Beyond Noise Team
The iconic Nelson Freitas today reveals “Black Butterfly”, the title track from his forthcoming seventh album – which he also confirms will be released on February 23rd.
Taking its place as the second slice of Black Butterfly, the track was originally conceived by Nelson whilst at a writing camp hosted by the legendary producer Teddy Riley (Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson) in Cabo Verde.
Co-written by Nelson with hitmakers Daecolm Holland (Adekunle Gold), Arrow Benjamin (Beyoncé), J.Sol and Mohombi with production helmed by Nigerian super-producer Ozedikus (Rema, Oxlade), the swaying Afro rhythms of “Black Butterfly” are elevated by lush strings arranged by Portuguese musician Tiago Machado, as Nelson relays a story of a sweet love affair.
Meanwhile, the luxurious “Black Butterfly” music video was directed by André Caniços and pictures a suavely styled Nelson against a backdrop of dancers and futuristic architecture amongst epic Cape Verdean greenery – a stunning juxtaposition between the modern and the classic, surely serving as the perfect representation of Nelson’s forward-thinking yet timeless sounds.
“Black Butterfly” follows on from Nelson’s well-received October release “Hero” (watch). Serving as Black Butterfly’s lead single produced by the in-demand hitmaker Blaisebeatz (BNXN, Davido, Victony, CKay), and racking up over 2.5M views on YouTube for its touching music video starring the Angolan-Portuguese international supermodel, Sharam Diniz, the soft Afropop sounds of “Hero” also saw major airplay via DJ Edu on BBC Radio 1Xtra as well as being selected by VIPER Magazine as one of their ‘Essential’ picks.
Speaking about “Black Butterfly” and his upcoming album, Nelson Freitas said the following: “I’ve been waiting for this album for ten years and it’s a project where I truly found myself. It’s something I’ve been working on for a long time and I believe the time has finally come. I looked for the best Afrobeats producers and composers in the world, and only with them did I feel complete enough to take this leap. I am confident that I achieved the exact result I wanted and “Hero” and “Black Butterfly” are already out to prove it.”
While the Dutch artist of Cape Verdean heritage is no stranger to the scene, Nelson’s new music reintroduces him with an evolution of his previous output. As a legend in the scene, Nelson has amassed a global fanbase over the years for his unique sound fusing Kizomba and Zouk with R&B and hip-hop – elements of the ‘mainstream’ Afrobeats sound audiences of today have become familiar with, which is something audiences will hear Nelson heavily lean into on Black Butterfly.
As the follow-up to his 2021 album Dpos D’ Quarentena – home to his Mr Eazi assisted hit “Tellin’ Me Something” – Nelson has assembled an impressive team of some of the most prominent producers in the Afrobeats scene for Black Butterfly to deliver a body of work that sonically shows him at his best.
During his award-winning and Platinum-selling career, Nelson’s energetic and dynamic stage performances have taken him to all corners of the globe, such as: the United States (including the Dunkin Donuts Center in Boston and AfroNation in Miami), the United Kingdom, Holland, Switzerland, France, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Angola and Portugal, where Nelson has sold out prestigious venues like the Coliseu dos Recreios and Campo Pequeno.
The Black Buttterfly record will surely see Nelson reach new heights in his already illustrious career – but in the meantime, audiences can get a taste of what’s to come with the singles “Black Butterfly” and “Hero”.
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