Isobel Akpobire, known professionally as Bellah, is a British singer, songwriter, and actress.
Bellah | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Isobel Akpobire |
| Born | Enfield, North London |
| Genres | R&B |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Website | www |
Early life and career beginnings
editAkpobire was born in Enfield, North London. She grew up as an only child to a single mother and lived with her uncles who influenced her musical tastes by playing 1990s R&B, such as Destiny's Child and SWV.[1][2]
After participating in musical theatre from the age of four, she undertook her first studio session at age 10, recording a cover of Be Without You by Mary J. Blige.[1]
She found a management team after being spotted at a local festival that she performed at after having sung Beyoncé's Flawless at a school talent show.[2]
Career
editAfter five years of artist development, Akpobire released her debut EP called Last Train Home in 2019.[2] The debut single released from the EP was Never Loved and this was made Track of the Week by BBC Radio 1Xtra.[3]
This was followed by the release of In the Meantime and The Art of Conversation in 2020, the second of which was released by London-based independent record label Marathon Artists.[4]
Akpobire's music reached a wider audience in 2021 when she performed her single Evil Eye on the ColorsxStudios platform.[1]
In 2022, Akpobire made her debut performance at Wireless Festival. In the same year she released her third EP Adultsville, which was executive produced by Grammy Award winner Ari PenSmith.[5]
Akpobire was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Act at the MOBO Awards in 2023 and she was nominated for Best New International Act at the BET Awards in 2024.[6][7]
In 2024, Akpobire starred as the character Kyazike Mayagenda in the British television series Queenie.[8] The show aired on Channel 4 and Hulu in June 2024.[9]
Personal life
editAkpobire suffers from sickle cell disease and used her single Cause U Can to help raise awareness of the disease.[2][10][3]
Discography
editEPs
edit| Title | Artist | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Train Home | Bellah | 2019 | AWAL |
| In the Meantime | Bellah | 2020 | AWAL |
| The Art of Conversation | Bellah | 2020 | Marathon Artists |
| Adultsville | Bellah | 2022 | Marathon Artists |
Singles as Artist
edit| Title | Artist | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never Loved | Bellah | 2019 | AWAL |
| Peanut Butter Hazel | Bellah | 2019 | AWAL |
| Drip | Bellah | 2019 | AWAL |
| Something U Like | Bellah | 2020 | Marathon Artists |
| If I Were U | Bellah | 2020 | Marathon Artists |
| Evil Eye - A COLORS SHOW | Bellah | 2021 | ColorsxStudios |
External links
edit- Bellah at AllMusic
- Bellah at MusicBrainz
References
edit- ^ a b c Chaudhry, Aliya (2023-07-24). "Bellah is bringing British R&B to the global stage: "There's going to be an invasion!"". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c d Ihejirika, Uzoma (2022-10-26). "For The Girls: Bellah Finds Strength In Vulnerability On New Album, 'Adultsville'". The NATIVE. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b Chevonne, Chloe (2020-10-26). "Bellah... "Black girl making music I think is cool"". The Blues Project. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Bellah". COLORSxSTUDIOS. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Bellah: Born To Sing". GAFFER. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "MOBO AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINATIONS FOR 26TH EDITION IN SHEFFIELD | MOBO Organisation". mobo.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ Grein, Paul (2024-05-16). "Drake Leads Nominations for 2024 BET Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ "Bellah | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ Queenie (TV Series 2024– ) - Release info - IMDb. Retrieved 2024-06-05 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ Wynter, Courtney (2020-11-20). "Bellah Delivers Visuals For Smooth Single "Cause U Can" From Her Brand-New EP 'The Art Of Conversation'". GRM Daily. Retrieved 2024-05-01.