"Everybody Was Out to Erase Me": MzBel Opens Up on Feeling Completely Alone During Career Backlash
- Ghanaian musician MzBel opened up about feeling deliberately targeted and unsupported by industry figures during the toughest period of her career
- She recalled how a female journalist once wrote an article associating her stage outfits with {expletive}, a claim she said deeply hurt her at the time
- MzBel said she predicted the late Ebony Reigns would face similar backlash after noticing how freely she dressed and performed on stage
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Ghanaian musician Belinda Nana Ekua Amoah, popularly known as MzBel, has opened up about feeling completely alone during the toughest years of her career.
Source: UGC
She said industry figures worked deliberately to push her out of the spotlight over her image.
MzBel is one of Ghana's most recognisable Hiplife acts, having built her name in the mid-2000s with hits like "16 Years," "Awoso Me," "E Dey Bee" and "Asibolanga."
Beyond music, she runs several ventures, including Mzbel Music and Bel Group, and has worked as a radio presenter, actress and global ambassador for people with disabilities.
Over the years, she has repeatedly found herself at the centre of controversy, largely tied to her bold stage persona and outfit choices.
She has previously spoken about difficult chapters in her life, including experiencing abuse early in her career from her first manager.
MzBel speaks on industry ordeal
Speaking on popular journalist Kafui Dey's podcast, MzBel said people she described as gatekeepers targeted her, claiming they would badmouth her to promoters and recommend other female artists whenever her name came up for shows outside Ghana.
Asked who supported her during that period, she gave a blunt response:
"Nobody. Everybody was out to erase me because I am bad. I am {expletive}."
She explained that the label stuck with her for years, driven in part by a widely read article written by a female journalist who linked her provocative stage performances, including dancing and licking her fingers, to {expletive}.
She said the journalist has since passed away and that she would not mention her name, but admitted the piece had hurt her deeply at the time.
Mzbel's interview with Kafui Dey is below.
MzBel recalls constant attacks on radio
MzBel said the criticism did not stop at print, describing how radio stations would regularly open phone lines for listeners to call in and discuss her outfits or performances, often without her present to defend herself.
She said:
"I always get attacked on radio. They will open their phone lines, and the whole conversation is about one person, and I'm listening and asking myself, but you don't know me."
She said the experience made her wary of people in public, unsure who genuinely supported her and who did not, though she noted that while similar conversations still happen on the radio today, they no longer affect her the way they once did.
Reflecting on the late Ebony Reigns, MzBel said she had sensed early on that the singer would face the same kind of backlash, having noticed how freely Ebony dressed and performed on stage before her death.
MzBel warns Barosky over Ghana return
As earlier reported by YEN.com.gh, MzBel also spoke out on the viral video of veteran musician Barosky, raising concerns about what a return to Ghana could mean for him without stable support in place.
She said she had hoped his situation could have been handled privately rather than becoming a public spectacle.
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: YEN.com.gh
