Bella Shmurda And Popcaan Are An Unlikely But Agreeable Tag Team On ‘So Cold’

Bella Shmurda has been consistently smashing boundaries. Along with the likes of Olamide, one of the very few to move out of the confines of street music in Nigeria, the singer is now in a niche of his own, miles ahead of the off-kilter sound that defined his beginnings and charged with the attitude, beliefs and sonic energy of a worthy Afrobeat export, a fact that recently afforded him a spot in YouTube’s Foundry 2021 class and a Popcaan feature on his latest, So Cold.

An unlikely pair toting an even more eclectic sound, Shmurda and Popcaan find common ground on the grass to grace stories, bad governments, patriotism, lust, and hustler spirits on So Cold. Over a disparate mix of shaky and heavy bass instruments that pay homage to both cultures, they enliven their little community with rhythmic and relatable lines sturdy enough to convey the heavy emotions that inspire this unlikely collaboration and equip listeners with moves despite the occasional moroseness that turns up in their lyrics.

With Nigerian musicians constantly redefining their spaces and his impressive single run these past few months, Bella Shmurda’s control of his reins is not as surprising as his choice of feature on So Cold.