Somtochukwu

Bella Shmurda has made a name for himself in the music industry and he is certainly one of the most promising acts at the moment. 

There really can’t be any questions about his credibility. Especially after his 2020 run that had him making one of the biggest hits in the country (“CashApp”), working with top acts like Davido, and getting a Next Rated nomination at The Headies.

2020 was indeed Bella Shmurda’s year. But he wasn’t gonna stop.

He started off this year putting out new music under his Dangbana Republic outfit, teasing a new project and doing collaborations with guys everywhere (Crayon, Terri, Dandizzy et al.)

Not too long ago, he then announced the release of a new EP, the second volume of his highly acclaimed debut EP, “High Tension.”

The anticipation wasn’t high, the hype wasn’t really there, but for someone like Bella Shmurda, the music does all the talking.

Leading the release are three previously released singles, “Rush,” “World,” and “Party Next Door.” All of the three songs, hits on the streets, tight jams, mad afro-beats and a perfect picture of what Bella Shmurda is trying to create.

And although the songs are not as ‘conscious’ as he thinks they are, it’s easy to catch the drift. As for the new EP, the songs are decent. But that’s all it is. Just decent. Not spectacular, not awesome.

Bella Shmurda’s biggest enemy is his redundancy. He does the same thing every time, acquires the same kind of instrumentals, and freestyles on it the way he does every other song.

What happens is that the songs come out all sounding alike, every damn time. He’s got the energy and the vibes. But there’s only so much of that style listeners can take in. After a while, it just becomes boring.

The direction of “High Tension 2.0” isn’t much different from that of the first installation, released early 2020. Although there are some moments on this new one, there is not one song that is as good as “Vision 2020,” his first hit.

Cuts like “Out There” and “Far Away” are good enough to become sleeper hits. With a little push, they can really be something. But what would have helped this project is songs like “Cash App.” Songs that are catchy and casual, not all these conscious stuff Bella keeps on serving.

“High Tension 2.0” as a project is just there. There’s no doubt it will do numbers, but critically, Bella fails to reach the bar he set for himself during his 2020 iconic run. Maybe a longer project, in the form of a full album will save his career? That remains to be seen.

Rating: 6/10

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