Music Review: Sheebah reignites magic on ‘Somebody Wa Somebody

Sheebah Karungi has had several successful collaborations with the producer known as Nessim.

On Wakikuba, he was able to underline the fact that he understood what makes Sheebah’s music work: she understands how to work the groove of any beat you give her, she uses her ad libs to full effect, is currently one of the most charismatic musicians on the scene, and is able to insert this charisma into her music. 

Nessim is frightfully talented and is not just about a beat; his capacity for interpreting multiple instruments is pretty impressive (I love what he did with Spice Diana’s Body).

He is also pretty versatile.

He brings his obvious skills to Sheebah’s Somebody Wa Somebody like only he could. The track was written by a writing team known as Nikoly/Lyrical Tazy and the way Sheebah took to this track, you can be fairly certain she will be working with them again.

This is probably Sheebah’s first postpartum single – it is certainly her first hit after her pregnancy, and in the song’s video, she was obviously eager to strut her stuff. And strut her stuff she did. It wouldn’t be a Sheebah video without strutting. Edrine Paul, who directs the video, goes for a bright template on the video for Somebody Wa Somebody, with colours that are too cheerful to be ignored. The message is obvious: Sheebah is back.
 
 
Sheebah is in peak form on Somebody Wa Somebody, ad libbing to bits, edging the song on. It’s a catchy bit of music with an addictive groove, and that hook works. The melody fits her vocals perfectly and I don’t know if it is just me, but is she sounding better? I mean, Sheebah usually works her way around a melody, but on this track, she goes right at it. That aside, there is a sheen to her vocals, a fluidity that was not there before. 

She usually rasps through her melodies, but on Somebody Wa Somebody, she’s belting out some bits of the melody in a manner that makes you pause. Someone has been doing vocal training, I suspect. Sheebah’s back – curvier and with noticeably improved vocals. Motherhood has been good for her.