It’s a strange one leaving your youth and stepping into adulthood – it feels like everything comes falling down at once. You’re taught – or should I say conditioned – to think you’ll have everything in place from the moment you leave education. I mean, some people do but the majority of us are still figuring it out. The feeling of losing control, the overwhelming pressures that come with just simply living; friendships, relationships, family, bills, navigating your career whilst exploring self-love, making something of yourself, trying not to get warped by standards set by the internet (scary, I know) and attempting to get off TikTok before 12am – girl, it’s a lot. Bellah’s opening line “Just got evicted from my youth didn’t even get a notice” has never felt more real. Journeying through the ups and downs that come with growing up ‘Adultsville’ is an honest and open account of a young woman who’s finding her feet in a world of chaos. Laced with Bellah’s reputable caramel tones and irresistible harmonies, this seven-track EP is a slice of British R&B heaven.
Featuring pre-released tracks ‘Prototype’, ‘Garden’, and ‘In The Moment’, not to mention the extended version to her most prominent release ‘Evil Eye’, the one-to-watch songstress has unveiled a selection of songs that are bursting with vulnerability and integrity. Housing production from the likes of Ari Pensmith (executive producer), Sons Of Sonix, Sensei Bueno, Edgar ‘JV’ Etienne, Jonah Christian, and more, this project is laced with a selection of dream-like and hypnotic beats.
Setting the tone with the title track ‘Adultsville’ Bellah buckles us up for the train journey that is ‘adulting’ ahead. Gently reminding herself and others not to get lost in things that aren’t worth fussing over the title track is the beginner’s manual not to panic; “When something bothers me, gotta freak out responsibly”, Bellah sings. Moving into ‘Prototype’ an infectious listen delving into the trials and tribulations that come with love, tracks like ‘Garden’ and ‘In The Moment’ form a sense of honesty and accountability before the grooves of ‘Evil Eye’ take over. Closing out the project with ‘Stuck’ and ‘Always Something’ – a personal favourite – Bellah talks on the struggles that come with self-love, the effects of social media, nurturing friendships, growth, and confronting childhood wounds.
Going on a journey of love and loss, ‘Adultsville’ is a quality project from the promising star; unravelling a more vulnerable side of herself this EP is a hug from a friend and a pause amidst the chaos that reassures us to keep on going.
7/10
Words: Elle Evans
