Bella Shmurda Spent $40K on Song That Flopped
Wafricnews - june 7, 2025
Nigerian street-pop sensation Bella Shmurda has opened up about a costly misstep in his music journey — spending a whopping $40,000 on a song that still failed to connect with fans. In an eye-opening chat on Afrobeats Intelligence with Joey Akan, the “Cash App” hitmaker shared how ignoring his spiritual intuition led to one of the biggest lessons of his career.
Nigerian street-pop sensation Bella Shmurda has opened up about a costly misstep in his music journey — spending a whopping $40,000 on a song that still failed to connect with fans. In an eye-opening chat on Afrobeats Intelligence with Joey Akan, the “Cash App” hitmaker shared how ignoring his spiritual intuition led to one of the biggest lessons of his career.
“I’m a dreamer, a seer,” Bella said. “I saw in a dream that my next song was supposed to be a street song. It was clear. I even saw myself singing it, and the people were singing along.”
But despite the vivid vision, Bella chose to test his instincts.
“I released another song just to be sure of what I saw.”
That decision, he says, came at a heavy price — financially and emotionally.
“I spent $40K on that song and it still didn’t blow. It didn’t go anywhere,” he recalled. “Then I dropped the actual street song like I saw in my dream, didn’t even spend up to ₦20 million, and it went to Number 2 in the country.”
Dreams vs. Data: A Street-Pop Star’s Costly Gamble
While Bella didn’t reveal the name of the underperforming track, the story highlights how intuition still plays a major role in Nigerian music, especially for artists rooted in the streets.
He emphasized that the lesson wasn’t just about the money lost but about staying true to his calling and creative spirit.
“That dream showed me the people’s song. I shouldn’t have doubted it.”
Dangbana Republic & Rising Star Fola
Beyond the dream and dollars, Bella also talked about life as a label boss. He shared his journey in building Dangbana Republik, now a respected powerhouse in Nigerian street music. He proudly highlighted signing fast-rising artist Fola, whose recent hit collaborations with Bella are turning heads.
“Fola is the future,” Bella said. “He’s one of those artists that make you feel proud to be part of the street movement.”
With his experience as both artist and label executive, Bella Shmurda continues to inspire the next generation of Afrobeats stars — while proving that sometimes, the real currency in music is faith in your gift.
By WafricNews Desk.
By WafricNews Desk.
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