2025 finds Nigerian-born artist Shona (Boma Beddie-Memberr) making one of the boldest statements of the year through rhythm, not words. A drummer before she was a rapper, her double single debut on ‘For Her'(deluxe) Album is a rallying cry built on conscious music.
Across two tracks, ‘He for She’ and ‘End the Cycle’, Shona channels Afrobeat percussion, hip-hop cadences, and reggae groove to tell stories of the girl-child, womanhood, gender equity, and defiance.
The opener, ‘End the Cycle,’ is a declaration of intent: “she get sense”, pidgin English meaning “she is intelligent”, the hook echoing the song title.
The percussion-driven production simultaneously feels global and intimate, mirroring Shona’s composed yet resolute vocal delivery as she confronts and dismantles the pervasive culture of silence that constrains women in any sector they operate in.
The song’s rhythm invites engagement, translating activism into a deeply embodied and accessible experience. There is a visible balance between the urgency of advocacy and empathetic restraint articulated through her rhythmic choices.
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On ‘He for She,’ she takes things a step further, spotlighting generational trauma and gender inequality with vivid storytelling. Her voice is both warm and insistent, while Nanya Ijeh’s hook provides the emotional anchor.
The track’s reggae undertone and Afro-house pulse make it both a jam and a statement.
The fusion of reggae undertones with an Afro-house pulse elevates the track beyond a conventional protest song, rendering it simultaneously a danceable anthem and a profound statement on social justice.
Shona’s artistic vision reflects her layered life. From church drumming to advanced degrees in tech and urban design, to working previously in the UK’s Department for International Trade (now UK’s Department for Business and Trade), she’s the modern African woman: grounded, educated, creative, and most importantly, unafraid.
Sonically, ‘End the Cycle’ and ‘He for She’ sit between Afrobeats, hip-hop, and reggae, but it’s Shona’s moral and emotional clarity that gives it coherence.
The musicality is complex yet approachable; the messages are weighty but delivered with an effortless lightness of foot.
This nuanced approach allows the work to resonate powerfully without lapsing into didacticism, positioning Shona as a conscious artist in the music scene, as a voice of advocacy.
Shona’s singles present not only Nigeria but the global scene with a statement projecting substance over virality and rhythm over noise.
Ratings: /10
• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.5/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.4/2
Production: 1.4/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.4/2
Execution: 1.4/2
TOTAL – 7.1
