MAGAZINE

The Sound of Evolution: Eric Bellinger’s Faith Walk Across Continents

written by

JUSTINE SLATER

Eric Bellinger isn’t the type to pound his chest about his accomplishments—but maybe he should. The Compton-born singer, songwriter, and producer has quietly shaped the last decade of R&B and pop, penning hits for Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, and Beyoncé while dropping a dizzying 39-plus projects of his own.

He’s a behind-the-scenes architect and a front-and-center star, a rare double threat who moves seamlessly between ghost-penning Grammy-winning hooks and crafting slow-burn anthems for his ever-growing fanbase.

This fall, he’s back with "It All Makes Sense", a project that folds Afrobeats into his signature brand of R&B romance, cementing his reputation as one of the genre’s most adaptive and forward-thinking voices.

Bellinger’s story has always been about evolution. He cut his teeth in the writing rooms that turned Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. into a Grammy winner, learning the art of connection one hook at a time. From “Fine China” to contributions on Beyoncé’s The Gift, his pen has been part of the DNA of modern R&B. “Songwriting taught me how to connect with people,” he says. “That’s the foundation for everything I do now.”

But Bellinger is no ghostwriter moving silently. His own catalog—The Rebirth series, Cuffing Season, Eric B for President, 1-800-HIT-EAZY —reads like a diary in album form, each project marking another step in his growth. “Every project is a reflection of where I am creatively and personally,” he explains. It’s not an exaggeration: 39 albums in, he’s still restless, still chasing the next sound.

That search has pulled him across genres and borders. Bellinger has traded verses with Wale and Dom Kennedy, chopped it up with The Game, and—

—more recently, tapped into Afrobeats alongside Tiwa Savage on the Understood remix. The pairing feels natural, not calculated—Bellinger thrives when he’s dropping into someone else’s universe and leaving his fingerprints on it. “With features, I get to bring my voice into someone else’s world,” he says. “That’s how music evolves—through shared creativity.”

For Bellinger, R&B isn’t nostalgia. It’s alive, breathing, and plugged into the complications of now—love in the era of DMs, digital situationships, and an attention span that flickers faster than a TikTok scroll. “R&B isn’t gone,” he says. “It just needs to reflect today. That’s what I aim to do.”

And while his sound is constantly expanding, his roots remain fixed in community. Beyond the music, Bellinger pours into Compton and develops new talent through his label, All Wins Entertainment. In a business obsessed with viral moments, he’s focused on longevity. “I want to help artists build strong foundations, not just quick hits,” he says.

At 39 albums deep, Bellinger could coast. Instead, he’s doubling down—pushing R&B into global waters, folding in Afrobeats, and proving that consistency doesn’t have to mean predictability. He’s the guy who can write the hit you’re humming all summer and then flip around and deliver an album that feels personal, romantic, and ahead of its time.

Eric Bellinger doesn’t just make sense of modern R&B—he’s one of the reasons it still makes sense at all.

Eric Bellinger on the Collaborative Spirit of his Latest Project: It All Makes Sense.

credits

talent

Eric Bellinger - @ericbellinger

interviewed by

Andrew Baxter - @andrew_baxter33

photographer

Clint Porte - @paper.clint

cinematographer

Clint Porte - @paper.clint

creative director