Independent artists are mostly hesitant to experiment with a spectrum of sounds and genres due to the lack of funding and patience that go into undertaking said experiments. Without labels funding these wild ideas, most of these thoughts and plans just remain just a dream; a page in their journals. Grammy Award-winning, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, Eric Bellinger however, has proved that it is not impossible to venture into different musical paths as an independent artist. He showcases his versatility by venturing into a whole new dimension of sound that he was not familiar with, creating a body of work worth listening to. In the latest chapter of his musical journey, he tests his aptitude in the Afrobeats and Amapiano sounds and he’s ready to pitch his flag in one of the leading genres on the African continent.
Eric Bellinger, with an extensive body of work over 39 albums in R&B and progressive music, builds another milestone for himself. Moving from Los Angeles, California to Cape Town, South Africa, he immersed himself in the culture, and sound of the Afrobeats and Amapiano genres to create a 15-track album. The album which boasts collaborations with Burna Boy, Gyakie, Oxlade and Reekado Banks. Eric Bellinger’s “It’ll All Make Sense Later” is just the prelude to his latest musical journey.
Speaking to iMullar, Eric Bellinger chats with Frederick Adjavon about his journey, and new Afrobeats inspired album, “It’ll All Make Sense Later”.
This interview has been slightly edited for length and clarity.
You started as a songwriter with a group called Writing Camp in 2010. From 2010 until now, how do you see your career so far?
It’s been a great run so far. In 2010, I released my first mixtape as an independent artist, and to this day, 15 years later, I’m still independent. Never signed a major deal. I’ve just been grinding and signed to my label, “All Winds Entertainment”, and grinding it out. I’ve also been songwriting for a lot of other artists, from Chris Brown, Usher, Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, Janelle Monáe, and Fonzie. It’s been dope to be able to wear both hats, to be behind the scenes, working for other artists, and also be center stage performing my songs. It’s the best of both worlds.
Looking back at your careers as a songwriter and as an artist, which of them is more hectic or which one is more fulfilling?
The artistry. It’s more fun for me to write and perform the song as opposed to just writing the song with no one even knowing I did it because nowadays people don’t show love and let people know Eric Bellinger helped write the song. I think it’s tough to try and get the credit that I need to succeed and nowadays, you’re only as big as your last hit. For me, it’s more fun to perform the song that I wrote instead of being in the background and not getting the proper credit.
Your album was nominated for the “Best Progressive Album” at the Grammy Awards 2022. How did it feel to get that recognition?
It felt good. I think for me when I get an accomplishment, it’s a bigger accomplishment. I don’t have the budget, label, or the machine. So for me to get nominated for a Grammy amongst all other competitions that have big teams, is a win to me. To be even mentioned in those categories is a much bigger feat.
You have a Grammy for songwriting for Chris Brown. Was the feeling the same when your album got nominated or was it much more than winning?
It was better for me. For me, it was great to have the songwriting. Don’t get me wrong, I was super excited. But when it was my artistry, it was a whole different feeling and I was excited about both, but I would say the number one feeling is my work.
What’s the thought process behind churning out a lot of body of work?
Each project I put out was always just the songs that I was writing. A lot of times people do records and never drop them. They have a catalog and a computer full of songs that they never drop but for me, I never just sit on the music. People get to see my thoughts and the timeline and chronological events of me just wearing my heart on my sleeve. I just was recording and dropping and here we are now, 40 albums later.
What is it about Cape Town that drew you there?
It felt like I was in Los Angeles in certain parts of the city. I was like “Am I in Malibu?”I stayed at the sea point. The balcony was the view of the water. I went to eat at the best places. I was able to see the nightlife and the clubs and work with different people. It was honestly a whole new experience. I felt like a new artist while I was there.
So did you get to tap into the indigenous culture?
I got to go to different restaurants. I got to meet different people and I think just from me being outside, on the curb, I was able to meet people while they were walking by. Everyone’s so friendly and having a good conversation. I learned a lot while being there and I was able to appreciate not only my time in Cape Town but my life as a whole. I got to reflect and get a reset. While I was there, I didn’t have the normal obligations. Back home, I have to do so much stuff; take the kids to school, and spend time with the people around me. Out there, I was on my own so I got to soak up the energy.
So how much did this energy influence the sound on this album?
I did every song while I was out there. Usually, when I’m doing the sessions in L.A., New York, or Atlanta, it’s mostly me spearheading but when I was out there, I was more so a student. I was listening and was able to hear different styles, cadences, and challenges. I was challenged with different melodies. Even with the melody, it was a lot different. The broken English, lyrically, taught me a lot and now I’m confident that the songs are right. When I was doing the Afrobeats and Amapiano songs at home by myself, it didn’t have the same energy that I was looking for but when I got there, the authenticity was real.
How much did you have to unlearn from what previously knew to learn the culture and tap in?
I trusted the team. My buddy V-Script is the one who executive-produced the project. It started with the trust that I have for him. We got into the studio and I was able to be a student. Normally in the studio, I’m the Sensei but on this one, I was a student. I was very receptive to suggestions. I know that I’m new in that field and in that area so, I think it’s a wise thing when you can listen and be taught as opposed to trying to be the one to do everything. Going into that, I wanted to let the team lead the way on the first album. The second one would be me. I wanted to make sure that I was starting in the right direction and got my feet wet and now, when I drop the next album, it’s going to sound a lot more like Eric Bellinger did it.
So what was the inspiration behind selecting your featured artists on the album?
Just people that I am a fan of and love. I love all of Oxlade’s songs. Reekado Banks has been a legend for a time now. Burna Boy, of course, is somebody that the whole world is listening to. Gyakie is so fire. She got on “Ms. Africa” and just took it to the next level. When I say that song was already a great song, but having her on it made it official. It was just crazy how she made it so much more official. Shout out to all the collaborators.
What’s the message behind “Ms. Africa”? and how much influence did Gyakie have in creating that song?
When we first created it, we didn’t know who the feature would be. She wasn’t in the studio at the time but when we finished, we had to get a female on it to make it official. Once we brought her name up, it was like “You think she’ll do it?” It was an email situation where she heard it, loved it, and jumped on it. She’s so down to earth. All her Instagram posts, I love how she’s just real and relatable. A lot of people give this big facade but I think everything she does is just her. She doesn’t try too hard. It’s just so natural. So excited to have that song with her.
What about “Special” made you want to decide to use it as a lead track leading up to the album?
“Special” is my personal favorite. A lot of times I go with what people suggest but that one felt the most natural in my spirit. This is a great Afrobeat song, but it sounds like my R&B music too. The energy felt like it wasn’t too far away from what I naturally do but it was a step in a new direction. With this one, it made the most sense and it’ll be easy for my fans to digest as well as my new fans.
So what made you want to go with Konshens?
Konshens is a super dope dancehall artist and what made that happen is that we are label mates. We have the same manager and we’ve known each other for quite some time now from just being in the same rooms. I had always been doing R&B music so I felt it just wasn’t the time yet. I jumped into that Afrobeats lane, it was the perfect time for us to finally link and connect on a song. We just wanted it to make sense. It’s the two of us jumping on Afrobeats and experimenting together. So it felt natural to have that beat lead up to now.
What’s the theme of the album?
It’s a faith walk. When you look at the cover, it’s me walking through this door into the unknown world, into an unknown sound and territory. It’s about walking confidently and knowing that what you have for yourself or in front of you is much better than where you’re at now so it’s just up to you to just take those steps. With this album, it starts where you’re looking for love. You find this girl, and as you’re trying to get to know her, you’re able to get to know yourself a little bit more. So when you listen to the songs, I want you to realize later, what it takes to get her. You have to find yourself to find someone else. You have to put yourself first to give someone else your all. It starts a love story, but then it ends up being a self-reflective project.
Can you explain the sequencing of the album?
So the first song, “Pure”, is about energy. Energy is pure to the point where we all have good intentions. It’s no intention that is negative, therefore, when you’re leading with pure intentions, you can’t go wrong. Then you get “Special” and after that, it’s “Feelings Never Die” because she’s so special now, but then you can’t get her. Her love is like a shooting star so now you’re on this chase. Every song kind of connects. After “Shooting Stars”, you move with “Precision”. You’re trying to chase her but you try to backtrack to find her and be with her again. Then it’s “Don’t shut off the lights” in the club because you’re trying to find her so you want them to keep the lights on. Then it’s “For the evening” where you want to hang out with her in the evening. Then there’s “Desire”. All of the songs are connected and people will hear a story when they first play the album. The last song on the album goes from “Don’t Leave” to “Unfinished Business”. It leaves you with a cliffhanger with the next album picking up where we left off because it’s a two-part series album. “It’ll all make sense later”. The next album is “It All Makes Sense”.
What were the highs and lows, and memorable moments in the making of the album?
I think the high was just being out there creating. We didn’t have any expectations. I was able to just live in the moment and create. I didn’t know which songs would make the album. There was no pressure. When I got to pick the songs, my buddy Scoop would suggest the ones that were good as solos and the ones that we needed to get features on. We started naming all the features that we were going to go for. I trusted him to call his relationships and favors that he had and he did. We got the features, then we started worrying about the labels and clearances. There was always something serving as a barrier but we just kept pushing, and slowly but surely, everyone and their labels reached out and confirmed. They were down to help with content to help cushion. It all came together organically.
What advice would you give someone willing to tap into different cultures?
I would say you have to do it. Don’t be afraid. I did wonder at first what it would be, but I think as I got out there and started creating. I felt so comfortable, and I want people to be able to look at me as an example. What are they going to say about me tapping into this territory? Am I out of line? Am I going too far? I just went with my heart and trusted it and it was received very well. Listening to the album, I can detect that it’s loud and eclectic, but also very calm.
The album is very calm compared to other Afrobeats albums. Why is that so?
I think the first album is a lot more Afrobeats. I got a couple of Amapiano songs on there and I think the sound is more aggressive. I think I’m going to have more of that on the second project. On this one, it’s very calm because I wanted it to blend with my normal sound. I didn’t want to shock people too much. When you listen to “Pure”, it’s Amapiano, and after that, it leans back into more of an R&B fusion of Afro. So I think that allowed it to be more chill.
What plans do you have for this album and the remaining days of the year?
I just announced my tour called the “Around the World” Tour. It starts on January 31st. I will be traveling around the world. We’re just starting domestically in the United States but I will for sure be doing shows in Ghana, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Nigeria.
Do you have any final words for anyone who’s reading this?
I just want to say thank you to everyone for the support. When I went out there, I did not know so many people knew who Eric Bellinger was and I’m just grateful to continue to push. I’m excited for this new project to branch out so I can get back to the country and the city.
