Grammy award-winning R&B star Eric Bellinger and renowned Jamaican artist Konshens join forces to deliver ‘Special,’ a captivating new collaboration that fuses R&B, Dancehall and Afrobeats. This single is an anthem celebrating the irreplaceable woman of their dreams, highlighting deep admiration and affection for someone truly one of a kind. Listen here.
‘Special’ captures the emotional depth of a once-in-a-lifetime connection, where fate plays a pivotal role. The lyrics reflect how some relationships come together at the perfect moment. Both Eric Bellinger and Konshens describe their muse as someone to cherish and hold dear. With themes of love, desire, and destiny, the track emphasizes the rarity and significance of finding your “special lady.”
The music video, shot in Los Angeles by the legendary director Rage Films, is full of energy and excitement from start to finish. With stunning visuals, eye candy, stylish outfits to high production values, fans of Eric and Konshens are in for a treat. The beautifully shot video also features fun choreography, serving as the perfect cherry on top.
Ahead of the release, the American singer and producer, shares on their first collaboration, “I’m super excited about this collaboration. I’ve been releasing traditional R&B my entire career and it’s been great, but this new shift has me more excited than ever. The music feels fresh & my hunger has been renewed. With this reinvention, I feel like a new artist again,” adding, “I’ve been a fan and friend of Konshens for years now. With me experimenting with this new sound, we both felt it was the perfect time for us to collaborate. We’ve both been killin’ it in our own lanes so it just made so much sense for us to come together and keep it in the family.”
Konshens shares his excitement about working with Eric Bellinger, praising the authenticity and creativity behind the project. Reflecting on his experience, Konshens reveals, “Eric played the project for me, and I was blown away by how tapped in he is and how authentic it feels, that South Africa trip really did a number on him. When he asked me to jump on ‘Special,’ I thought it was already a smash! I went into the booth and let the music lead me.”
For Konshens, ‘Special’ marks a unique blend of R&B, Dancehall, and Afrobeat—genres he has never combined in one project before. “I’ve done R&B x Dancehall and I’ve done Afro x Dancehall, but never the triple threat,” he adds. Praising Eric Bellinger’s musical genius, Konshens highlights the collaborative spirit behind the track and looks forward to how the song will resonate with listeners. While this collaboration showcases a fresh creative synergy, Konshens also teases his own upcoming album, describing it as a whole different ball game, a blend of his original while introducing a new version of himself – “It’s gonna be fun.”
Eric, also renowned as a songwriter to the stars, says of the Afrobeats influenced track produced by Junaid Baker, “I love the substance mixed with simplicity. The choppy melodies with the anthemic chants. The soulful sounds combined with the feel good energy.”
Many will remember Eric’s global viral moment during Usher’s NPR performance. He reflects on the ripple effect, stating, “Since then so many new doors have opened. When the Tiny Desk first dropped I was getting requests to perform the Usher’s song “Superstar” on a number of occasions! Many more interviews, shows, and collaboration opportunities have also come my way.”
Now, he’s ready for his next big breakthrough with the release of his highly anticipated album, ‘It’ll All Make Sense Later’, set for November 22, 2024. Eric recently traveled to South Africa to immerse himself in the culture as he carefully crafted the album and its latest track. Though he returned home physically, his mind and heart stayed with the land that deeply inspired him. It’s from this transformative experience that his upcoming album was born. Eric teases that the new album will be a little different from his former projects, “I’ve always stayed pretty true to R&B in the past whether it be slow or uptempo/club or bedroom vibes lol. But with this project I felt the need to dance. To celebrate. To be triumphant. Each project I’ve always challenged myself to see what I could do next and the first place my heart chose to go was Afro!”
Eric Bellinger’s journey had been a remarkable evolution from the streets of Compton to becoming an international sensation. Marked by his Grammy-winning artistry and prolific songwriting skills. Hailing from a musical lineage as the grandson of Bobby Day, a hit songwriter for the Jackson 5, Eric followed in his footsteps writing for an array of A-List artists and creating his own incredible catalog of music. He has collaborated with major artists like Usher, Justin Bieber and Ne-Yo, both as a songwriter and co-singer.
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