Bella Shmurda is Making an Impact and His Career Tells the Story

On August 14, Nigerian singer-songwriter Bella Shmurda released, “Happy Song,” a single from his pockets of many. It is news, but there’s a lot to anticipate for its charts’ performance. However, there is more to Bella Shmurda and his songs.

From the “Vision 2020” song he dropped in 2018 during his university days, the world saw something in him; the strive, the sound, the resilience and so much more. That caught fame and, almost immediately, Bella Shmurda rose from that underground university singer into a full-blown artiste, setting trends and creating community, while also making space for other upcoming acts.

However, before Bella Shmurda co-founded his record label, Dangbana Republik, there was the story of “Vision 2020,” where, as a youth, he poured out the struggles of others. The majority embraced it, and that set his career in motion. From “Vision 2020” becoming popular with 13.4 million streams and being certified Gold in 2019, he featured Nigerian dapper Zlatan on “One Touch,” but the biggest fame arrived on the Nigerian rapper and YBNL boss Olamide-featured “Vision 2020” remix. Some weeks after, the same rapper also featured Bella Shmurda on his “Triumphant” track. The back-to-back releases were enough to start something, especially when the widespread “Cash App” was released.

From “Cash App” to “New Born Fela” to “Dagbana Riddim” featuring FOLA and his recent releases, the trajectory has always mapped out Bella’s talent and growth. “Cash App” debuted at No. 16, peaked at No. 3, and spent 26 weeks on the chart with 38.4 million streams and a 2x Platinum certification.

In 2023, the tribute song to his late friend and colleague, Mohbad, titled “My Brother,” debuted and peaked at No. 2 and spent 13 weeks on the chart, with 25.84 million streams and a Platinum certification. Even the tribute EP, ‘R2 Sept 12,’ debuted and peaked at No. 4, spending 43 weeks on the chart with 56.6 million streams and a Gold certification.

The limited data mentioned are not enough to tell Bella Shmurda’s story. From sponsoring a child fan who sang his “Triumphant” song with a scholarship in 2021 to philanthropic assistance in the community, mentoring, providing and allowing access to studio space, he has gone on to create influence and support.

While Dangbana Republik has always been related to Bella Shmurda, it was formally launched as an official record label when the rising sensation of that moment, FOLA, was signed in 2024. Since then, FOLA has been creating phenomenal music and winning the hearts of many music listeners. The relationship between both of them shows that Dagbana Republik is a space for actual artiste growth. FOLA’s music career has since made 27 entries on the Official Singles Chart and two No. 1 songs (”Paparazzi” and “treat u right”). 

Bella Shmurda has 55 total entries on the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart, with 17 of his songs reaching the Top 10. We cannot speak about his singles entries without touching his albums. Projects for Bella Shmurda were always hits. His debut EP, ‘High Tension,’ debuted and peaked at No. 29, spending 16 weeks on the chart with 28.5 million streams and a Silver certification, while his debut album, ‘HYPERTENSION,’ debuted and peaked at No. 2, spending 107 weeks on the chart with 121 million streams and a Platinum certification. ‘Sanity,’ his sophomore studio album released in 2025, debuted and peaked at No. 3, spending 43 weeks on the chart with 111 million streams and a Platinum certification.

On the Official Top 100 Albums chart, the “Pariwo” singer has five album chart entries from a total of two studio albums and four EPs in his career, and three out of these albums — ‘HYPERTENSION,’ ‘Sanity,’ and the ‘R2 Sept 12’ EP — have made the Top 10 on the chart. Having achieved these milestones in his music career, it comes as no surprise that Bella Shmurda has once peaked at No. 2 on the Official Artistes Chart.

His second solo song in 2026, “Happy Song” is about genuine happiness, a leveling up, and embracing a life stacked with blessings. This is the continuation of a significant phase in Bella Shmurda’s career, which is no longer only about the songs he makes, but also about what he is building around them.