Kah-Lo Dominates Dance World Again with 'In This Bih' — Is She Ready for Global Stardom?

Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer Kah-Lo is experiencing a significant surge in her career with the viral success of her March release, “In This Bih',” a collaboration with British producer Chris Lorenzo. What began as a post with a few thousand views quickly escalated to over half a million views within hours of a flight, confirming the track's explosive popularity. On May 21, Shazam announced it was the most Shazam’d track of EDC Las Vegas 2026, and within just over four months, it amassed 13.9 million global on-demand streams. The club anthem has been lauded by many as the “song of the summer,” with Diplo even calling it the “dance song of the year.”

This isn’t Kah-Lo’s first encounter with a major hit. Her 2016 collaboration with English producer Riton, “Rinse & Repeat,” became a massive club success, generating 73.6 million streams and earning a 2017 Grammy nomination for best dance/electronic recording. This was followed by the triumph of 2022’s “Fake ID,” also made with Riton, which has garnered an impressive 568.1 million on-demand streams across its original and remix versions. These early successes established Kah-Lo, who initially focused on R&B, as a highly sought-after dance world vocalist.

Despite the career highlights, Kah-Lo found the experience of being an in-demand vocalist destabilizing. She was frequently inundated with topline requests from potential collaborators who often treated her as a commodity rather than a fellow artist. This experience shed light on the pervasive issue of undervaluing and erasing female vocalists, particularly Black female vocalists, in dance music history. Infamously, Martha Wash received no credit for her iconic vocals on C&C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” and Black Box’s hits. Similarly, singer/DJ/producer Kaleena Zanders has spoken about fighting for proper royalties and splits, highlighting a common sentiment among some DJs who casually “just find some vocals” without acknowledging the human artist behind them. Kah-Lo herself addressed this issue in a 2023 Billboard article, noting the historical pattern of Black artists, especially Black women, having to fight for credits, royalties, and visibility.

A pivotal moment for Kah-Lo arrived during the pandemic when her New York neighbor, DJ/producer Michaël Brun, taught her how to DJ. Struggling initially, she had a breakthrough when Brun suggested she play her own songs, realizing that her voice’s unique cadence and tone allowed it to be mixed over almost anything. This revelation empowered her to transition into DJing and production, culminating in her debut EP, The Arrival, in 2021, and her first album, Pain/Pleasure, in 2023. She further solidified her independence by launching her own label, Lagos Way Records.

The inspiration for “In This Bih'” sprang from a wild night out in Los Angeles last September. After partaking in brown tequila, a liquor she usually avoids, Kah-Lo had a session with Chris Lorenzo the next day. Battling a hangover, they first created “Oh No,” a track reflecting her post-tequila state. The second track, “In This Bih',” vividly described her observations from the previous night. Both artists felt the song—a sparse, wompy, tech house heater featuring Kah-Lo’s swaggering vocals and intermittent dog barks—was special and destined to “go off.”

Initially, Kah-Lo harbored concerns that the song’s monumental success might overshadow her decade-long efforts to establish herself as a solo artist. She worried about being “back in square one” as a vocalist. However, armed with ten years of industry experience, she is now navigating this fresh wave of success on her own terms. “The good thing, though, is that this time I have 10 years of experience behind me, and I know how it works,” she told Billboard.

Her increased wisdom has led her to be highly selective about collaborations, implementing a “no a--hole policy.” She now immediately flags emails that generically seek “a vocalist,” viewing it as a sign that she might not be seen as an equal partner. She insists on having key video clips posted to her own social channels to boost visibility, a practice supported by collaborators like Chris Lorenzo. This new approach, built on trusting her gut and being mentally and team-wise prepared, allows her to manage the flood of collaboration requests stemming from “In This Bih'”’s popularity.

The success of “In This Bih'” has also impacted her release schedule, with collaborators pushing up release dates for previously recorded tracks. Since its release, she has dropped songs with Francis Mercier and Peking Duck, alongside her solo track “Suddenly, That’s Strange.” Her calendar is full, with a new release coming in September, an appearance with Lorenzo at HARD Summer in Los Angeles, and a potential tour in October. Now, artists actively seek to have her name on their collaborations, recognizing it as a “cool stamp of approval,” as Kah-Lo confidently asserts, “I don’t make flops.”