled DND. The abbreviation ‘DND’, which means “do not disturb”, perfectly captures Bella Shmurda’s frame of mind for 2023, as he enters a unique new musical universe in his already revered discography – a universe he began teasing at the start of the year, with songs like ‘NSV’ and ‘Ara’ that have combined for over 50 million plays online.

To accompany the announcement of his upcoming DND EP, which is set for release on July 26, Bella Shmurda has unveiled the EP lead single and title track ‘DND’, featuring award-winning afropop sensation Lil Kesh. Produced by Rewardbeatz (Davido, Kizz Daniel, Young Jonn), Bella’s ‘DND’ single is an infectious jam that is just right for this summer weather. With its lush afrobeats and amapiano fusion sensibilities, ‘DND’ offers the perfect soundscape for Bella Shmurda to share his “do not disturb” manifesto, as it relates to not wanting anybody to take his attention away from his leading lady, while Lil Kesh does what he does best and delivers a racy and unskippable guest verse. He sat down with Pinch Of Sol to talk about the new single.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘DND’ and how the track came together, Bella Shmurda says, “Rewardbeatz crafted the instrumental, and recorded a demo in the studio with Lil Kesh. Kesh then sent the draft to me to check it out and see if I liked the track. I listened to it and immediately started recording what I was feeling at the moment, and that’s how ‘DND’ was born. The song perfectly captures my current headspace, where I don’t want to be disturbed, while I do things my own way”.

ABOUT BELLA SHMURDA,

BELLA SHMURDA is a multiple award-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter and musician that is dedicated to speaking the truth against all odds. Often hailed as ‘The New Voice of the Street’, the independent afrobeats musician grew up on fuji music, and began his journey into the performing arts as early as his primary school days. His teenage years exposed him to life on the street, and despite his mother’s encouragement to focus on his studies, Bella Shmurda had other plans. However, it was his entry into Lagos State University that opened up his possibilities for music, with the freedom of his new environment allowing him to fully explore his musical creativity, and develop his unique sound.

Bella Shmurda soon shot to fame with the breakout single ‘Vision 2020’ – the success of which led to his cult-classic debut EP High Tension in 2020, and things haven’t been the same since. He followed up that project with the well-received High Tension 2.0 EP in 2021, and last year’s critically acclaimed debut album Hypertension. Over these past few years, Bella Shmurda has not stopped working, and already boasts a catalogue of over 50 songs, and fan-favourite collaborations with the likes of Wizkid, Popcaan, Davido, and BackRoad Gee. His discography has amassed over 1.2 billion global streams, while his followership has surpassed 8 million social media fans and counting.

Delivering on conscious and relatable afrobeats music that leans into his love for philosophy and religion, and his unique ability to tap into the pain of the street and educate listeners on their hardships, Bella Shmurda is on a mission to impact the world with his music, and this is just the start. Among his many career achievement and milestones in just three years, the Dangbana Republik president is a YouTube Foundry alumni, Global Music Awards Africa winner, Headies Award nominee, and the second most streamed African artist on Audiomack, with sold-out tours across Africa, Europe and America, and critical acclaim from the likes of CNN, Variety, MTV, and the BBC, among others.

CONNECT WITH BELLA SHMURDA: Instagram – Twitter – Tiktok

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