FOLA's Full-Circle Moment: From Bella and Zlatan's Co-Sign to No. 1

How does a new artiste repay the artistes who helped put him on? For FOLA, the answer is simple: give them their first No. 1. Before FOLA became a chart-topping artiste, his breakthrough had already begun with “alone.” But his association with Bella Shmurda became particularly important to the next chapter of his career. After signing to Bella's Dangbana Republik, FOLA delivered “who does that?”, earning his first Top 10 entry on the Official Nigeria Top 100 and eventually peaking at No. 2. 

Then came Zlatan. The pair's “Get Better” became another major milestone in FOLA's early ascent, also peaking at No. 2 and giving him another Top 10 entry. For Zlatan, the record was significant too: at the time, “Get Better” became his highest-charting single ever as a lead artiste.

Two collaborations. Two No. 2 peaks. Two artistes who played important roles in FOLA's rise. Now, the story has come full circle. FOLA's newly released “it's over,” featuring both Bella Shmurda and Zlatan, has debuted No 1 on the charts, giving both artistes their first-ever No. 1 singles on the chart. The significance of the moment extends beyond the chart position. Bella Shmurda gave FOLA a platform at a crucial stage of his development. Zlatan became another important collaborator during his emergence. FOLA, meanwhile, continued to grow until he was no longer simply the new artiste benefiting from the presence of established names. He became a chart force capable of creating milestones of his own. And now, he has reached the summit with the same artistes who were part of the journey that got him there. It is a full-circle moment where an artiste's growth and the people who contributed to that growth share the same stage. Sometimes, the most satisfying way to repay the people who helped you rise is to share the podium with them. And FOLA just did exactly that.