Korede Bello is back, and he has brought regret with him. The Nigerian singer-songwriter has released “Not Romantic,” a thematic sequel to his 2015 Afropop hit “Romantic” that strips away the wide-eyed innocence of first love and replaces it with something far more sobering: the quiet ache of misplaced trust.
Where “Romantic” captured the giddiness of falling for someone, its follow-up retraces that same journey with the benefit of hindsight. Bello reflects on the moment he first saw her, the instinct that urged him to walk away, swiftly overruled by admiration and desire. Through vivid, conversational storytelling, he maps the descent from fascination to heartbreak, questioning the spell he felt he was under and describing how love pursued him even in sleep.
What once felt like answered prayers gradually reveals itself as disappointment. Warm memories cool as the narrator concedes that the red roses he saw were, in truth, warning signs. Yet the production refuses to wallow: a playful, buoyant arrangement keeps the tone honest without tipping into bitterness, lending the song a light humour that softens its harder edges.
Since emerging as a teenage sensation with guitar in hand, Bello has carved a distinct niche in the Afropop landscape, one that balances charm with sincerity. “Not Romantic” adds a welcome layer of emotional maturity to that catalogue, suggesting an artist as comfortable with complexity as he is with melody.
“Not Romantic” is out now on all streaming platforms via ONErpm.
