WurlD heads ‘Outside’ for new single

Versatile Nigerian singer WurlD is energised and excited about the release of his recent Afro-Caribbean single - Outside - featuring Grammy-nominated producer/artiste, Walshy Fire.

WurlD admitted that reggae and dancehall music formed an impressionable mark upon his life from a tender age. He started his career as an R&B singer/songwriter, penning the lyrics for many artistes such as Akon and Mario. He is now tapping to the beats of his Nigerian roots with his 'Caribbean brothers' as he expressed what inspired this musical fusion.

"I wouldn't call it a crossover. This is more of an appreciation. As a kid, I was privileged to experience the dancehall, Caribbean music - mainly from Bob Marley - and growing up now as an adult and making music, I make a lot of fusion where I'm just exploring and experimenting my sounds with different sounds that I've been exposed to growing up," WurlD told THE STAR. "Dancehall and Caribbean music is like part of my culture, my upbringing, and me just exploring and infusing this sound for this new record is just joyful for me ]. It's more than appreciation."

After landing major success with their first recorded Afro-Caribbean anthem, Show You Off (2016), WurlD and Walshy Fire have once again stroked the right chords with Outside.

"Walshy is like my brother from day one - one of the most amazing, humble spirit [with a] crazy, positive energy. When I recorded my first Afro-Caribbean single, Walshy was so supportive ... and I wasn't used to meeting people in the industry who show you 100 per cent love. Fast-forward to this record. This was seamless. [With] Walshy being Jamaican, he was the perfect person to call to embrace me and bring me into the Caribbean family. I didn't want to do an Afro-Caribbean record without a proper Jamaican brother bringing me into the family," WurlD shared.

He described Outside as a personal "celebration of creative freedom".

"[I'm just] creating music outside of the box, feeling free to take a nostalgic sound like a Caribbean sound and mix it with my Afrobeats, pop, [and] R&B culture. So I'm just fusing everything that I've learnt. Everything that you hear in this record comes natural for me from years of trials and learning and being a creative overall," he said. He added that the single is a "lyrical freedom that brings joy to people's soul and for them to feel free".