Meet Pheelz: Artiste, producer on the rise

In 2010 when Pheelz debuted in the Nigerian music scene, many did not look forward to a meteoric rise of the 16 years old artiste.

Today, the 28-year-old has moved from being a breakout artiste, to become a songwriter, as well as an award-winning producer.

If you have listened to his songs, you will attest to the fact that Pheelz writes with passion and sings from his soul. Over the past few years, the Lagos artiste has made songs that blur the boundaries between Afrobeats, R&B, and mainstream pop, while using intense emotion and vibrant melody to bridge diverse sounds and styles. Songs like ‘Finesse’ featuring fellow Nigerian star BNXN, have started to resonate, bringing Pheelz’ boundary-pushing music and earnest, heart-warming emotion to the top of the charts in the UK and his home country. In a sense, it is a moment that Pheelz has been working toward since he was a kid.

Trailing his background, Pheelz, who was born Phillip Kayode Moses in 1994, has a humble beginning and days of little beginning he can never forget. He grew up singing and playing keyboards in the church run by his father, who is a pastor in Lagos. He began producing and soon landed his first hit at 16 years old, ‘First Of All’ by Olamide, a woozy, electronic hip-hop jam.

Since then, Pheelz has become one of Nigeria’s most in-demand producers, working on records for stars like M.I, Mr. Eazi and more.

In 2020, he won Producer of the Year at The Headies, Nigeria’s hip-hop awards and in 2021, he released his breezy ‘Hear Me Out’ EP, which earned millions of streams and brought his emotional pop to even more listeners around the world. Even so, the success of ‘Finesse’ has changed everything for Pheelz, except his mission to put all of himself into his songs. He is sure that this is just the beginning of a meteoric rise now that he is inked a deal with Warner Records.

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“I have been plotting for years. I was ready,” he says. “I am ready.”

Truly Pheelz is ready. This year 2022, the multi-instrumentalist has continued to heat up the summer with his new sunny single ‘Electricity’ featuring Davido, Grammy nominated Afrobeats artiste. The cut follows Pheelz’s breakthrough ‘Finesse’ – which has amassed over 200 million global streams and was included in former US President Barack Obama’s 2022 Summer Playlist – and builds on the feel-good fusion of pop sounds he has explored in his music so far. That carefree, celebratory energy is tangible in the accompanying video.

‘Electricity’ showcases the Lagos artiste’s preternatural gift for making massive hooks feel low-key, relaxed, and, most importantly, emotional. “Life is not that deep, it is all about the energy,” Pheelz declares over warm synths and fluttering drums. “You know everything I do is nobody else’s concern.” His floaty delivery, paired with the breezy production and Davido’s fluid vocals, make the song the perfect anthem for late nights in the year’s warmest months.

On collaborating with Davido, Pheelz says, “It was an amazing experience working with Davido. I had already recorded the song then I played it for him when we linked up. He liked it, and I asked him if he wanted to jump on it, and he did. Man, David’s a really cool dude, and our recording session was smooth!”

All of that is reflected in the TG Omori-directed video of the song, which finds the collaborators in a series of luxe, colourful, and ultimately thrilling locations. Pheelz chills in a café filled with motorcycles and women then meets up with Davido in what looks like an ice cavern equipped with a hot tub, before the two artistes end up performing in the midst of a crowded club, flanked by dancers.

“Electricity is about a boy in the darkness who has a light inside of him and just wants to shine. It is a motivational song with undertones of sadness. I hope the lyrics resonate with everyone out there going through dark times…going through life’s dark valleys. I hope they are encouraged to turn on their lights and vibrate on another frequency to record,” Pheelz explains.

As well, the year 2022 has been an exciting year for Pheelz, who has made the most of every opportunity that has come his way since the massive success of ‘Finesse’, which established him as one of his home country’s most gifted producers and songwriters, as well as an international star on the rise. He recently performed a dazzling set at Essence Fest’s Afrobeats After Dark party in New Orleans and made his US television debut with a performance of ‘Finesse’ on NBC’s Late Show with Seth Meyers. Pheelz was also the first Afrobeats artiste to perform at the BET Awards Pre-Show, where he earned a 2022 nomination for Best New International Act.

Now with ‘Electricity’ Pheelz cements his status as one of Nigeria’s most exciting crossover artistes and delivers a track that will no doubt be on repeat at parties all summer long.