Pheelz is Done Caring Too Much

He has gone from working with the biggest stars in the early 2010s, producing smash hits like Olamide's “Durosoke” and Adekunle Gold’s “Sade,” to hitting a low point financially and emotionally in 2021, and to working with Davido and most recently, Usher. These experiences continue to bring him closer to what matters most to him — the music.

Creating from a new place

When Pheelz was making his debut EP Pheelz Good, he was seeking self-understanding while attempting to make sense of a recently acquired victory — having overcome a horde of personal life difficulties. That album, filled with hits like “Electricity,” featuring Davido and the melancholic “Stand By You,” formally introduced listeners to his musical side. In his latest work Pheelz Good II, however, the anxiety and desire to prove himself are gone, and in their place is a Pheelz that, as he tells me, no longer has anything to prove. “The headspace for me on this project is that of self-love. It’s me embracing myself and all my imperfections and finding perfection in that as well,” he says.

Sonically, Pheelz found himself, “Exploring sounds and trying to teach the world other aspects of Afrobeats.”

Ushering in new sounds

In “Majo,” Pheelz samples Adewale Ayuba’s fuji classic “Ijo Fuji,” bringing a sleek bounce to the track, assisted with log drums and breezy keys. In the Niniola-featured “Fever,” deep drums and gently applied log drums stream over fun, playful lyrics. The song is a well-achieved application of Niniola’s dancehall discipline and Pheelz’s Afropop leanings.

While working on the project, Pheelz says he sought to incorporate various elements, from fuji to apala and R&B. “I don’t believe in a certain style or way to do things, which is why I feel like every song I’ve dropped since this journey began has always been different from the previous release,” he says.

As someone who has worked with Usher in variations of the Afrobeats sound, Pheelz is aware of the unending conversations around the seeming lack of innovation in the genre at the moment. In his view though, the issue is sorely over-magnified. “To be honest, I don’t think anything is missing,” he says. “I think we are in the process of getting there. Yes, some people decide to play it safe, and that’s okay, but there has to be people who challenge the status quo, and I feel like that’s one of the things I’ve done all my life and I’ll just keep going.”

And at a time when the music landscape is seeing an unhealthy obsession with charts and numbers, both as validation of artistry and the measure of good music, Pheelz believes we can be better at consuming music with effort and intention.

“I think sometimes we can be lazy with how we listen to music, myself included,” he admits. “We can do better with checking out what is really out there, not what the charts tell you, because that can be doctored anytime. That shouldn’t be the metric for who is making music that stands out. I feel like there are amazing artists that are incredible if people just pay attention to them.”

On his part, he is staying away from those creatively crippling expectations. “I try to stay away from expectations and results. I find passion in just making the music. I've come to realize that just the ability to make the music is a goal enough for me and whatever the music does out there is up to the universe and the fans,” he says.

From this project, Pheelz hopes that people take good vibes and energy. “I hope it just makes you forget your worries and dance for a few minutes,” he adds.

Ultimately Pheelz is done caring too much. “I used to really care, a part of me still cared about what people thought, but I’ve realized it’s just about how your music feels. For lack of a better word, I am in my f**k you era. I am not overthinking it, I am amazing, this is my God-given ability to touch the world and I am going to regardless of what anybody says. It’s spiritual for me.”

Listen to the EP below:

Pheelz Good II