London-born Nigerian singer-songwriter Bellah has been quietly building her rep as an R&B star on the rise for a couple of years now, but music has been the love of her life for far longer. The 22-year-old artist got a taste for the limelight and musical performance from attending theatre school in her childhood. She continued to hone her craft and perform throughout her teens and at seventeen, she began to create her own music. Gifted with an effortlessly silky-smooth voice, Bellah also displayed raw musical talent that impressed the people around her. In turn, their encouragement gave her the confidence to pursue her passion for music professionally.

Bellah’s new EP ‘In The Meantime’ is her second project following her first album ‘Last Train Home‘, which was released September of last year. The EP offers four uncomplicated yet fabulous R&B jams that seamlessly blend together to create one blissfully chilled-out listen. Casually intimate and oozing with sexy R&B sparkle, ‘In The Meantime’ tells the story of a relationship as it develops in a way that feels like we’re reading pages from a diary. As Bellah breezily guides us through her innermost thoughts and feelings, her velvety vocals take centre stage. The lyrics are honest, conversational and without pretence and addressed to the object of Bellah’s affections (or dissatisfaction), simply referred to as “you”.

The opening track ‘Stand’ is a grooving introduction to Bellah’s luxuriant voice and melodic chatty vocals, as she sings about the joys of part-time love. It’s R&B pop perfection, driven by a buoyant guitar melody and enriched with subtly vocal layering and plush harmonies. The instrumentals are low-key but the song builds nicely, before it breaks down into a heavier beat as the final chorus runs into the outro. Bellah is direct in describing how happy she is to be in an easy-going relationship, singing, “I couldn’t love you everyday / I’m so tunnel vision baby / You’d get in the way”. Reading it cold, it almost sounds harsh but the warmth in Bellah’s voice conveys such a sense of ease and contentment that her sometime lover should really take it as a compliment. There’s a possibility that ‘Stand’ actually represents Bellah attempting to convince herself of her satisfaction with the arrangement however, the overwhelmingly mellow mood of the track suggests that their sexy situation suits her just fine.

‘Good Thing’ represents a shift in perspective, describing that relatable scenario of remaining guarded and restrained in a relationship out of fear of it ending. In the verses, Bellah suggests that she and bae should slow things down. Far from having the enviably chill attitude she displayed in ‘Stand’, her desire to grind things to a halt instead comes from a place of vulnerability. With a light beat and soothing electric guitar melody, Bellah belies the emotional conflict she expresses.

Track three entitled ‘Easy’, feels like a major scene change. Things have developed and Bellah has a lot to say and sonically, things have shifted too. A sparkly, trilling piano keeps the beat while Bellah’s voice shines through, clear and bright, backed-up by angelic choral harmonies. The dreamy sonic atmosphere makes it sound like Bellah’s delivering a divine verdict, admonishing her lover (or is it herself?) for falling in love when she, “made it easy, easy to walk away, far away”. It’s a beautiful track, rounded off by a clip of dialogue where a young woman, most likely Bellah is reassured by a motherly figure, who tells her she wants to rescue people because she wishes someone had been there to rescue her in the past. It’s a sweet, intimate feature that makes the record feel authentic and reflective of Bellah’s genuine experiences.

‘Easy’ rolls perfectly into ‘Need Me’, the fourth and final chapter of this sped-up love story. With typical honesty, Bellah describes how she’s accepted the duplicity of her feelings, admitting, “truth is I don't love you, I love the way that you need me”. Her bright swooping vocals sound phenomenal against the song’s slow heavy beat and jaunty guitar riffs which lends the song a slightly mischievous tone.

Listening to ‘In The Meantime’ feels like watching a close friend have an epiphany about a dead-end relationship. Though it explores feelings of confusion and uncertainty, thanks to Bellah’s warm, honeyed vocals and her dynamic, uplifting melodies, the record is steadfast in its (seriously) good vibes. Bellah may be a new voice in R&B, but watch this space, she’s on the rise and has just announced that new music is coming soon.

Bellah - In The Meantime [EP Review]