<\/p>\n
Released through Effyzzie Music, the track serves as the lead single from Yemi Alade\u2019s forthcoming self-titled album, It’s Yemi Alade, which is expected to be released later this year.<\/p>\n
Produced by Nigerian producer De Yaso and Kenyan producer Kobby Worldwide, \u2018Don\u2019t Be Shy\u2019 combines Afro-R&B influences with elements of Kompa. The song explores themes of attraction, confidence and emotional openness through a duet between the two artists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always loved the soulfulness of Bien\u2019s music and working with him on this record was so easy. Music has always been about emotion and connection for me,\u201d Alade said. \u201cAnd I feel like in \u2018Don\u2019t Be Shy\u2019 we are both being playful, confident and honest, in expressing feelings when you\u2019re into someone. It\u2019s a great jam to dance to, but also warm and intimate. I hope you all love it as much as we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bien described the collaboration as a natural creative process: \u201cWorking with Yemi was an incredible experience because the energy felt natural from the beginning. \u2018Don\u2019t Be Shy\u2019 is about confidence, chemistry and enjoying the moment. We want you to just feel good and loosen up when this song comes on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The new release continues a working relationship between the two artists that dates back to Alade’s collaboration with Kenyan group Sauti Sol on the song Africa. Their subsequent collaborations have included a Swahili version of Alade\u2019s \u2018Nagode\u2019 and Alade\u2019s contribution to a remix of Bien\u2019s \u2018All My Enemies Are Suffering\u2019.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Yemi Alade<\/em> will be the singer\u2019s 11th music project and is scheduled for release ahead of a planned showcase in Paris later this year.<\/p>\n Alade, one of Africa’s most commercially successful recording artists, has built an international following through a catalogue that spans Afropop, R&B and Afro-fusion. Bien, who rose to prominence as a member of Sauti Sol before launching a solo career, has also established himself as one of East Africa’s leading contemporary artists.<\/p>\n The release of \u2018Don\u2019t Be Shy\u2019 offers an early indication of the musical direction of Alade\u2019s forthcoming album.<\/p>\n