african music
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This month has produced the biggest bounty of great releases from African artists in 2024 so far, with some of the most exciting, innovative and fastest-rising artists and veterans releasing not just big singles, but long-awaited albums — and with much more promised for the coming months as summer approaches.
Tems released her reimagining of Nigerian singer-songwriter Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 smash “Love Me Jeje” following her debut performance of the single at Coachella. It’s the first single from her upcoming debut album Born in the Wild, which will be released in May. Meanwhile, Joeboy linked with teenage sensation Qing Madi, ODUMODUBLVCK and Blaqbonez lined up a distinctive collaboration and Black Sherif turned up the aggression with a new banger.
Nigerian Afropop singer Minz talks a big game on his new single “shadow” with German trio 255, who also produced 1da Banton and Bella Shmurda’s “Evidence” collaboration, which has been featured in this column. Speaking of collabs, Ruger and Bnxn put their past troubles behind them and celebrate their harmonious relationship on their joint album RnB. And Young Jonn helped Jamaican dancehall hitmaker Sean Paul earn his career-first entry on Billboard‘s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart this month with “Hold On,” from the latter’s long-awaited debut album Jiggy Forever.
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“I’m an artist and I go to Africa, and they are so appreciative of what we brought to the table. It’s been a symbiotic relationship back and forth over the years,” he told Billboard in an interview last week about the dynamic between Afrobeats and dancehall music. “We’re using drums from the sound that’s been Afro music, people like Fela Kuti and all of these great musicians, and we’re producing it the way we hear it [and] feel it. In Afrobeats [now], they have taken the hint from how we produce and done their own thing with it.”
We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new Afrobeats (and related) songs that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and catch a vibe with our latest Spotify playlist below.
Minz & 255, “shadow”
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Minz dials up 255 for his bouncy new single “shadow.” “It’s certain, you know I’m killing it,” he flexes in the first verse, while assuring his haters won’t go far in the chorus. His self-assured flow fits perfectly with his and 255’s spirited production.
Bloody Civilian, “Head Start”
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On the heels of her electrifying debut EP Anger Management, Bloody Civilian remains a force to be reckoned with on her first single of 2024, “Head Start.” She leaves her opps quaking, so much so “you go think say they be dancers. Congratulations, you’re the best dancers,” she jeers in the chorus. But the track’s stirring Afropop production, with its alarming sirens, ominous synths and intoxicating percussion, will leave listeners dancing right alongside her opps. “This track is quite raw. Basically, I made a vengeance track that’s Afrobeats but is also low-key Travis Scott coded,” Bloody says in a press release.
1da Banton & Bella Shmurda, “Evidence”
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Nigerian singer-songwriters 1da Banton and Bella Shmurda join forces for the first time on their summery two-track pack, Evidence / Holy Man. The first single, “Evidence,” is a vibrant, mid-tempo celebration of their success, with its hook “And the evidence choke/ Evidence choke, and the boys dem know/ Boys dem know, and the everywhere I go” proving its up for the boys. Produced by 255, the track’s acoustic guitar drives its laidback production, while the atmospheric pitched-up melodies interspersed throughout “Evidence” adds an extra touch of levity.
Ruger & Bnxn, “Not Done”
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Ruger and Bnxn make it clear that they’re “Not Done” with their past relationship (even if their ex feels otherwise) on the midtempo closing track of the Afropop stars’ remarkable joint album RnB. Produced by Blaisebeatz, “Not Done” tells the toxic tale of a man who won’t accept the end of a relationship, with Ruger questioning why she would ever want to leave him and Bnxn reminding her who treats her better in the bedroom. “When two artists like us come together, it’s sending a message to everyone around the industry,” Ruger said in a recent Billboard News interview. “For Afrobeats right now, many of us don’t really work together. People don’t drop joint projects like that. But this project actually is taking us to another level.”
Young Jonn feat. Sean Paul, “Hold On”
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Young Jonn links up with reggae legend Sean Paul on the sensual highlight “Hold On” from his debut album Jiggy Forever. With its stirring string arrangement, melodic vibes, Jonn’s come-hither vocals and Paul’s lustful lyrics, “Hold On” is the kind of record you sing while whining up on your significant other or even a stranger on the dance floor on a warm summer’s night. “I recorded this song in Madrid and was actually in the studio with Memphis Depay. He was actually gonna take the beat, but before you know it, I’d recorded the chorus!” he told Apple Music about the song. “I sent the song to my manager — she’s a very imaginative person and was like, ‘We should get Sean Paul on it.’ Earlier this year she sent me a message saying we got Sean Paul; it was crazy!”
Young Jonn, “Bahamas”
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The super-producer has been stringing us along with top-shelf single after top-shelf single for more than a year now, but his Jiggy Forever album is finally here, and it’s no surprise that there are a slew of absolutely beautiful songs sprinkled throughout. His songs have always had a touch of nostalgia, or yearning, to them, both lyrically and musically, and “Bahamas” fits into that lineage perfectly the latest in what is becoming a formidable catalog of big, aspirational hits.
Tems, “Love Me JeJe”
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As she gears up for the release of her debut album Born In the Wild in May, Tems comes with a new single that’s perfectly in her pocket, showcasing her voice and her laid-back style, on a track that takes its name from Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 hit. The hook “I’m on your wave right now/ I’m on your vibe now” — finds Tems right where she’s always been best: feeling her way through the music as effortlessly and coolly as any of us could ever hope to.
Black Sherif, “Shut Up”
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The Ghanaian street MC has been on a roll lately, with his latest single a fiery, in-your-face cut that takes a derisive swipe at the competition, both inviting attacks from others while chronicling his no-doubt rise to the point he’s at now. It’s more aggressive than the “January 9th” single he dropped earlier this year, which took a more introspective approach, but it’s a status he’s earned by this point.
Joeboy feat. Qing Madi, “Adenuga”
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Reliable hitmaker Joeboy recruits the young Nigerian singer Qing Madi to assist him on his latest, a platform for their two voices to dovetail in unexpectedly gorgeous ways as the song winds its way towards its finish. Before that, Joeboy himself tells the story of melting an icy tough exterior as he falls in love, displaying the melodic chops that helped him rise to the top of the Nigerian pop scene. It’s a duet that simply works fantastically.
ODUMODUBLVCK & Blaqbonez feat. Lekaa Beats, “Technician”
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There may not be a more distinctive voice in African music in the past two years than ODUMODUBLVCK, whose flow and style are instantly recognizable and add an element to his music that others could wish to have. But if anyone could rival him for originality it might be Blaqbonez, and this collaboration is two fighters sparring at the highest level, with Lekaa Beats’ vocals the perfect icing.
Ahead of Tiwa Savage‘s upcoming debut film Water & Garri, the Afrobeats superstar revealed the full tracklist for the official soundtrack on Monday (April 29).
The 10-track project features collaborations with Olamide and Mystro Sugar (“Commona”), Reekado Banks (“Reason”), Aṣa (“Emotions”), Zacardi Cortez (“I Need You”), Ayra Starr (“Gara”), Black Sherif and Young Jonn (“Kilimanjaro”) and Richard Bona and The Cavemen (“Water & Garri”).
The Water & Garri soundtrack is not to be confused with Savage’s 2021 EP of the same name, which featured collaborations with Nas and Rich King (“Work Fada”), Amaarae (“Tales By Moonlight”), Brandy (“Somebody’s Son”) and Tay Iwar (“Special Kinda”). Pharrell Williams hailed the project as “a classic.”
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Produced by Everything Savage and Unbound Studios, Water & Garri will premiere on Prime Video on May 10, with the soundtrack being released on the same day via EMPIRE.
Directed by Meji Alabi, Water & Garri tells the story of Aisha (played by Savage), an ambitious fashion designer who has spent the last 10 years in the U.S., and returns to her native country following a family bereavement. “At home, things have changed — violence has escalated and tensions have been high. As she reconnects with family, old friends, and her past love, she must learn to live with her scars and confront the guilt she left behind,” a press release accompanying the announcement said.
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Mike Afolarin (Far From Home), Andrew Bunting (Dynamite) and Jemima Osunde (New Money) will star alongside Savage in the new movie, which was filmed in Cape Coast, Ghana. Savage, Vannessa Amadi-Ogbonna, Jimi Adesanya and Meji Alabi are all executive producers. The Prime Video film will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
See the full Water & Garri soundtrack tracklist below.
“Eastside Intro”
“Lost Time”
“Commona” feat. Olamide & Mystro Sugar
“Reason” feat. Reekado Banks
“Love O”
“Emotions” feat. Aṣa
“I Need You” feat. Zacardi Cortez
“Gara” feat. Ayra Starr
“Kilimanjaro” feat. Black Sherif & Young Jonn
“Water & Garri” feat. Richard Bona & The Cavemen
Tems announced her new single “Love Me Jeje” on Monday (April 22), and it’s arriving sooner than you think. “Love Me Jeje” will be available Friday, April 26. She performed it for the first time during weekend one of Coachella, where she coached the crowd through the “Love me jeje, love me tender” chorus. Nigerian […]
While rap beef continues making headlines, Afropop stars Ruger and BNXN have squashed their beef and come together on a new album, RnB.
The two had been taking shots at one another on X back in August 2022. “In Nigeria, the excessive stanship is real. If you like an artist or you feel an artist is your fave, you almost go to every extent to prove it — even if that means fighting somebody else that says otherwise. That was the primary reason,” BNXN explains in an interview with Billboard News. “I think someone came at [Ruger], and then he responded to the person. The response had me all in it, and I’m like … it’s that 50 Cent meme where he’s like, ‘Me?’ That little ego clash had a lot to play in that.”
But looking back, the “GWAGWALADA” singer thinks the whole thing was “unnecessary” and was “blown out of proportion.”
Ruger also believed their fans played a role, not just online, but in real life. “We blew up properly at the same time, you understand. We were going to the same shows at that time, you understand, and our fans were there. So if one’s coming out, another one is coming out, the fans would be like, ‘Ayo!’ and boo the other person,” he tells Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly. “The music is everything that we have; we have to fight for it.”
But when the two finally decided to bury the hatchet, fate brought them together. BNXN was sitting on a plane, waiting for his flight to London to take off, and Ruger tapped him on his shoulder. “Is it fight or flight?” BNXN recalls with a chuckle.
But the “Asiwaju” artist breaks down why it was easier to fight online than in real life. “The reason why most of us fight online [is] because we don’t get to meet each other. But when we meet each other, we see the kind of person we are, we’re just about the music. It’s not really about bad blood like that,” Ruger says.
Ruger and BNXN proved they’re really just about the music when they released their joint album RnB (which stands for Ruger and Benson) on Thursday (April 18), which includes previously released singles “Romeo Must Die (RMD)” and “POE.” “Romeo Must Die (RMD)” peaked at No. 11 on Billboard‘s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Ruger reveals it took him and BNXN only three days to make the seven-track project.
“When two artists like us come together, it’s sending a message to everyone around the industry, whether Nigeria, America, London, wherever,” says Ruger. “Working together actually pushes the sound farther. Just like for Afrobeats right now, many of us don’t really work together. People don’t drop joint projects like that. But this project actually is taking us to another level, whether you like it or not.”
BNXN adds that making RnB together was a “seamless” experience. “We wanted a collaborative effort, something that felt genuine and at the same time fit for each other’s persona,” he adds. “The producers — shout-out to Blaise[beatz] and Kuk[beats] — we’ve worked with the producers individually before. Kuk was more of Ruger’s producer, and Blaise used to really work with me a lot. So it’s like, OK, we’re going to share ideas off what we’ve already done with these producers, and let’s see what we can connect with, what songs we can connect with. We’re bouncing off each other’s energies.”
Watch Ruger and BNXN’s full Billboard News interview above.
Burna Boy has been named as one of TIME‘s 100 most influential people of 2024, which was announced on Wednesday (April 17). Fellow Grammy-winning African artist Angélique Kidjo penned the essay highlighting Burna’s outstanding achievements, from becoming the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium — when the “Last Last” singer performed at […]
Tems announced her debut album Born in the Wild on Monday (April 15), one day after her Coachella performance, during which she brought out Wizkid and Justin Bieber to perform the Billboard Hot 100 No. 9 “Essence” remix. The Nigerian singer-songwriter posted a one-minute visual teasing her album, which will be released in May. The […]
Davido has been on a victory lap since last March when he dropped his fourth studio album Timeless, which earned the Afrobeats heavyweight three Grammy nominations this year. But on April 17, he’ll celebrate a very special stop: his first headlining show at NYC’s Madison Square Garden.
“I always said I want to be at the Garden. I think that’s every artist’s dream. The greats have performed there, like Michael Jackson,” he tells Billboard over Zoom while on the set of his music video for the Fave-assisted “Kante.” “I did five arenas last year for the Timeless Tour. But we didn’t have New York, so definitely this time, we wanted to add New York.”
The North American leg of the Timeless Tour included stops in Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Atlanta (the last stop was part of Davido’s A.W.A.Y Fest, which featured additional performances from his “Unavailable” collaborator Musa Keys, Spinall, Victony, King Promise and more). Following his summer stint, Davido embarked on the European leg, which had stops in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Sweden and France. He ended 2023 back home with three performances in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos. His MSG show is the first of three additional North American arena dates, which continue with a show at Montreal’s Place Bell on April 19 and end with a show at Orlando’s Additional Financial Arena on April 24.
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“My show right now is over two hours [long]. And my new setup for tour, there’s a Stage A and there’s a Stage B, so I’m running up and down the whole night,” he says. “To produce the Davido show right now, we’re talking about $400,000, almost $500,000 – just for production alone. That’s one thing I think we’ve improved on a lot. And I have an amazing band, The Compozers. It’s the full package.”
Davido says he always has a new favorite Timeless track that he enjoys playing live, but “I definitely love performing ‘Feel,’ ‘cause it’s a very energetic record and it’s a feel-good song.” But when it comes to Davido’s other timeless records, he says the crowd still goes crazy over his 2013 track “Skelewu.” “I don’t feel like there’s a major formula to making timeless music. To me, it just comes naturally.” There is, however, one key ingredient needed for Davido’s pre-show ritual. “I definitely need to get my massage, a little 40-minute massage in,” he adds. “I eat, but I don’t like to eat too much ‘cause I don’t want to be too full ‘cause I gotta move around. And 20 minutes before I get on stage, I like to have a little bit of quiet time to myself.”
Performing in New York has also become a special ritual. The first time the Atlanta-born Nigerian artist born David Adedeji Adeleke performed in New York was in 2014 at the Pulse 48 nightclub in Brooklyn, which the New York Police Department had to shut down because the show was overbooked. “I’ve been coming back to New York almost every year since then,” he says. “New York was one of the first cities that was really putting on for African music in the mainstream. The first song that I got on the radio was in New York, so New York has a special place in my heart.”
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His 2017 single “Fall,” which was later included on his sophomore album A Good Time, gradually took over U.S. airwaves two years after its release, reaching No. 13 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 14 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in 2019. And listeners were eager to discover exactly who was behind it: In New York City, “Fall” became a top 10 record on Shazam in 2019, Rolling Stone reported at the time, while “If,” another big Davido record from 2017, was a top 50 Shazam record two years after it came out.
Davido recently scored another hit with his apperance on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” which earned Davido and fellow featured artist Lojay their first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. “I feel like I should have 100 entries, bro, but they finally let a n—a in!” he laughs. “Shoutout to CB. Me and him have an amazing working relationship, [we’ve] been working for years now, we got a couple records, performed all over the world with my brother. Me and CB ‘bout to drop more records, too. I think we drop another one in a couple of weeks, so watch out for that.” The two have collaborated on “Blow My Mind” and “Lower Body” in 2019, “Shopping Spree” (also with Young Thug) in 2020 and “Nobody Has to Know” in 2022.
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His fans will also have to watch out for his upcoming album (“It’s another classic, trust me,” Davido teases) that he’s currently working on – even while he’s on tour. “We got a mobile studio, so I can literally record anywhere. Inspiration can come anytime whether I’m on stage, whether I’m on the road,” says Davido. “I’ll always set up a studio and I have my producers fly with me, travel with me.”
And as he continues to spread African music and culture across the globe through his recorded and live music, Davido wants his African fans who will be attending the MSG show to “leave and be proud to be who they are, proud of the culture, proud of how far we’ve come. As Africans, we’re changing the narrative of being African in America. Years ago, it was a different thing. Now, when you say you’re African, you’re proud to say it, eat the food, wear the clothes, play the music,” he says. “And [for] the people that are coming to experience African culture for the first time, I want them to leave knowing that they’re never going to forget this.”
Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage is set to make her acting debut in Water & Garri, which was announced Thursday (April 4). The new film will premiere on Prime Video on May 10. Directed by Meji Alabi, Water & Garri tells the story of Aisha (played by Savage), an ambitious fashion designer who has spent the […]
It’s Tyla’s turn at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart as the singer-songwriter’s “Water” springs from No. 4 to rule the list dated April 6. The song, which reached a prior No. 2 best as far back as November, pools enough activity to claim the throne on the heels of its parent album’s release March 22.
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In the March 22-28 tracking week, “Water” recorded 10.3 million official U.S. streams, a 17% surge from 8.8 million in the previous frame, according to Luminate. The boost pushes the single 5-4 on R&B Streaming Songs, where it previously peaked at No. 2, and wins Greatest Gainer honors, given each week to the song with the largest improvement among the chart’s 15 titles. Plus, the latest haul gives “Water” its best streaming week since Jan. 5-11, when it accrued 10.9 million clicks.
For the two remaining metrics that funnel into the Hot R&B Songs chart – song sales and radio airplay – “Water” sold 2,000 downloads in the same period, a 17% bump from the prior week, and registered 51.7 million in airplay audience across all formats, down 4%.
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“Water” was already a proven smash on Rhythmic Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, ruling the charts for one and eight weeks, respectively, over the winter, helping explain the current audience decline. It remains active, however, at pop radio, holding at its No. 6 high on the Pop Airplay chart. The crossover appeal reflects the singer-songwriter’s “popiano” sound — a hybrid of pop, R&B and Afrobeats characteristics, as detailed in Tyla’s March Billboard cover story.
The song’s streaming and sales growth aligns with the release of Tyla’s self-titled debut album March 22. The set, released via FAX Records/Epic Records, opens at No. 2 on the Top R&B Albums chart with 24,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week. The arrival makes the set only the second of 2024 to debut in the top two, following the No. 1 launch of Usher’s Coming Home in February.
Beyond “Water,” Tyla finds five more tunes on Hot R&B Songs: “Truth or Dare” rises 8-7 in its eighth chart week, while four tracks – “Art” (No. 8), “No. 1,” featuring Tems (No. 13), “Jump,” with Gunna and Skillabeng, and “Safer” (No. 22) – all debut.
Notably, Tyla tops Hot R&B Songs after SZA had reigned for 66 of the past 68 weeks, via four No. 1s.
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Elsewhere, Tyla floods the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, as 12 of the album’s cuts land on the 50-position list. “Water” retains the top rank for a 25th consecutive and total week, while a familiar set of titles shows in the top 10: “Truth or Dare” (No. 3), “Art” (No. 4), “No. 1” (No. 5), “Jump” (No. 6) and “Safer” (No. 8), while the Becky G collaboration “On My Body” begins at No. 10. With the tidal wave, Tyla becomes the first act to occupy seven of the top 10 spots on the two-year-old chart.
The “Water” triumphs add to a spate of honors of late for the single. In addition to the Afrobeats Songs and radio crowns, the track won the singer, age 22, the first-ever Grammy Award presented for best African music performance, on Feb. 4. “It’s something that a lot of people strive toward and want to win at least once in their lifetime,” she said in the cover profile. “And I’m so blessed to have received one so early in my career.”
It’s March, and the year is starting to heat up with big albums and even bigger singles from some of the heavy hitters of the Afrobeats community.
Billboard‘s current cover star Tyla polishes her signature popiano sound with her self-titled debut album Tyla, while Odunsi (The Engine) recruits artists from around the world to expand the borders of the alté genre on his forthcoming Leather Park Vol. 1 compilation album. And different dynamic duos underline the power of collaboration, from Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr getting the girls gassed up on “Hypé,” to Tiwa Savage and ODUMODUBLVCK (who was featured on Billboard‘s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists to Watch list alongside Tyla) reminding everyone about their worth on “100 Million,” to Ruger and BNXN squashing their beef to put together one of the best songs of the year so far.
We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new Afrobeats (and related) songs that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and catch a vibe with our latest Spotify playlist below.
Leather Park & Odunsi (The Engine) feat. Minz & Elias Slay6rr, “Crown Bounce”
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Odunsi (The Engine) recruited underground and mainstream international artists as well as producers and engineers for his innovative Leather Park music camp, which took place in Paris Fashion Week last year. The alté leader tapped fellow Nigerian artists Minz and Elias Slay6rr (who were also part of the camp) for the super wavy “Crown Bounce,” the first single from the upcoming Leather Park Vol. 1 compilation album Odunsi executive produced and curated.
On “Crown Bounce,” he’s feeling himself more than all of the girls he has all around the world, comparing himself to both Michaels: “I felt like Jackson when I step/ I felt like Jordan when I shoot.” Minz and Slay6rr can also woo any woman with their infectious, idiosyncratic charm, while the song’s infectious groove can coax any listener to sway their hips. “‘Crown Bounce’ is an extension of a style I’ve been developing for years,” Odunsi tells Billboard. “It expresses my pursuit for mixing classical music as well as nostalgia with modern African groove.”
ODUMODUBLVCK feat. Tiwa Savage, “100 Million”
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Nigerian stars ODUMODUBLVCK and Tiwa Savage are ready to “f–k up the club” with their pricey collaboration “100 Million.” ODUMODUBLVCK fires off verses about his worth, while Tiwa stays in her melodic bag, solidifying her African Bad Gyal status. Sholz and Decster’s polished Afrobeats-meets-drill production (with an underlying lush string arrangement) provides the perfect backdrop for their luxurious lifestyle. That opulence is further highlighted in the accompanying music video, where ODUMODUBLVCK and Tiwa take over the palm tree-dotted streets of Los Angeles, as the former commands The Peppermint Club’s stage from his show back in February.
Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng, “Jump”
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The South African popiano star recruits Atlanta rapper Gunna and Jamaican dancehall deejay/rapper Skillibeng for the sweltering club banger “Jump,” which will have all the girls sweating off their concealer. Skilli gasses up Tyla by rapping in the intro, “Original gyal, you aren’t a replica (No!)” before she flexes in the first verse, “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg/ See me now, and that’s what they prefer.” The sweat’s bound to be dripping off anyone listening, but leave it to Gunna to provide his girl with the drip: “Told the chauffer take you to a Chanel store/ Ever play with you, it be a world war.” While incorporating amapiano’s log drums, rap’s airhorns and dancehall’s pulsating bass, “Jump” jumps between genres, and can get the party started anywhere around the world.
Kizz Daniel, “Sooner”
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Having already fallen for one woman, Nigerian star Kizz Daniel wishes he had met a second one “Sooner,” the first single on his latest EP TZA — short for Thankz Alot, and meant as a “thank you” for his fans who have been supporting him during his decade-long career (His debut single “Woju” came out in 2014). The Nigerian singer-songwriter feels torn: On one hand, he’s aware he’s already committed to someone, but on the other hand, he doesn’t want to let a new woman go, and finds himself physically tempted to pursue her. Daniel makes his promiscuity entertaining with the song’s steady percussive bounce.
Aya Nakamura feat. Ayra Starr, “Hypé”
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French Malian popstar Aya Nakamura fuels more “Hype” for her first single of 2024 by adding Beninese Nigerian Afropop star Ayra Starr to the mix. Nakamura falls out of love with her terrible ex and hypes herself up as a “hit machine,” while Starr erases her former lover from her memory, singing, “Two chances, too many to track/ Just worry ’bout my bag, I don’t want you back.” And the playful music video makes the power of the Aya x Ayra linkup even more palpable.
Ruger & BNXN, “Romeo Must Die”
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After a few years of publicly jockeying and feuding — some of it in the spirit of competition, some of it petty — two of the most reliable hitmakers in Africa set aside their differences to join forces on this breezy, compelling collaboration that speaks to the primary strength for both artists: melody. It’s a worthy addition to both of their canons, but just as importantly, heals a rift in a way that benefits all — and especially fans.
Tyla feat. Tems, “No. 1”
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Tyla’s self-titled album is the first true event album of the year for African music, and this collaboration with Tems is a clear standout on a project stocked full of great songs. The South African singer-songwriter’s breakout in the past year — crowned with a Grammy for best African musical performance at the Grammys earlier this year — has been one of popular music’s greatest success stories of late, and her teaming up with one of Nigeria’s go-to vocalists of the past few years makes for an engaging and soulful duet that brings the best out of both artists.
King Promise, “Paris”
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King Promise’s rise has been remarkable in recent months, and last year’s “Terminator” was easily a top 10 song of 2023. “Paris” is a great follow, with an amapiano through-line and a hook that is an instant earworm. The Ghanaian star is building a truly top-tier oeuvre, and with a new album on deck for this year, there’s plenty more to come.
Bella Shmurda, “Loner”
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Following the street dance craze of last year’s “Ara (Gen Gen Tin),” Bella Shmurda returns with a more melodic, soulful and introspective cut that shows off his vocals and songwriting skills in a way that goes beyond what he’s been known for in his career so far. A great song, and another step forward for an artist that continues to evolve.
Pheelz, “Go Low”
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With this propulsive, dance-y track, super producer Pheelz comes back with another big track following up on the massive success of last year’s “Finesse.” With a groovy trumpet line, a silky vocal and its strong back line, it’s a perfect cut for dance floors this coming summer.