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Guess we know what Tyla‘s go-to karaoke song is, according to her new “Breathe Me” music video that dropped Tuesday (Sept. 3). Picking up where her “Truth or Dare” music video left off seven months ago and featuring the same love interest, the “Breathe Me” visual takes place on a random late night in Osaka, […]
Fireboy DML‘s Adedamola tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 30) on Billboard, choosing the Nigerian singer-songwriter’s latest studio album as their favorite new music release of the past week. August might have slipped away like a bottle of wine, but end-of-summer tunes are still sinking in as September […]
The summer may be coming to a close, but the high-profile releases from some of the giants of African music don’t appear to be slowing down at all.
Asake continues pushing his own sonic boundaries, tapping an array of international collaborators — including Travis Scott, the UK’s Stormzy, and Brazil’s Ludmilla — for his third studio album, Lungu Boy, a triumph of both expanding musical horizons and fully embracing your status as an innovator on the scene. The Nigerian hitmaker scored his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart with “Active,” featuring Scott.
And renowned British-Nigerian producer London, whose artist name is Thisizlondon, has been behind some of the biggest Afrobeats hits in recent years, from Rema‘s Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 smash “Calm Down” to Ayra Starr‘s “Bloody Samaritan.” Now, he’s getting in front of them by recruiting Starr and 6LACK for his refreshing debut single “PINACOLADA,” and collaborating with Olamide and Alpha P on the latter’s “W.”
But those are just a few of the artists who have released big tracks in August. 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 find your new summer soundtrack with our Spotify playlist below.
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Asake feat. Wizkid, “MMS”
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Asake waxes philosophical on “MMS,” a highlight from Lungu Boy which stands for “Mr. Money Sound.” Asake chants “O ye ọlọun” in the chorus (meaning God understands in Yoruba) over P.Priime’s jazzy production, as he restores faith in listeners who feel overwhelmed with life’s twists and turns by reminding them about the path God has already put them on. Meanwhile, Wizkid reflects on losing himself, especially after the death of his mother last August, and finding his purpose as one of Afrobeats’ brightest stars. “As a young striving artist in Lagos, I have always been waiting for the right song, so when the opportunity came it was a no-brainer,” Asake told Apple Music about collaborating with one of his “musical inspirations.”
JayO, “Suns Out”
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JayO reworks the “suns out, buns out” summer slogan for the hook of his latest seasonal anthem. Skittering hi-hats and hypnotic synths, courtesy of producers WHOSDAT and RZ, underline the British-Nigerian AfroR&B artist’s smooth melodies. “Suns Out” is sure to soundtrack the last day parties of the summer (ugh, don’t remind us it’s almost over).
Efosa, “FEEL IT”
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After co-writing Darkoo’s summer smash “Favourite Girl” – which features Rema on its recent remix – British-Nigerian singer-songwriter Efosa drops his own sensual number. On “FEEL IT,” Efosa makes the case for why a woman should be with him, with his suave vocals doing most of the convincing. The drill-esque syncopated drums mimicking his heartbeat (“Do you feel it?” he repeatedly asks her) give the ballad’s woozy synths an upbeat edge.
Omah Lay, “Moving”
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Omah Lay pursues happiness while struggling with hardships on his latest single “Moving,” from his sophomore album Clarity of Mind, which is slated for release this winter. The propulsive percussion and resonant rhythms drive the track’s sense of urgency, which reaches a fever pitch at the bridge when he chants, “You can tell that I ran out of time/ Unavailable a lot of times.” And the affecting music video gives “Moving” a more profound meaning. “I am telling the story of how illegal immigrants travel to Europe through the desert, through Sahara…. Home is really bad where we can’t stay at home,” he said in a recent Billboard News interview. “I’m telling the story of the whole world, where everybody’s looking for some place to find peace of mind, some place to just call home and feel relaxed.”
Thisizlondon, Ayra Starr & 6LACK, “PINACOLADA”
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Thisizlondon taps frequent collaborator Ayra Starr and 6LACK for his debut single “PINACOLADA,” crafting a tantalizing concoction of Starr’s self-confident, vibrant delivery and 6LACK’s laidback R&B vocals that he’s lent to plenty of other Afropop records, like the remixes of Omah Lay’s “Damn” and Spinall and Fireboy DML’s “Sere.” “I wanted to create a vibe that captures the essence of summer — something that’s both chill and energizing,” Thisizlondon said in a press release.
Asake feat. Ludmilla, “Whine”
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Mr. Money Worldwide has finally arrived at the peak of his powers — and he’s clearly having fun. No song off his excellent new album exemplifies that better than “Whine,” in which producer Sak Pase flips Mary J. Blige’s 1992 classic “Real Love” into a joyful celebration of the ecstasies of love, and Brazilian singer Ludmilla adds a South American flair and a largely Portuguese verse to a track that is positively bursting with vibes. It’s the most euphoric track of his career so far.
Asake feat. Stormzy, “Suru”
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This isn’t the first time Asake has linked up with a British rapper — and not even the only instance on this album — but this collaboration with Stormzy is a deeply emotional appreciation of how far each of them have come to reach where they are, and an acknowledgment of the sacrifices that were made by those around them along the way. It’s summed up by the first line of Asake’s hook — “My mama tell me say surulere,” surulere meaning “patience is rewarding” in Yoruba — and each of their verses, which center on their families’ role in their success. But maybe the best line is in the outro, when Stormzy acknowledges the hard work, too: “This was not a dream, it was more like a plan I believed in.”
Darkoo feat. Rema, “Favourite Girl”
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We featured Darkoo’s original version of “Favourite Girl,” which featured Dess Dior, back in May. But this new remix with Rema brings the track to even greater heights, as the Afro Rave leader adds his own flavor with an exuberant verse that oozes self-confidence. The remix transforms what was already a great song into one that will fill dance floors to capacity for years to come — and is one of the best songs of the summer.
Oxlade & Fally Ipupa, “IFA”
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Oxlade has always had a great ear for melody, and a talent for engaging with unexpected harmonies and layers in his vocals. “IFA” is very much in that lineage, as he croons over a laid-back Afrobeats drum pattern. But it’s the Congolese icon Fally Ipupa who comes through and takes this song to the next level, with his distinctive tenor bringing an entirely different flavor as he croons in French of a woman he would love to keep. It’s a great team-up, and a reminder that Oxlade remains one of the more creative hitmakers of his generation.
Alpha P feat. Olamide & Thisizlondon, “W”
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The young Nigerian singer Alpha P taps two of the biggest names around for this wistful love song, in the YBNL chief Olamide and the in-demand producer Thisizlondon, the latter of whom crafted the perfect vibe for Alpha’s soaring melodies. And Olamide, known for so long for his hip-hop roots, perfectly meets the moment with his verse, both melodic and filled with his patented punch lines. The track is one of the best earworms of the year by far.
Asake and Travis Scott’s “Active” jumps 8-1 to rule the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart dated Aug. 24. The coronation on the streaming and sales-based charts follows a surge in both metrics, tied to the release of the song’s parent album, Asake’s Lungu Boy, and yields both artists’ first champ on the two-year-old chart.
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In the tracking week of Aug. 9-15, “Active” registered 2.9 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, up 198% from 980,000 in the prior week. In addition to the parent album’s release, “Active” enjoyed prominent, top-spot placement on several Afrobeats and African-music focused playlists, including Apple Music’s “Afrobeats Hits” and “New in Afrobeats” offerings. The single also sold 1,500 downloads in the same period, far above a negligible number in the prior week.
Before “Active” unlocked the penthouse, Asake, a Nigerian-based singer and rapper, had previously topped out at a No. 6 best on U.S. Afrobeats Songs with two different tracks. “Palazzo,” a collaboration with Spinall, debuted and peaked at the rank in May 2022 as did his solo track “Terminator” just over three months later.
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Texas-raised rapper Travis Scott, meanwhile, achieves his first No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs through his first appearance on the list.
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“Active” also shakes up the top spot on U.S. Afrobeats Songs for the first time in nearly a year, as the new champ dethrones Tyla’s “Water,” which had dominated for 44 consecutive frames. At the time of its coronation, “Water,” too, did what almost seemed impossible, closing a 58-week stretch at No. 1 for Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down.” Thanks largely to monopolies for “Water” and “Calm Down” – both top 10 successes on the Billboard Hot 100 – only four songs have reached No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs in the last two years: the aforementioned trio and Burna Boy’s “Last Last,” an eight-week champ in July-September 2022.
“Active” leads a parade of Asake titles on U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart from his new album, Lungu Boy, released on Aug. 9. Nine songs debut on the list, while previous single “Wave,” with Central Cee, drives 16-11, nearing its No. 8 peak. Here’s a review of the Lungu Boy track placements on this week’s chart:
No. 1, “Active,” with Travis Scott
No. 7, “MMS,” with Wizkid
No. 11, “Wave,” with Central Cee
No. 12, “Mood”
No. 14, “Fuji Vibe”
No. 16, “Suru,” featuring Stormzy
No. 18, “Worldwide”
No. 20, “Mentally”
No. 22, “Skating”
No. 25, “I Swear”
No. 28, “Ligali”
Afro Nation Detroit 2024 was a two-day music festival that brought together top Afro artists across Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, gqom, amapiano and more. Held in the birthplace of Motown and techno, Detroit proved to be the perfect location for this vibrant celebration.
The world’s largest Afrobeats festival took place Saturday to Sunday, Aug. 17-18, at Bedrock’s Douglass Site. This historic venue, formerly the Brewster-Douglass Projects, was the nation’s first federally funded housing project for African-Americans and the former home of legends like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson.
Afro Nation Detroit showcased a wealth of performances from the Black diaspora, including Rema, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, Kizz Daniel and Michigan native Kash Doll on the main stage. Meanwhile, artists like Uncle Waffles, Musa Keys, Scorpion Kings, DBN Gogo and others kept the party alive all weekend at the Piano People stage. To be honest, there were moments when the Piano stage was even more lit than the main Lit Everywhere stage.
The festival’s opening day faced a rocky start due to weather delays, but once the festivities began, the party didn’t stop until around midnight. DJ Marine kicked things off with an electrifying set, setting the tone for Charity, who brought main-stage energy. King Promise followed, illustrating why he’s the king, delivering a performance that turned the audience into a choir. Rema shut down the day with an unforgettable, fiery performance.
Day 2 saw a significant increase in turnout — if day 1 was full, day 2 was packed. Juls and DJ Marine amped up the crowd upon entry, setting the stage for Ruger, who worked the audience with ease.
When Shenseea took the stage a few minutes later, the crowd erupted, as if they had been waiting their whole lives for this moment. She performed fresh tracks from her new album Never Gets Late Here, followed by Asake, who delivered an animated performance, quite literally bouncing off the walls.
Although Lil Wayne had to cancel due to bad weather in NYC, the festival was still an incredible experience.
Check out the four best main-stage moments.
R&B Meets Afrobeats with PARTYNEXTDOOR
Image Credit: Izzy Nuzzo
Gamma has established strategic partnerships with The Music Arena, The Temple Company and Sol Generation Publishing and Distribution in Africa as well as LPME Records in the Middle East.
Gamma’s latest partnerships bolster the company’s commitment to supporting artists and labels in these regions, which its founder Larry Jackson outlined last year to Billboard when his media and entertainment company first expanded its operations there. Last May, Sipho Dlamini and Naomi Campbell joined gamma as president and special advisor for Africa and the Middle East, respectively; Larry Gaaga was named vp/GM for Africa and Dany Neville was named vp of A&R for the Middle East last August.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the enthusiasm shown by our new strategic partners, their artists and stakeholders in aligning with gamma. We’re well under way, engaged in bolstering the creative momentum for artists from these key markets,” Dlamini said in a press statement. “An indication of our ambition is that in conjunction with our new partners we’re generating writing camps in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and the [United Arab Emirates]. I don’t know of another company that is navigating the continent and region in this manner with this reach. The creative collaborations we’re establishing will further travel local music to global adoption.”
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In June, the company officially launched gamma South Africa in Sandton, one of the country’s biggest financial hubs within Johannesburg. Gamma hosted a launch party on June 6, with Dlamini, Gaaga, Thabo Keith Ngweya, gamma’s strategic partnerships & culture marketing lead for Africa, Sikhulile Nzuza, gamma’s strategic partnerships, culture & operations lead for Africa, and more in attendance. The company has been providing dynamic opportunities for South African acts since last year, such as tapping DJ/producer MöRDA to remix “Mysterious Ways” on The Color Purple (Music From And Inspired By) that the company distributed alongside WaterTower Music last December (with Jackson as one of the producers, alongside Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders). Gamma recruited MöRDA again as well as Major League Djz, Junior Taurus and Soa Mattrix to create amapiano and Afro House-inspired remixes of Usher and Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer Pheelz’s “Ruin” from the former’s latest album COMING HOME that was distributed via Usher and L.A. Reid‘s mega and gamma in February.
Gamma’s partnership with the Johannesburg-based conglomerate The Music Arena aims to continue bridging the gap between South African artists and international markets by providing artists with unprecedented opportunities to collaborate with an international label, leveraging gamma’s expertise in the global market (especially in the U.S.), with a special focus on artist collaborations and joint ventures.
The Music Arena is comprised of three different music entities: Gallo Music, South Africa’s largest and oldest independent record label; Gallo Music Publishers, Gallo’s publishing arm that’s home to iconic composers and a rich repository of cultural works; and Content Connect Africa, the continent’s leading independent media and content business that represents over 2,000 African artists and labels. The Music Arena’s global footprint spans South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and the U.S.
“The Music Arena is delighted to be partnering with gamma in a multi-faceted deal, which will grow our artists’ presence internationally as well as represent gamma’s artists on the network operators’ platforms in Africa,” said Antos Stella, CEO of The Music Arena, in a statement. “Our focus remains on developing and growing our artists and composers globally.”
Gamma’s new alliances aim to cover the entire African continent. The company’s partnership with The Temple Company, a leading record label, TV/film production company and talent management agency based in Lagos, aims to connect Nigerian artists to global audiences by developing and promoting Nigerian talent, with a special focus on cross-cultural collaborations to maximize international exposure. One of the first projects from this partnership is Nigerian superstar D’Banj‘s new album Entertainer–The Sequel, the follow-up to his 2008 album The Entertainer, which will be released on Aug. 16.
“Our partnership with gamma marks a pivotal moment for The Temple Company and the Nigerian music industry at large. This collaboration will open up new opportunities for our artists to showcase their talents on a global stage,” said Idris Olorunnimbe, The Temple Company’s group chief executive. “We’re particularly thrilled about D’Banj’s upcoming album, Entertainer–The Sequel, which we believe will be a gamechanger in demonstrating the universal appeal of African music. Together with gamma, we’re committed to nurturing and promoting the incredible talent that Nigeria has to offer, and we’re confident that this partnership will play a crucial role in shaping the future of African music on the world stage.”
Gamma will also celebrate East Africa’s rich musical heritage through its partnership with Nairobi, Kenya-based Sol Generation Publishing and Distribution, the music publishing and distribution arm of award-winning Afropop group Sauti Sol.
LPME Records is committed to producing music that inspires unity and celebrates cultural diversity and establishing Dubai, UAE, as a musical creative hub. The labels currently represents three dynamic artists: the label’s first signee Dawda, a Gambian-Estonian star who blends Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B and pop and has written and produced for Britney Spears, Akon, Oxlade and Snoh Aalegra; Yasmina, a Tajikistani artst who’s known for her unique fusion of Arabic and pop music; and Alya, an Emirati-British singer/songwriter/dancer/actress who draws inspiration from soul, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, amapiano and Afrobeats. Additional signings will be announced later this summer.
The state-of-the-art LPME Studios is reputable for having top-class sound quality and being a creative hub fostering musical innovation. The facility includes six production rooms, two Dolby Atmos rooms, a main stereo room, live band and vocal rooms and more. Artists like J Balvin and Jason Derulo as well as Grammy-winning engineer Tony Maserati have previously worked there.
“We are incredibly excited to enter into this partnership with gamma. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to share the rich and diverse sounds of our artists with a global audience,” added Moh Denebi, LPME Records’ label manager and producer. “Together with gamma, we are confident in our ability to elevate our artists’ reach and impact, bringing fresh, innovative music to listeners around the world.”
Ayra Starr always envisioned herself as the “Black Hannah Montana.” But in her new Amazon Music documentary Dare to Dream, which Billboard can exclusively reveal premieres Thursday (Aug. 1), fans will be able to take a closer look at Ayra the global Afrobeats star and Oyinkansola the Beninese-Nigerian girl.
Directed and produced by HOMECOMING, the 23-minute short film explores how Starr made her dreams come true. Dare to Dream captures her international journey, traveling between her birthplace of Cotonou, where she eventually returns to a swarm of eager fans; her homebase of Lagos, where her musical career started after signing to Don Jazzy‘s iconic Mavin label; London, where she’s sold out shows; and Los Angeles, where she attends the 2024 Grammy Awards after scoring her first nomination for best African music performance with her 2022 hit single “Rush.”
“I’ve always wanted to do this to inspire African girls all over [the world], Black girls, girls in general to keep going and do what they believe they were born to do. I’m just a regular African girl, you understand. And I’ve come this far, and I want them to feel like, ‘Oh, I can relate to that,’” she told Billboard following her documentary premiere, adding that she started filming Dare to Dream almost one year ago. While watching the full doc for the first time on Tuesday evening (July 30) at The Culver Theater in California for the official premiere, she kept thinking to herself, “Hmm, I like that angle. I should’ve shot more like that.”
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Starr hopes Dare to Dream isn’t the last time you’ll see her on the silver screen. When asked to choose what her first movie role would be during the doc’s Q&A portion, she responded, “I want to be in a high school movie, like the ones we grew up watching, like a Euphoria type. I feel like I would play that so well — the main mean girl.” The audience erupted in laughter before she continued: “That’s what I want to do. I would eat that role up! It would come so easy for me…. I’m not a mean girl at all, but I grew up watching Sharpay [Evans in High School Musical] and Maddy [Perez in Euphoria], just like the mean girl that’s never that mean. They’re just real. You know when women know what they want… I want to be that woman.”
Dare To Dream is currently streaming on Amazon Music’s YouTube channel and app. It will be available to stream on Prime Video in the coming weeks.
Starr is also the first Afrobeats artist to be named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist, an emerging artist program that champions new talent early on in their careers through enhanced playlist support, social media campaigns, an Amazon Music Original song, marketing opportunities and bespoke editorial content. The Breakthrough Program has previously featured rapidly rising stars like Chappell Roan and Benson Boone.
“Ayra Starr was an obvious choice for our latest Breakthrough artist. A one-of-a-kind talent leading the exhilarating world of Afrobeats, her early successes have already been thrilling,” said Alexis Cueva, artist relations for Amazon Music, in a press statement. “With Ayra joining the Breakthrough family, we’re excited to support her as she continues to garner worldwide acclaim and represent Nigeria’s music scene on the global stage.”
Watch Dare to Dream below.
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Rema‘s rebelliousness and deep reverence for Afrobeats take center stage on his boundary-pushing sophomore album HEIS, stemming from his social media handle @heisrema and meaning the one in Greek. It reached No. 7 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart. Alté pioneer Boj delivers one of the season’s brightest LPs — while recruiting an international array of featured artists — on 12 Summers, which represents the dozen years he’s spent making music.
Tyla hops on her first song since releasing her eponymous debut album in March with Spinall’s “One Call” (also featuring Omah Lay), and it debuted at No. 12 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart this week (dated Aug. 3). And ODUMODUBLVCK flexes his chart success when he raps “22 weeks on the Billboard charts” on his braggadocious single “Not All That.”
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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 find your new summer soundtrack with our Spotify playlist below.
Odeal, “Soh-Soh”
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Odeal heats things up on “Soh-Soh,” the scintillating dancefloor highlight from his four-track EP Sunday At Zuri’s that’s influenced by Zuri Awela, an individual of Nigerian and South African descent he shouts out on X, and “represents parts of our Sunday at her beach house: noon (arrival), afternoon, evening, and night,” he wrote. While Odeal reminisces about last summer’s turnt vibes on “Soh-Soh,” he’s creating new memories this summer with a shorty he’s mesmerized by and willing to “spend one milli’ on” to win her heart. It’s impossible not to groove to the song’s sexy saxophone and crisp shakers – even Ciara can’t get enough of it.
Rema, “HEHEHE”
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“Monday morning, talking about me while I’m making money,” Rema boasts before bursting into his maniacal, cartoonish laugh that’s at the heart of his “HEHEHE” single from HEIS. The 24-year-old star guffaws at his haters with mischievous staccato chords punctuating each “HE,” the only time Rema catches his breath from his hoarse flow. His self-confidence reaches a fever pitch when he asserts himself in Afrobeats’ upper echelon alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido and doubles down on his three-month-old X statement: “No more big three, there’s now a big four.” But given Rema’s track record, and his latest LP being heralded for breathing new life into Afrobeats, it’s not a far-fetched statement.
Tay Iwar, Le Mav & GOLD, “Rock Steady”
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Five years after their first GOLD album, Tay Iwar and Le Mav (who are collectively known as GOLD) reunite on its glistening sequel EP GOLD II. On the highlight “Rock Steady,” Iwar muses about morning sex and his lover’s golden body, while Le Mav’s sultry production makes them want to linger in bed for just a little longer. But the tempo switch in the track’s final minute, where Iwar revs up the “These days, I’m feeling like I’ve been chosen” hook and Le Mav builds tension with the bridge’s piano chords before setting off the kaleidoscopic synth outro, ends “Rock Steady” on a highly spirited note.
Gabzy, JayO & Odeal, “Too Fine”
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UK R&B/Afrobeats artists Gabzy, JayO and Odeal aren’t letting a girl that’s “Too Fine” out of their sights in their latest collaboration. The trio combines swoon-worthy melodies, soulful guitar licks and saccharine lyrics to not just take a girl home for the night but to make her their wife, with Gabzy, whose alter ego is Mr. Malone, claiming she could be “Mrs. Malone” in the chorus. It’s hard not to succumb to their individual, irresistible charm, and their Vevo DSCVR performance is further proof.
Boj & Sainté, “Koshi”
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Boj taps fellow UK artist Sainté on the breezy opener “Koshi” from the former’s latest album 12 Summers. Tropical guitar melodies complement the DRB LasGidi member’s effortless swagger (“Rock best drip on legendary, fresh to death to cemetery,” he sings in the first verse), while Sainté raps about impressing a girl with the kind of money her previous man never had. But no amount of money or level of drip could make anyone compare to these two.
ODUMODUBLVCK, “Not All That”
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Few MCs have a more distinctive aesthetic as ODUMODUBLVCK, and in this latest single he ramps the energy up to the maximum, delivering a relentless series of verses that overflow with self-confidence, both listing his co-signs — Burna Boy, Skepta, Wizkid, Davido, Stormzy and Olamide all get name checked — and comparing himself to a reincarnated Tupac, while celebrating his wins over the past few years since he exploded on to the scene, like his two Headies Awards and “22 weeks on the Billboard charts.” If he’s talking about his breakout hit “DECLAN RICE,” it was actually 27 weeks on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, but after a while, it’s got to be hard to keep track. This song is a deserved victory lap.
Olamide, Fireboy DML & Asake, “Uptown Disco”
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The YBNL boys join forces again for this posse cut off label boss Olamide’s latest EP, Ikigai / (生き甲斐), Vol. 1, which, while certainly not a disco groove, pulses with electricity regardless. Fireboy sets the tone and helms the first verse and trades on and off with Olamide for the hook, before deferring to the latter for the second verse, as the two effortlessly slip in and out of languages and sports references. Asake brings the track home, putting an exclamation point on one of the only songs that features all three artists
Spinall feat. Tyla & Omah Lay, “One Call”
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Spinall has been one of the most consistently great DJs/producers in West Africa over the past several years, and here he brings together stalwart Omah Lay with one of the brightest lights of the past 18 months in Tyla for an infectious and sultry track, with Tyla in particular providing an irresistible contribution. The production grows along with the song, bringing it to a collaborative finale, and making it one of the best tracks of the month.
Rema, “YAYO”
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Rema’s HEIS album represents a step forward in the young singer’s career as he continues to progress beyond the astronomical success of “Calm Down.” With “YAYO,” he delivers a frenetic track that ripples with energy, with a blistering hook that provides the only half-second break in the whole song — and a burst of melody that feels at once surprising and infectious.
Boj feat. Victony, “Pressure”
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This silky cut from Boj’s excellent new album 12 Summers represents another palette on which crooner Victony can paint, as he comes through with his distinctive voice to take over the track with a verse that brings his mind to the gutter. Which is not to say that Boj himself is lacking on the track, a standout on his collab-filled project — his vocal is the steady counterpoint, the tamer side of the human spirit that helps make the song whole, a great late-night single.
BOJ ’12 Summers’
Courtesy Photo
Ticketmaster announced Wednesday (July 24) that the company is expanding its presence in Africa with the acquisition of Quicket, described in a press release as “a major player in Africa’s general admission event and festival ticketing.” Quicket, which was founded in South Africa in 2011, is known for its self-service platform and event organizer […]
In the time since Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Rema dropped off 2022’s Rave & Roses, he experienced both the most staggering heights of crossover success and the vilest parts of the demonization of his culture in one fell swoop.
In 2023, “Calm Down” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a record-setting 58 weeks atop U.S. Afrobeats Songs. The infectious, Selena Gomez-assisted track also reached No. 1 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, making history for a song by an African lead artist. Then came his sold-out headlining performance at London’s O2 Arena later that year (Nov. 14, 2023), which sparked accusations of Satanism due to the imagery – in actuality, they were hallmarks of the Edo culture of his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria – employed during the show.
These two things – genuinely peerless success and the tension that lies in bringing hyperlocal culture to a global scale – are the driving forces behind Rema’s impressively daring and unequivocally infectious sophomore LP, Heis.
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Bearing a title that simultaneously calls to his Instagram handle (@heisrema), the Greek word for the number “one,” and the simplest proclamation of being, Heis finds Rema staunchly on the defensive. Gone are the sugary slow-wine tempos of Rave & Roses; here, Rema conjures up soundscapes – courtesy of an all-star production team that includes Producer X, Take a Daytrip and longtime collaborator London – that thrive in the darkness. Pounding, frenetic drums open the album, ultimately becoming the record’s anchor. Occasionally a tinny synth or a particularly piercing string arrangement will cut through the wall of sound, but the rollicking, militant drums are the dominant source of energy on Heis. And it makes sense: The drum – with all of its history and percussiveness – is the instrument the best symbolizes the Rema of Heis.
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Across the LP, Rema reclaims the “Satanist” narrative by doubling-down on the sounds and voice changes that first garnered those accusations. When he warps his voice into an obsidian baritone on “Ozeba” (“Emi ati awon guys e mi italawo, e mi itolowo/ Italawa, itolowo, ita, itolow, eh-eh”), it’s somehow both bone-chilling and tongue-in-cheek. He refuses to let go of his hometown’s history and culture despite being a global superstar; it’s an emphasis on regionality that mirrors similar conversations has across Black American music this year, from Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” “Everyone is chasing something that the whole world can enjoy… we’re listening to the voices of the world too much,” he said in a recent Apple Music interview. “We gotta listen to the voices back home to keep our roots. Our roots [are] very important.”
But the Rema of Heis also has an unmistakable chip on his shoulder. As hip-hop grappled with the standing of its Big 3 (Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole) this spring, Rema uses Heis to demand a spot in the conversation as it relates to Afrobeats. He’s already expressed his desire to expand the existing Afrobeats Big 3 (commonly understood to consist of Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid) to a “Big 4,” and now he spends most of Heis demanding the No. 1 spot.
“March Am” opens the record with Rema’s trademark sinister laugh ushering in a high-octane drum pattern that soundtracks his bellicose calls to keep pushing forward. One of the most effective album openers of the year, “March Am” immediately establishes pidgin English as the album’s dominant tongue. “17, I dey dagbo, I dey crack code/ Now the prince of Afro,” he snarls in the first verse, before sing-chanting the “I dey march am” chorus against some stirring background strings. Taking notes from the painstaking worldbuilding of Playboi Carti, Rema’s vision of Afrorave is completely contingent on the blistering, unfettered energy that comes from people collectively giving their bodies over to the power of music. Heis begs to be experienced in a live setting; it’s as if Rema conceived the live version of each song before he even set foot in the studio. It’s dark and raucous and distinctly liberating; at long last, Rema has brought to life the “Afrorave” style that he’s long heralded, despite an initial lack of sonic identifiers.
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The only instrument as effective as the drums on Heis is Rema’s voice. Across the LP, the singer dives into the depths of his range, spending ample time in his icy baritone. Not only do his different vocal registers evoke different characters in his narrative — of recentering yourself after stepping into a new era of life — they also reveal Rema’s artistic maturation. Each shift in vocal delivery adds new textures to the 2010s Afrobeats-nodding instrumentation; instead of simply delivering lyrics, he morphs into his own instrument and weaves himself into every chord.
Pre-release singles “Hehehe” and “Benin Boys” (with Shallipopi) play even better in the context of the full album. The former finds Rema temporarily playing to the villain role to mock his haters, while the latter reads as a celebration of Benin culture from two homegrown stars, who seek to uplift and protect it from those who ignorantly demonize it. Sandwiched between those two tracks is “Yayo,” perhaps the record’s most accessible song – and the one Rave & Roses fans will likely find most appealing, with its catchy melody and grind culture-affirming lyrics (“Money yakpa for my bank oh/ How to make money is all I know”)
At just under half an hour, Heis never overstays its welcome, but that doesn’t mean Rema completely avoids repeating himself. While having a chip on your shoulder can bolster your assertiveness, it often gives way to defensiveness on the album’s back half – and that’s where its cracks start to show. The title track – which features a Swahili chorus that basically lauds Rema as the hottest thing to ever touch Planet Earth – feels particularly excessive because he’s already covered the same lyrical ground elsewhere on the album. There’s also “Villain,” the album’s penultimate track, in which he croons, “I dey hustle since people dey laugh me/ The way I dey run my things, I do it differently, now dem dey copy me.” But by track 10, these sentiments feel stale, if not overbearing.
In its entirety, Heis is a captivating album; one that inspires countless listens because of how its intricate production reveals new elements with each encounter. With the album’s closer, “Now I Know,” Rema wraps everything up quite cleanly, offering new perspectives to the darkness that subsumes the record with one soulful ballad. “I dey move like Messi when he dey for Barcelo/ E get as God go bless person, dem go talk say na devil oh,” he opens the second verse, before proclaiming “And now I know who dey for me/ All thosе I trust turned enemiеs” in the chorus.
After dousing himself in an amalgamation of edgy aesthetics to further cement his Afrorave style, Rema, in a way, becomes human again on this album closer. His plaintive tone reflects the maturation he’s undergone in the past two years, while also calling back to the timbre he most often used on his debut LP. He’s still the same Rema, but he’s demanding a different level of respect – not just because of his superstar status, but because of his steadfast commitment to uplifting his culture and bringing it along with him at any cost.
If you fell in love with Rema off the strength of his sweet crossover pop moments, his latest album probably isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to be led down a journey of self-discovery and style formation, Heis is the map for that odyssey.