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Tems is joining San Diego Football Club’s ownership group as a club partner through her company The Leading Vibe, the club announced on Wednesday (Feb. 12). She becomes the first African female to be involved in MLS ownership. “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club […]

Warner Music Group (WMG) announced Tuesday (Feb. 11) that it’s completed its full acquisition of Africori, one of Africa’s leading digital music distribution, rights management and label services companies. Founded in 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Africori touts itself as “one of the biggest independent songbooks in Africa,” including music by Kelvin Momo, Master KG […]

Billboard is making its way across the pond for an expansion of our THE STAGE at SXSW concert series, this time at SXSW London. The show will feature a performance by two-time Grammy-winning superstar Tems. The event will take place June 5 at the iconic Troxy in Shoreditch, London. “We’re excited to bring one of Billboard’s […]

Rema announced on Monday (Feb. 10) that he’ll be embarking on the Heis World Tour this spring. The 23-date jaunt will begin on April 11 at the Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, includes his debut performance at both weekends of Coachella, and stops by major international arenas such as London’s O2 Arena and […]

Rema released his Sade-sampling single “Baby (Is It a Crime)” on Friday (Feb. 7). He first teased the single back in November with a 1-minute, 21-second clip of him smoking while nonchalantly vibing to the track. “Baby/ Baby sunmoni/ You know say you match my steeze/ You know I’m a G/ Shawty I’mma always keep […]

Looks like the sample was cleared! Rema announced Tuesday (Feb. 4) that he’ll be releasing his highly anticipated single “Baby (Is It a Crime)” on Friday, Feb. 7, which samples Sade‘s “Is It a Crime.” “Baby ( is it a crime )’ out Friday. + Official music video,” he wrote on X with a black […]

AfroFuture, a global entertainment platform dedicated to celebrating the diverse culture and work of the African diaspora, and Bedrock will host AfroFuture Detroit this summer, Billboard can exclusively announce Monday (Feb. 3). The highly anticipated U.S. debut of the festival will take place on Aug. 16-17 at Bedrock’s Douglass Site, at the corner of Alfred […]

More African artists are coming for the global spotlight in 2025.
Qing Madi, who was featured on Billboard‘s 21 Under 21 list last year and has been featured on Spotify and Genius‘ 2025 Artists to Watch lists, readied fans for her debut album I Am the Blueprint, which dropped Friday (Jan. 31) with her romantic single “Akanchawa” arriving right in time for Valentine’s Day. Darkoo pays homage to P-Square and late 2000s Afrobeats on her new club jam “Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club).” And Teni and Black Sherif get in their introspective bag with their new singles “Money” and “Lord I’m Amazed,” respectively.

We’ve also changed the name of our column from “Afrobeats Fresh Picks” to “African Fresh Picks,” to be more inclusive of artists coming out of the continent whose music exists beyond the borders of “Afrobeats.” While we’ve always featured African artists who’ve made alté, amapiano, highlife and more styles of music, we want that to be reflected in the title, too.

We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new songs by African acts that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and get the new year started with our Spotify playlist below.

Trending on Billboard

Darkoo, “Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club)”  

Following her frothy summer banger “Favourite Girl” — which is nominated for song of the year at the 2025 MOBO Awards — British-Nigerian singer Darkoo gets the new year and all the parties started with “Focus on Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club.)” The infectious waist-whining anthem samples P-Square’s 2009 hit “Gimmie Dat” for a nostalgic Afrobeats vibe, while the accompanying music video pays homage to the iconic Nigerian duo’s 2007 “Do Me” visual.  

Qing Madi, “Akanchawa” 

Qing Madi is giving all her love to someone special on “Akanchawa,” which arrived before she released her debut album I Am the Blueprint today via JTON Music. “Akanchawa” is an Igbo word meaning “good hands” or “hands that bring good things,” and she’s beyond grateful to have this love come into her life. And Marvey’s mellifluous production enhances the sweetness of the song.  

Nasty C, “For Certain”  

Nasty C gave his fans “a little gift” at the end of 2024: the sizzling single “For Certain.” The South African rapper touts his cool factor while reflecting on the importance of legacy when he asks, “What is your reason for breathin’?” and “What you go leave when you leavin’?” in the first verse.    

Mabel & King Promise, “All Over You”  

After collaborating with Afroswing king Kojo Funds and Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif last year, Mabel teams up with Ghanian singer-songwriter King Promise on the tantalizing record “All Over You.” The duo craves an intimate exploration of one another, as Mabel sings, “That pillow talk is talking, please tell me some more/ Hands on mine, skin to skin, eye to eye.” As a fan of Asake’s right-hand producer Magicsticks, Mabel traveled to Lagos to make the song with him, according to a press release, and he makes his signature log drum-infused percussion and compelling crowd vocals loud and clear on “All Over You.” 

DeJ Loaf, Runtown & Libianca, “Up Or Down”  

Def Loaf recruits Nigerian singer-songwriter Runtown and Cameroonian-American artist Libianca for “Up Or Down.” Producer Cheekychizzy’s pulsating rhythm sets the tone for the topsy-turvy tune, as the Detroit rapper sings about loyally waiting for someone to come back around. Meanwhile, Runtown wants a girl for a good time but not a long time, and Libianca croons about loving someone with commitment issues.

Teni, “Money”

“They say money don’t buy you happiness/ Money can’t buy you love/ Money don’t fill this emptiness/ But I want all the money in the world,” Teni croons on her latest single, a piano ballad that’s a departure from the bops on her fantastic last album, Tears of the Sun. But the stripped-down song instead serves as a showcase for her vocals and songwriting, a simple yet deeply affecting entry into her growing catalog.

Black Sherif, “Lord I’m Amazed”

The Ghanaian MC continues sketching the story of his life through his latest string of fantastic singles — many of which have appeared in this column — and “Lord I’m Amazed” is the latest in that lineage. This is more contemplative than some of his higher-energy cuts, but it’s exactly that that sets it apart, as Sherif takes a moment to step back and reflect on the blessings in his life and how far he’s come. Even when he departs from his usual flow, no one sounds like him right now, which is the highest praise for an artist of his caliber.

Andy S feat. Sarahmée, “Dracula”

The sheer ferocity that storms through from Côte d’Ivorian rapper Andy S. on this track spans languages — she raps primarily in French — and cultures, as she and Senegalese-Canadian MC Sarahmée rip through this track, bringing high drill energy over an understated beat. The song appears on Andy S.’s brand new EP Born Ready, which is six explosive tracks of all different vibes, and is a fascinating introduction to a bright and promising artist.

Krizbeatz & Tekno feat. taves & Adewale Ayuba, “The Roof”

Veteran producer Krizbeatz took a turn as artist with his new album Daddy Daycare, and he tapped longtime collaborator Tekno to helm this track alongside saves and Adewale Ayuba. The simple hook dominates, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the production that really takes center stage, pulling from traditional Afrobeats drums, R&B stylings, amapiano log drum accents and electro undertones to craft a constantly-mutating beat that provides the perfect platform for the vocalists to groove over.

Carter Efe & Khaid, “PRAY”

Carter Eye may be best known as a comedian — certainly that’s where much of his social media energy lies — but his forays into music have borne fruit, too, first with the Berri Tiga-assisted “Machala” a few years ago and now most recently with this new cut with Khaid, one of the best young vocalists and hitmakers to emerge in the past two years. There’s not much that Khaid touches that doesn’t become an immediate earworm, and “PRAY” is no different — the rising singer is destined for greatness sooner rather than later, as his catalog keeps growing with hit after hit.

Billboard is expanding its Rookie of the Month interview series by highlighting rising stars from more genres like dance and rock. But the new crop of artists emerging out of the African continent have continued making it clearer that their music can exist beyond the borders of “Afrobeats” and should not be broadly and lackadaisically labeled as such. “It has African intonations in it,” Tems said of her genre-bending music during her Women in Music interview last year.
Like Tems, many African artists have discovered one-of-a-kind ways to express themselves that cannot fit into one box while staying true to their roots. And Billboard is dedicating a spotlight to them through our new African Rookie of the Month series, which we’re kicking off with Odeal for January 2025.

Trending on Billboard

Odeal hasn’t stuck to one lane during his entire artistic journey. The 25-year-old artist was born in Germany and raised in Spain, the U.K. and Nigeria before settling down in the U.K. when he was 17, shortly before he embarked on his solo career. His familiarity with global genres eventually paved the way for his boundary-pushing music – even though he didn’t have the smoothest start.

Some of his older friends in the U.K. realized his propensity for music and encouraged a young Odeal (real name Hillary Dennis Udanoh) to make an original song at a studio in one of the youth clubs. He spent one evening after school there recording his first song and returned for a few days before the youth club shut down weeks later. When he moved to Awka, the capital of the Anambra State, Nigeria, at 14, Odeal’s father connected him to his cousin who always hung out at a studio. “I’d literally sit and watch everyone come in and record because I wasn’t making their type of music. I was more into R&B. And they were like, ‘R&B doesn’t work over here,’” he tells Billboard. “I was watching different artists to see how they record, the way they pronounce things, the beats, their choice of melodies. By the end of the summer, I learned what moves people and what doesn’t.”  

While attending boarding school, he downloaded FruityLoops onto one of the laptops in the IT suite and snuck the laptop back to his dorm room so he could make beats while everyone was asleep. After a student snitched and the laptop was confiscated, Odeal’s “production journey kind of ended there,” he says. His cousin later advised him to spend time in Lagos so he could connect with producers and record music, where Odeal thought he’d have yet another shot at making it.

“I didn’t break in Lagos,” he recalls with a chuckle. “That was just like a dream.” At 17, he returned to London and witnessed the rise of Afroswing, an amalgamation of Afrobeats, dancehall and hip-hop created by the Afro-Caribbean diaspora in the U.K. Odeal immersed himself in the scene by joining a group called TMG, featuring other members Curtis J and Zilla, before they disbanded soon after.

Odeal embarked on his solo career in 2017 with the release of his debut EP New Time, but just a few months later, he became severely ill and spent the majority of November in the hospital. “If I get out of here, I need to make sure that I make an impact as much as I can and give back to my fans so that I can leave a legacy,” he remembers telling himself. Every November since then, Odeal has intentionally increased his musical output, from new singles to even OVMBR-branded EPs (2020’s Roses, 2021’s Hits No Mrs and 2022’s Maybe I’m Best Alone). In a similar vein to Drake’s OVO (October’s Very Own), Odeal’s OVMBR – which stands for “Our Variances Make Us Bold and Relentless” – doesn’t just represent the artist’s brand but has evolved into a movement that honors the individuality of his fanbase and even includes live events in Lagos, London, Berlin and Paris.

He heated things up last summer with Sunday at Zuri’s, a sultry, smooth four-song EP that represents a Sunday well spent at a woman named Zuri Awela’s beach house in Lagos. The scintillating highlight “Soh-Soh” became the project’s breakout hit, scoring A-list co-signs from SZA, Ciara and Victoria Monét, earning a song of the year nomination at the 2025 MOBO Awards and reaching No. 12 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and No. 33 on Rhythmic Airplay. Last November, Odeal continued his OVMBR tradition by releasing the critically acclaimed EP Lustropolis, a heart-wrenching expedition about strained love affairs that features the Aaliyah-interpolating single “Temptress” and “You’re Stuck” collaboration with Summer Walker.

Billboard spoke with January’s African Rookie of the Month about making certain types of music for specific seasons, going viral with “Soh-Soh,” signing with LVRN and linking up with his labelmate Summer Walker on “You’re Stuck.”

How did your international upbringing impact the music you listen to and the music you make?

It made me understand different cultures and languages that people speak all over the world. It made me understand why other cultures like one style of music over another. So when making my music, I know exactly what to do and how to execute in a way that will resonate with certain people and the elements needed for it. 

How many languages do you speak? And how many languages do you typically sing in?

To be fair, I’ve sang in French before, but I don’t speak French like that. I’ve sang in Spanish before, but I don’t speak Spanish as well as I used to. I used to speak it fluently, and then as I grew up, it fizzled away. I’m still trying to get [German and Spanish] back because I really want to connect with my fans in their own language. Stuff just hits different when you speak a certain language — the banter is different, the whole feeling is different.

Who were some of your favorite artists whom you grew up listening to?

Outside of Africa: Michael Jackson, Céline Dion, Brandy, 2Pac, Biggie. Inside of Africa, Wizkid, Davido, 2Face, Olamide, P-Square, Mi Casa. When I was growing up around the ages of 14-15, we used to listen to [urban music channels] Trace Urban and Soundcity when I was in Nigeria, and we listened to a lot of South African music like Uhuru.

And what kind of music do you listen to now?

I listen to anything that feeds my soul. At the moment, I’ve been listening to a lot of Afro-house, amapiano, R&B.

What kind of sounds and styles does your music encompass?

Afro-fusion, alté and R&B.

A few days after you released Lustropolis, you tweeted “the duality of man” and described Sunday at Zuri’s as “Afrofusion/Alte” and Lustropolis as “R&B/Soul.” Were you consciously thinking about genre when you were making both projects?

It’s definitely intentional. I normally make music seasonally. You need a theme song for your winter, and that’s what I feel like soul and R&B is for, when you’re inside and you’re in your feels. It’s more introspective. And for the summer, I’ll do Afro-fusion or Afrobeats or whatever experimental project for that season.

As someone who is as multidisciplinary as you in their approach to music, has it been difficult to find producers to help bring your unique sound to life? When I first interviewed Tems last year, she told me a major reason why she produces a lot of her own music is because she had a hard time being in studio sessions with other producers who just kept making Afrobeats. I’m curious if you had a similar experience.

Yeah 100%. The main reason why I started making music was because I wanted to hear something out there that was catered to me. Not being able to find something out there that fully embodied what I wanted, I had to start producing. But from making the music I have made, I’ve been able to meet a lot of incredible producers who are on the same page and want to experiment and explore and are ready for me to take the lead on where the sound should go.

Do you feel like it’s becoming more acceptable/more the norm for artists with Nigerian backgrounds to make music outside of Afrobeats?

Yes, 100%. Shoutout to everyone who’s been able to break out of that stigma that Nigerian artists should only make Afrobeats, or African artists should only make Afrobeats. We’re definitely capable of so much more and shouldn’t be boxed in.

Take me back through the making of both projects, starting with Sunday at Zuri’s.

I needed a summer tape. I was working on a project prior to when I went over to Nigeria. A week before I left Nigeria, I scrapped the summer project, everything I encountered while being in Lagos around April, May last year led to the creation of Sunday at Zuri’s.

On X, you wrote that Sunday at Zuri’s was influenced by Zuri Awela. Who is she, and how do you know her?

We’re calling her Zuri Awela, but she is someone that I spent time with in Lagos. I got to understand her background more of being South African and going to the beach houses in Lagos and having a good time. Having to leave Lagos and come back to the U.K., there was a certain feeling I had of having to detach from that situation. I made a story about that.

Was there one specific beach house you were spending time at, or were there multiple?

There were different beach houses. One’s called Ilashe Beach House, there’s another one called Koko Beach.  

Out of the four songs on Sunday at Zuri’s, why do you think “Soh-Soh” resonated the most?

The chorus is provocative, it gets you moving, singing. It’s a catchy chorus, but then the second verse is very R&B-esque. There’s something about it, from the melodies and everything, that really resonated with people. 

Prior to the success of “Soh-Soh,” when was the first time you remember a song going viral?

“Vicious Cycle (Policeman)” in 2019. I was in uni at the time. I’d wake up in the morning and record at the same time when people would be going to lectures. I started making the beat to “Vicious Cycle,” and then my boy came up and was like, “Yo, this is sounding crazy.” I laid the verse, it must’ve been before 12pm. I was done by 1, and then immediately, I posted a video of it on social media and it went off. Loads of people posting like, “Yo, when’s this dropping?” That was a moment.

Now take me back through the making of Lustropolis. How long did it take you to make it?

One or two of the songs were started earlier on in the year, and then the rest of them were made within a week or two.

You tweeted “Zuri’s absence paved the way to Lustropolis.” Can you expand on that? How are your two latest projects connected?

There are two different feelings: When you’re happy in summer, you’re a completely different person than who you are in the winter and not in the best place. Being with Zuri in Lagos, I felt like it was paradise. And then leaving that situation and coming back to the U.K., and it being winter and I’m about to head on tour and go to all these places, it was kind of dark. Maneuvering through that dark space and uncertainty and living on the edge was Lustropolis. I personified that mind frame. It led me to a place where I was acting off impulse, off something not going right in the previous situation and being in this place of self-destruct mode.

How did you and Summer Walker come together on “You’re Stuck”?

Her A&R and my A&R were in talks of having her on the record. They played it for her, and she loved it, she really wanted to be part of it. She brought her own perspective to it. I don’t really have many female features on my records, so it was really dope.

And then to link up with her in L.A. to do the video was another thing. She was really cool, down to earth. We went to the studio while I was out there, just working on a couple of things.

You’ve independently released your music through OVMBR, but you signed your first label deal with Warner Records UK in 2020. What was that adjustment like, from working on music on your own terms to working with a team?

It was more approvals. When you’re working independently, you can literally wake up in the morning, make a song and drop it tomorrow, which built most of the beginning of my career. But getting with a label, it was more like, “OK, you can’t just do that.” You’re working with a whole business now, and there’s an investment. You can’t be as spontaneous. That was the only difficulty. But apart from that, it was good because I understand now the importance of planning and preparation. If you want to operate on a global level and really scale, there’s certain things that you need to do.

How did you get acquainted with LVRN, and why was signing with them the right decision?

They reached out over a period of time. I really love their whole team structure. Just like OVMBR, it’s a bunch of friends who’ve become family and they really care about quality, have their own story. It was deeper than one company over another company. We share similar values, and they were really huge fans of the music, which is what I always want people to lead with outside of everything else.

I saw you were in the studio with Kaytranada recently.

That was crazy. In terms of production, he’s a huge inspiration. Getting in a session with him and really connecting over the music and sharing our taste, that was another thing.

Can we expect new music from you two anytime soon?

I’m not saying anything as of now, but hopefully. [Laughs.]

JayO posted some pictures of you two in Cape Town, and people in the comments were saying they need the joint project. Is that something you two have seriously discussed?

We actually do speak about it. We’re like, “OK, if we were to put out a project, that would be dope.” We don’t schedule sessions together. We’re really good friends. We’ll be chilling and music is made, or we’re on holiday and we end up making something together. We like to live life and then see how it pours into the music.

Who would you love to collaborate with this year?

I’d say Tems, Billie Eilish, Rema, Wiz.

What’s been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?

There were two moments, and they both happened the same day. I was at the British Fashion Awards, and Issa Rae was like, “There he is.” I was literally watching Insecure the day before. And she was like, “I absolutely love your music.” She really loves how I’ve been blending genres, which told me she was really listening. It wasn’t just one song. I told her I’m a huge fan of her. And then literally moments later, Wiz was like, “Yo, I love your music.” I was like, “Bro, this is actually insane.” Those were two moments that were like, “There’s no way this is happening right now.”

Nominees: Take It Easy (Collie Buddz); Party With Me (Vybz Kartel); Never Gets Late Here (Shenseea); Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe) (Various Artists); Evolution (The Wailers)

Technically, there are only two original reggae albums nominated here this year. Incredible.

Vybz Kartel and Shenseea scored their first career nominations for their own music this year with Party With Me and Never Gets Late Here, respectively, both dancehall records. Reggae legend Bob Marley is represented through the One Love soundtrack, which features covers of Marley classics from several artists, including Grammy winners Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Caesar, Leon Bridges and Wizkid.

Collie Buddz’s Take It Easy and The Wailers’ Evolution are the remaining nominees. This is Buddz’s second nod in this category in as many years, while Take It Easy features contributions from Caribbean music giants such as Bounty Killer, B-Real and Demarco. The Wailers — formed by former members of Bob Marley’s backing band — are nominated with Evolution, which hit No. 5 on Reggae Albums.

As previous nominees, Shenseea and The Wailers are likely the frontrunners here, but keep an eye out for Vybz Kartel. Last summer (July 31, 2024), the King of Dancehall walked out of prison a free man after serving 13 years of a now-overturned life sentence for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. By New Year’s Eve, the legendary deejay mounted Freedom Street — his first performance since his release, and the biggest concert the country had seen in nearly 50 years. Though Party With Me lacks an all-out smash à la “Fever” and “Clarks,” Kartel’s narrative may prove too irresistible for any of his competitors to put up a fight. The Freedom Street concert dominated social media, but it happened near the very end of the voting period (Jan. 3), when many voters had presumably cast their ballots already.

Shenseea is probably his stiffest competition here. Never Gets Late Here reached No. 4 on Reggae Albums and incorporates notes of pop-dancehall, R&B, rap, Afrobeats and, most importantly, reggae. With Grammy-approved producers like Di Genius, Tricky Stewart, Ilya, Stargate and London On Da Track in tow, Never Gets Late Here could muster up enough support to pull ahead of Worl’ Boss.

Nonetheless, there’s also a scenario in which Marley’s legend and the film’s box office success lifts the One Love soundtrack to a victory — even if the more exciting win would be Buddz’s project. Traditional reggae projects tend to triumph here anyway, which counts against Kartel and Shenyeng despite their strengths elsewhere.

Prediction: Vybz Kartel, Party With Me

Look Out For: The Wailers, Evolution