afrobeats
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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.
Gammaâs latest partnerships bolster the companyâs 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.
âItâs incredibly gratifying to see the enthusiasm shown by our new strategic partners, their artists and stakeholders in aligning with gamma. Weâre well under way, engaged in bolstering the creative momentum for artists from these key markets,â Dlamini said in a press statement. âAn indication of our ambition is that in conjunction with our new partners weâre generating writing camps in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and the [United Arab Emirates]. I donât know of another company that is navigating the continent and region in this manner with this reach. The creative collaborations weâre establishing will further travel local music to global adoption.â
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In June, the company officially launched gamma South Africa in Sandton, one of the countryâs biggest financial hubs within Johannesburg. Gamma hosted a launch party on June 6, with Dlamini, Gaaga, Thabo Keith Ngweya, gammaâs strategic partnerships & culture marketing lead for Africa, Sikhulile Nzuza, gammaâs 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 MĂśRDA to remix âMysterious Waysâ 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 MĂśRDA 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 Pheelzâs âRuinâ from the formerâs latest album COMING HOME that was distributed via Usher and L.A. Reidâs mega and gamma in February.
Gammaâs 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 gammaâs 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 Africaâs largest and oldest independent record label; Gallo Music Publishers, Galloâs publishing arm thatâs home to iconic composers and a rich repository of cultural works; and Content Connect Africa, the continentâs leading independent media and content business that represents over 2,000 African artists and labels. The Music Arenaâs global footprint spans South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and the U.S.
âThe Music Arena is delighted to be partnering with gamma in a multi-faceted deal, which will grow our artistsâ presence internationally as well as represent gammaâs artists on the network operatorsâ platforms in Africa,â said Antos Stella, CEO of The Music Arena, in a statement. âOur focus remains on developing and growing our artists and composers globally.â
Gammaâs new alliances aim to cover the entire African continent. The companyâs 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 DâBanjâs new album EntertainerâThe Sequel, the follow-up to his 2008 album The Entertainer, which will be released on Aug. 16.
âOur 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,â said Idris Olorunnimbe, The Temple Companyâs group chief executive. âWeâre particularly thrilled about DâBanjâs upcoming album, EntertainerâThe Sequel, which we believe will be a gamechanger in demonstrating the universal appeal of African music. Together with gamma, weâre committed to nurturing and promoting the incredible talent that Nigeria has to offer, and weâre confident that this partnership will play a crucial role in shaping the future of African music on the world stage.â
Gamma will also celebrate East Africaâs 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 labelâs 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 whoâs 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.
âWe 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,â added Moh Denebi, LPME Recordsâ label manager and producer. âTogether with gamma, we are confident in our ability to elevate our artistsâ reach and impact, bringing fresh, innovative music to listeners around the world.â
Ayra Starr always envisioned herself as the âBlack Hannah Montana.â 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 Jazzyâs iconic Mavin label; London, where sheâs 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 âRush.â
âIâve 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. Iâm just a regular African girl, you understand. And Iâve come this far, and I want them to feel like, âOh, I can relate to that,’â 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, âHmm, I like that angle. I shouldâve shot more like that.â
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Starr hopes Dare to Dream isnât the last time youâll see her on the silver screen. When asked to choose what her first movie role would be during the docâs Q&A portion, she responded, âI 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 â the main mean girl.â The audience erupted in laughter before she continued: âThatâs what I want to do. I would eat that role up! It would come so easy for meâŚ. Iâm 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 thatâs never that mean. Theyâre just real. You know when women know what they want⌠I want to be that woman.â
Dare To Dream is currently streaming on Amazon Musicâs 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 Musicâs 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.
âAyra 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,â said Alexis Cueva, artist relations for Amazon Music, in a press statement. âWith Ayra joining the Breakthrough family, weâre excited to support her as she continues to garner worldwide acclaim and represent Nigeriaâs music scene on the global stage.â
Watch Dare to Dream below.
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Remaâs 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 Billboardâs World Albums chart. AltĂŠ pioneer Boj delivers one of the seasonâs brightest LPs â while recruiting an international array of featured artists â on 12 Summers, which represents the dozen years heâs spent making music.
Tyla hops on her first song since releasing her eponymous debut album in March with Spinallâs âOne Callâ (also featuring Omah Lay), and it debuted at No. 12 on Billboardâs U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart this week (dated Aug. 3). And ODUMODUBLVCK flexes his chart success when he raps â22 weeks on the Billboard chartsâ on his braggadocious single âNot All That.â
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Weâve 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, âSoh-SohâÂ
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Odeal heats things up on âSoh-Soh,â the scintillating dancefloor highlight from his four-track EP Sunday At Zuriâs thatâs influenced by Zuri Awela, an individual of Nigerian and South African descent he shouts out on X, and ârepresents parts of our Sunday at her beach house: noon (arrival), afternoon, evening, and night,â he wrote. While Odeal reminisces about last summerâs turnt vibes on âSoh-Soh,â heâs creating new memories this summer with a shorty heâs mesmerized by and willing to âspend one milliâ onâ to win her heart. Itâs impossible not to groove to the songâs sexy saxophone and crisp shakers â even Ciara canât get enough of it.Â
Rema, âHEHEHEâ Â
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âMonday morning, talking about me while Iâm making money,â Rema boasts before bursting into his maniacal, cartoonish laugh thatâs at the heart of his âHEHEHEâ single from HEIS. The 24-year-old star guffaws at his haters with mischievous staccato chords punctuating each âHE,â the only time Rema catches his breath from his hoarse flow. His self-confidence reaches a fever pitch when he asserts himself in Afrobeatsâ upper echelon alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido and doubles down on his three-month-old X statement: âNo more big three, thereâs now a big four.â But given Remaâs track record, and his latest LP being heralded for breathing new life into Afrobeats, itâs not a far-fetched statement. Â
Tay Iwar, Le Mav & GOLD, âRock SteadyâÂ
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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 âRock Steady,â Iwar muses about morning sex and his loverâs golden body, while Le Mavâs sultry production makes them want to linger in bed for just a little longer. But the tempo switch in the trackâs final minute, where Iwar revs up the âThese days, Iâm feeling like Iâve been chosenâ hook and Le Mav builds tension with the bridgeâs piano chords before setting off the kaleidoscopic synth outro, ends âRock Steadyâ on a highly spirited note. Â
Gabzy, JayO & Odeal, âToo FineâÂ
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UK R&B/Afrobeats artists Gabzy, JayO and Odeal arenât letting a girl thatâs âToo Fineâ 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 âMrs. Maloneâ in the chorus. Itâs hard not to succumb to their individual, irresistible charm, and their Vevo DSCVR performance is further proof. Â
Boj & SaintĂŠ, âKoshiâ Â
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Boj taps fellow UK artist SaintĂŠ on the breezy opener âKoshiâ from the formerâs latest album 12 Summers. Tropical guitar melodies complement the DRB LasGidi memberâs effortless swagger (âRock best drip on legendary, fresh to death to cemetery,â he sings in the first verse), while SaintĂŠ 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. Â
ODUMODUBLVCK, âNot All Thatâ
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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 â Burna Boy, Skepta, Wizkid, Davido, Stormzy and Olamide all get name checked â 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 â22 weeks on the Billboard charts.â If heâs talking about his breakout hit âDECLAN RICE,â it was actually 27 weeks on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, but after a while, itâs got to be hard to keep track. This song is a deserved victory lap.
Olamide, Fireboy DML & Asake, âUptown Discoâ
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The YBNL boys join forces again for this posse cut off label boss Olamideâs latest EP, Ikigai / (çăç˛ć), 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, âOne Callâ
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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, âYAYOâ
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Remaâs HEIS album represents a step forward in the young singerâs career as he continues to progress beyond the astronomical success of âCalm Down.â With âYAYO,â he delivers a frenetic track that ripples with energy, with a blistering hook that provides the only half-second break in the whole song â and a burst of melody that feels at once surprising and infectious.
Boj feat. Victony, âPressureâ
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This silky cut from Bojâs 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 â 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 â12 Summersâ
Courtesy Photo
In the time since Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Rema dropped off 2022âs 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. Â
In 2023, âCalm Downâ 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 Londonâs O2 Arena later that year (Nov. 14, 2023), which sparked accusations of Satanism due to the imagery â in actuality, they were hallmarks of the Edo culture of his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria â employed during the show.Â
These two things â genuinely peerless success and the tension that lies in bringing hyperlocal culture to a global scale â are the driving forces behind Remaâs impressively daring and unequivocally infectious sophomore LP, Heis.Â
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Bearing a title that simultaneously calls to his Instagram handle (@heisrema), the Greek word for the number âone,â 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 â courtesy of an all-star production team that includes Producer X, Take a Daytrip and longtime collaborator London â that thrive in the darkness. Pounding, frenetic drums open the album, ultimately becoming the recordâs 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 â with all of its history and percussiveness â is the instrument the best symbolizes the Rema of Heis.
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Across the LP, Rema reclaims the âSatanistâ 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 âOzebaâ (âEmi ati awon guys e mi italawo, e mi itolowo/ Italawa, itolowo, ita, itolow, eh-ehâ), itâs somehow both bone-chilling and tongue-in-cheek. He refuses to let go of his hometownâs history and culture despite being a global superstar; itâs an emphasis on regionality that mirrors similar conversations has across Black American music this year, from BeyoncĂŠâs Cowboy Carter to Kendrick Lamarâs âNot Like Us.â âEveryone is chasing something that the whole world can enjoy⌠weâre listening to the voices of the world too much,â he said in a recent Apple Music interview. âWe gotta listen to the voices back home to keep our roots. Our roots [are] very important.âÂ
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. Heâs already expressed his desire to expand the existing Afrobeats Big 3 (commonly understood to consist of Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid) to a âBig 4,â and now he spends most of Heis demanding the No. 1 spot.Â
âMarch Amâ opens the record with Remaâs 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, âMarch Amâ immediately establishes pidgin English as the albumâs dominant tongue. â17, I dey dagbo, I dey crack code/ Now the prince of Afro,â he snarls in the first verse, before sing-chanting the âI dey march amâ chorus against some stirring background strings. Taking notes from the painstaking worldbuilding of Playboi Carti, Remaâs 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; itâs as if Rema conceived the live version of each song before he even set foot in the studio. Itâs dark and raucous and distinctly liberating; at long last, Rema has brought to life the âAfroraveâ style that heâs long heralded, despite an initial lack of sonic identifiers.
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The only instrument as effective as the drums on Heis is Remaâs 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 â of recentering yourself after stepping into a new era of life â they also reveal Remaâs 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.Â
Pre-release singles âHeheheâ and âBenin Boysâ (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 âYayo,â perhaps the recordâs most accessible song â and the one Rave & Roses fans will likely find most appealing, with its catchy melody and grind culture-affirming lyrics (âMoney yakpa for my bank oh/ How to make money is all I knowâ)Â
At just under half an hour, Heis never overstays its welcome, but that doesnât 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 albumâs back half â and thatâs where its cracks start to show. The title track â which features a Swahili chorus that basically lauds Rema as the hottest thing to ever touch Planet Earth â feels particularly excessive because heâs already covered the same lyrical ground elsewhere on the album. Thereâs also âVillain,â the albumâs penultimate track, in which he croons, âI dey hustle since people dey laugh me/ The way I dey run my things, I do it differently, now dem dey copy me.â But by track 10, these sentiments feel stale, if not overbearing.Â
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 albumâs closer, âNow I Know,â Rema wraps everything up quite cleanly, offering new perspectives to the darkness that subsumes the record with one soulful ballad. âI dey move like Messi when he dey for Barcelo/ E get as God go bless person, dem go talk say na devil oh,â he opens the second verse, before proclaiming âAnd now I know who dey for me/ All thosĐľ I trust turned enemiĐľsâ in the chorus. Â
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 heâs undergone in the past two years, while also calling back to the timbre he most often used on his debut LP. Heâs still the same Rema, but heâs demanding a different level of respect â 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.Â
If you fell in love with Rema off the strength of his sweet crossover pop moments, his latest album probably isnât for you. But if youâre willing to be led down a journey of self-discovery and style formation, Heis is the map for that odyssey.Â
Rema announced on Monday (July 8) that heâll release his sophomore album, HEIS, on Friday, July 11. He shared an animation of himself wearing a gold, emerald-embellished bat chain, with bats flying around him in his fiery environment. âsecond Album âHEISâ 7/11,â he captioned the clip with the bat and blood-drop emojis. The Afrorave superstar […]
This year will surely go down as one of the best for full-length albums from some of the best emerging and established talents in African music. Already this year weâve got projects from Tyla, Tems, Ayra Starr, Ruger x BNXN, Young Jonn, Victony and King Promise, with several of those coming just this past month alone. Itâs a lot of great music â and presents some good problems for this column, with so many great options of songs to choose from.
Tems burns bright with soulful reflections about discovering her true destiny while navigating newfound fame, ridding relationships that no longer serve her and more on her debut album Born in the Wild. Meanwhile, Victony expands Afropopâs borders by bringing an international assortment of artists like American rap-rock sensation Teezo Touchdown and Guyanese American rapper SAINt JHN on his first full-length project Stubborn. âIt represents overcoming adversity and transforming lifeâs âlemonsâ into powerful art,â Victony recently told Billboard. âI hope that when people listen to the album, they feel a sense of shared experience and inspiration to find strength and hope in their own journeys.â
And Tyler ICU and DJ Maphorisaâs scorching new single âManzi Nteâ â which is currently No. 10 onthe South Africa Songs chart (dated June 29) â is inescapable in the artistsâ native South Africa. (Billboardâs senior R&B/Hip-Hop/Afrobeats reporter Heran Mamo can attest to that given her recent travels to Johannesburg.) Meanwhile, Shallipopi turned in a slew of great guest appearances this month, and his features alongside King Promise and Rema both made the list this month, as did the latest loosie from Lil Kesh and a beautiful collaboration between L.A.X and Magicsticks, among others.
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Weâve 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.
Ayra Starr feat. Asake, âGoodbye (Warm Up)â Â
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Ayra Starr bids adieu to a manipulative ex on the glimmering kiss-off âGoodbye (Warm Up),â the Asake-assisted highlight from her resilient sophomore album The Year I Turned 21. P2Jâs jazzy street pop production puts extra pep in Starrâs step, as lyrics like âI do not accept your apologyâ and âGave you the cold shoulder, I really hope you freezeâ deftly kick her ex to the curb. Meanwhile, Asake brushes off any woman with bad energy on his swaggering verse. Â
Azanti & PsychoYP, âI Knowâ Â
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Azanti & PsychoYP create the ultimate laid-back vibe on âI Know,â from their joint album YP & Azanti, Vol. 2. Malik Bawaâs funky, guitar-driven production assuages both artists during their fight for peace of mind, with PsychoYP also recognizing his phoneâs focus mode as an essential weapon, as Azanti croons, âIâm trying to focus on me this time, Iâm trying to save myself.â The trackâs repetitive groove and chorus that just rolls off the tongue make âI Knowâ the perfect soundtrack for your next summer roadtrip when youâre getting away to find your own peace of mind. Â
Tems, âWickedestâ Â
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Tems didnât come to play on âWickedestâ from her bold debut album Born in the Wild. The introductory sample of Ivorian zouglou group Magic Systemâs 1999 Pan-African smash â1er Gaouâ evokes a nostalgic party vibe for her own dancefloor number thatâs been bringing out Temsâ wickedest whine all around the world in her ongoing tour. But from the moment she launches into the first verse, Tems asserts her dominance and stays in the lane sheâs set forth for herself, brushing past those who want to try her (a reference to her 2019 single âTry Meâ) and sticking to the ones who bring her up and get down with her. Â
Tyler ICU & DJ Maphorisa feat. Masterpiece YVK, Ceeka RSA, M.J, Silas Africa & Al Xapo, âManzi NteâÂ
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After scoring a nomination for best new international act at the 2024 BET Awards and helming one of Rihannaâs favorite songs of 2023, âMnikeâ â which recently got a remix featuring Shallipopi and Lojay â Tyler ICU has been on fire. And what better way to keep the heat up this summer than to drop another fire song with âManzi Nte,â alongside DJ Maphorisa featuring Masterpiece YVK, Ceeka RSA, M.J, Silas Africa and Al Xapo. The music video makes âManzi Nteâ out to be a wet-and-wild anthem â which is fitting given the songâs title translates to water it in Zulu, according to a press release. And the amapiano smashâs rattling production has been powering up participants of the accompanying dance challenge, which Maphorisa demonstrated on TikTok. Â
Leather Park, Odunsi (The Engine) & Cruel Santino, âCHANELâ Â
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Odunsi (The Engine) and Cruel Santinoâs numerous collaborations have already proven that theyâre the funkiest duo, and âCHANELâ from the formerâs Leather Park (Vol. 1) album is a sparkling addition to their collection. In the same vein of Bryson Tillerâs âWhatever She Wants,â fulfilling a womanâs designer dreams is the key to unlocking her heart â and Odunsi and Santi flex how well-equipped they are to buy her Chanel, Bottega and anything else she desires. Odunsi also sharpens his altĂŠ production skills on âCHANELâ with kaleidoscopic synth patterns, crisp shakers and rollicking percussion that create the trackâs irresistible bounce.
King Promise feat. Shallipopi, âContinentalâ
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In a month brimming with great albums from high-profile talents â Ayra Starr, Tems and Victony among them â King Promise may have delivered the best of all of them. The albumâs two big prior singles, âTerminatorâ and âParis,â previously appeared in this column, but âContinental,â with its assist from one of the of-the-moment street talents in Shallipopi, sits alongside them as one of the best songs of the past 18 months, combining Promiseâs natural melodic feel with his memorable hooks to land a breezy summer hit.
Rema & Shallipopi, âBENIN BOYSâ
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Rema is coming off one of the biggest years of any African artist ever, with the mind-blowing success of âCalm Downâ â and while this link up with the inescapable Shallipopi is unlikely to replicate that crossover smashâs No. 3 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, itâs another song that showcases the many sides of Remaâs artistry, which goes much deeper than the ear worm that was âCalm Down.â âBENIN BOYSâ is much harder, with a driving log drum production that propels both artists forward, and is a formidable entry into each of their catalogs.
Lil Kesh, âLifestyleâ
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Lil Kesh has one of the more distinctive styles among his contemporaries in the Nigerian pop scene, and âLifestyleâ fits perfectly into his oeuvre. With a soulful, soaring hook and an almost contemplative melody over an amapiano-esque production, Kesh lays out a carefree look at life in a track thatâs perfect for the summertime. Kesh can pump out these types of tracks seemingly effortlessly, and the vibe is always right on point.
L.A.X & Magicsticks, âLokeâ
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Linking with one of the most in-demand producers on the continent, L.A.X delivers a contemplative vocal performance, riding high on carefully crafted melodies while Magicsticks deploys his trademark log drums and a reassuring organ chords. The effect is comforting, in a way, with L.A.X switching back and forth between English and Yoruba to spin his lyrics.
Victony, âAnitaâ
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Victonyâs album showcased his distinctive vocal talents; no one sounds like him, and his instantly-recognizable style is one of his best qualities as an artist. Another is his beat selection â and âAnita,â crafted by P2J, provides the perfect platform for an earworm of a track, which is just as catchy as his breakout hit âSoweto,â if not even moreso. Itâs a standout on Stubborn, and one of the best songs of his career.
After scoring one of the biggest Afrobeats crossover hits in U.S. history with his Selena Gomez-assisted âCalm Down,â Nigerian superstar Rema is gearing up to enter a new era. On Thursday (June 20), the Billboard Music Award winner unleashed his first musical release of the year â a new collaboration with Shallipopi titled âBenin Boys.â […]
Tracks from Temsâ Born in the Wild album light up Billboardâs U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart (dated June 22) as the artistâs genre-crossing debut LP sees its first chart impacts. The set, released on Since â93/RCA Records, starts with 16,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. for the tracking week of June 7-13, according to Luminate. It opens at No. 5 on the Top R&B Albums chart and No. 56 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
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Current Born in the Wild single âLove Me Jejeâ moves 4-3 to mark the albumâs highest charting track on the streaming and sales-based U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Itâs also the albumâs most streamed song this week, with 3.2 million official U.S. streams, up 32% from the previous frame.
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âFree Fall,â featuring J. Cole, begins at No. 5 and secures the highest of 11 Born in the Wild debuts. Hereâs a full recap of the albumâs placements on U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart this week, including two previous releases â the aforementioned âJejeâ and âMe & Uâ at No. 6, after it peaked at No. 3 last October.
No. 3, âLove Me Jejeâ
No. 5, âFree Fall,â featuring J. Cole
No. 6, âMe & Uâ
No. 12, âWickedestâ
No. 13, âGet It Right,â featuring Asake
No. 15, âBorn in the Wildâ
No. 16, âUnfortunateâ
No. 17, âGangstaâ
No. 20, âForeverâ
No. 22, âHold Onâ
No. 23, âTurn Me Upâ
No. 24, âT-Unitâ
No. 25, âYou in My Faceâ
In addition to her own albumâs avalanche, Tems claims one more appearance on U.S. Afrobeats Songs through a feature on Tylaâs âNo. 1.â The prior No. 5-peaking hit slips 13-18, due to the Born entries.
Born in the Wild is the first full-length offering from Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems. The body of work had been anticipated by fans and music industry insiders since her international breakthrough as a featured artist on Wizkidâs âEssence.â The song, after a remix with Justin Bieber, flew to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021, becoming the first top 10 hit for an Afrobeats genre track. Coveted further features followed, with an assist on Drakeâs Certified Lover Boy track âFountains,â also in 2021, and she and Drakeâs guest appearances on Futureâs âWait for Uâ yielding a No. 1 Hot 100 debut in May 2022.
Around the same time, Temsâ song âFree Mind,â from her 2020 EP From Broken Ears, started to see increased streams, prompting an official radio campaign for the two-year old track. The push led to a huge triumph â âFree Mindâ dominated the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for 22 weeks in 2022-23 and ranked as the chartâs No. 1 title on the 2023 year-end recap.
Born Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, Ayra Starrâs stage name has always been her destiny. Her debut album 19 & Dangerous presented a self-assured teenage star who effortlessly and thoughtfully navigated the transition from adolescence to young adulthood in a specifically Gen Z context. The album spawned a pair of global hits â âBloody Samaritanâ (which earned a remix from R&B heavyweight Kelly Rowland) and the Grammy-nominated âRushâ â that lifted Ayra from local star to international Afrobeats ambassador.Â
On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra handles that change in status by using it to leverage some big-name collaborations. Through those collabs, she fearlessly blends different genres and languages to color her explorations of the intertwined themes of grief, heartbreak, empowerment and maturity.
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Despite her rich, deep tone being the sharpest weapon in her arsenal, Ayra steps into her rap bag on blazing album opener âBirds Sing of Money.â The London and Marvey Again-helmed track blends stirring strings with a boom-bap inspired backbeat and a melodic FĂşjĂŹ (a Yoruba musical genre) intro, immediately previewing the albumâs seamless blend of different sounds across the Black diaspora. When she declares, âI run my city, run my life, run my mind, but I never run away/ Iâm so careful with my energy, please never speak upon my name,â she embodies a charismatic laid-back self-assurance that only comes with surviving your teenage years. Dripping with the bravado of Rihannaâs âBâh Better Have My Money,â âBirdsâ is an instant âbad bâhes get moneyâ anthem, one whose energy courses through several of the albumâs tracks.Â
Pre-release single âCommasâ and âBad Vibesâ (with Seyi Vibez) continue the thread of Ayra focusing on getting her money up and rejecting things and people that drain her energy, but she offers more interesting takes on those themes on âControlâ and âWoman Commando.â The former finds Ayra flipping the idea of female submission into a song about wanting a man to take the lead by picking up on her come-hither hints; âYou know my lips donât lie/ I want you to take control,â she coos, channeling a Shakira classic. Â
On the latter, a multi-lingual collaboration with fellow Grammy nominees Coco Jones and Anitta, Ayra delivers a women-empowerment anthem (âTonight e be ladies night/ I no wan know your zodiac signâ) that sources its urgency and irresistibility from those pounding log drums. Big-name crossover collaborations tend to collapse under their own weight, but Ayraâs ear for vocal chemistry â Cocoâs rich tone pairs beautifully with hers and Anittaâs cavalier delivery only intensifies the trackâs swagger â is particularly special.
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Of course, all these hymns of independence and confidence exist in conversation with songs exploring the darker parts of Ayraâs early 20s. The cycle of love and heartbreak plays across the album, with the Asake-assisted âGoodbye,â âLagos Love Storyâ and âLast Heartbreak Songâ (with Giveon), building out a self-contained triptych within the albumâs larger narrative. âGoodbyeâ combines notes of Afropop and amapiano to soundtrack a conversation between two lover who understand that they are no longer compatible. Itâs a much more nuanced take on young love than the gorgeous puppy-eyed âLagos Love Story,â which features one of the most beautiful melodic lines (âI don fall in loveâ) of the year. âLetâs make babies/ Weâre still young, but I dey ready/ Smoke some weed at the beach/ I feel ease when Iâm with you/ Prayed Ciaraâs prayer, God came through,â she sings, beaming through the studio microphone.
Ayraâs songwriting has always been refreshingly honest, but she taps into level of earnestness here â which is only bolstered by the whimsical intro-recalling background strings â that captures the innate naĂŻvetĂŠ of young love without embarrassment or shame. Always a dependable heartache crooner, Giveonâs baritone delivers a perfect complement to the Ayraâs deep voice, as the two attempt to convince themselves that this is the last time theyâll waste their lives pining over heartbreak.
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For all of the big-name collaborations and maximalist pop sounds and melodies on the album, the most stirring moments on The Year I Turned 21 lie in the songs where Ayra places her voice and lyrics front and center. â21â is her de facto Adele moment, a reflective, sweeping ballad thatâs punctuated with Rihanna-isms like the tongue-in-cheek, âAt my grown ass age, damn.â âOrun,â the albumâs best song, juxtaposes the jauntiness of highlife with soul-baring lyrics concerned with mental health and depression. âEvery day is just the same/ No worries for tomorrow/ I wish I didnât wake today/ But no, I gotta face my pain,â she muses.
Thereâs also album closer âThe Kids Are Alright,â a classic tearjerker thatâs less of a song and more of a compilation of voice notes recorded by Ayra and her siblings dedicated to their late father. When Ayra nails the seemingly endless riff on the last note of âPut in a good word for meâ â a reference to her father speaking to God in Heaven â her voice swells not just with grief and loss, but also the catharsis that comes with accepting your circumstances and allowing them to build you into a stronger person.Â
There really isnât a low moment of Ayraâs sophomore LP: Her pristine sequencing allows songs with familiar themes to feel fresh, and at a respectable 15 tracks the record doesnât overstay its welcome. The one glaring misstep is the inclusion of âSanta,â her hit collaboration with Rauw Alejandro and Rvssian. By no means is âSantaâ a bad song, but it is jarring shift from the albumâs established narrative and a clear ploy at number-farming that undercuts how authentically the album relays Ayraâs story.Â
The Year I Turned 21 successfully achieves a balance that evades many sophomore albums. Ayra builds on the confessional nature of her debut and enlists new collaborators that substantially add to her sonic universe without sacrificing her Afrobeats foundation. In an era where many Afrobeats stars are keen to reject that label, Ayra fully embraces its past and present, while fashioning a future for the genre thatâs refreshingly female-forward.Â
Ayra Starr started a new chapter of her life with her sophomore album The Year I Turned 21, which was released Friday (May 31) via Mavin Records and Republic Records. In a recent Billboard interview, she explained that after Giveon turned in his verse for âLast Heartbreak Song,â âI was like, âOK, Iâm just going to trust my intuition with who I want on each songâ â and one of the artists she reached out to for a feature was Seyi Vibez, for the single âBad Vibes.â
And three years after Tiwa Savage released her Water & Garri EP, she starred in and executive produced her first film by the same name and released a 10-song soundtrack to go along with it. Those are just two of the artists who feature on this monthâs roundup, which also includes new singles from Ghanaian legend Sarkodie, a teamup from two of Nigeriaâs finest in Victony and Asake, a new groove from Fireboy DML and plenty more.
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Weâve 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.
Azanti & PsychoYP, âNaija Funkâ Â
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Abujaâs finest, Azanti and PsychoYP, are back at it again on âNaija Funkâ from their new joint album, YP & Azanti, Vol. 2. Producer Aykbeats puts the âFunkâ in âNaija Funkâ with his nostalgic, folk-inspired drums and gliding synth melody, while Azanti takes blame for a failed relationship with the bold opening line âI shouldâve done you betterâ â and PsychoYP puffs his chest and brags about why a girl would never want to fumble him. The Apex Village membersâ musical chemistry has been apparent since their 2020 project YP & Azanti, Vol. 1, with Azantiâs transcendent blend of R&B and Afropop and PsychoYPâs exhilarating fusion of altĂŠ and drill creating an even more dynamic mix here. Â
Darkoo feat. Dess Dior, âFavourite Girlâ Â
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British-Nigerian rapper/singer Darkoo and American rapper Dess Dior will have the girls whining on somebodyâs son or daughter all summer long to âFavourite Girl.â The booming horns in the beginning and Diwali Riddim will have booties bouncing instantly â and Darkoo wants in on the action when she asks, âWould you come do it slowly?/ Girl, dutty whine/ Would you bend it for me?â Meanwhile, featured guest Dess Dior makes an irresistible case for why a starboy should âmake me your star girl.â Itâs safe to say âFavourite Girlâ will be in rotation â just like our hips â all season. Â
Qing Madi & ChlĂśe, âVisionâ (Remix)
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Nigerian singer-songwriter Qing Madi adds ChlĂśe for a sultry remix of âVision,â originally from her eponymous debut EP last year. Qing describes the paralyzing feeling of unexpectedly falling hard for someone, while ChlĂśe loses even more control over her body when she sings, âGot my temperature cominâ high, oh.â But even if their visionâs in a blur, no man could ever impair their honeyed harmonies over the trackâs scintillating percussion. Â
Tiwa Savage, âLost Timeâ Â
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Tiwa Savage prepared an official soundtrack to accompany her debut Prime Video film Water & Garri â which follows fashion designer Aisha, who returns to her native Nigeria after spending the last 10 years away in the U.S. and reconnects with family, friends and an old flame. On the standout single âLost Time,â Savage recalls what life was like before she met her love, singing, âFeels like I missed you before we met/ Not meeting you sooner, I regret,â and yearns to spend forever and ever with that person. Produced by Needlz and Poo Bear, âLost Timeâ evokes the heartâs pitter-patter feeling when someoneâs with their other half with the subtle plucking of a guitar in this romantic ode. Â
TitoM, Yuppe & Burna Boy feat. S.N.E, âTshwala Bam (Remix)âÂ
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Burna Boy adds more fuel to the fire created by the viral TikTok-driven success of TitoM, Yuppe and S.N.Eâs amapiano smash âTshwala Bam.â After hopping on the remixes of Master KG and Nomcebo Zikodeâs âJerusalemaâ and Asakeâs âSungba,â the African Giant continues sharpening his ear for the continentâs next biggest hit so he can make his mark on it â and he further touts his greatness when he sings, âBetter recognize/ Greatest of all time/ No other name, them go call mine.â Â
âTo surpass the success of the original, we sought a collaborator with both global appeal and a commitment to enhancing the songâs original vibe. Burna Boy was the perfect fit,â TitoM says in a press release; Burna Boy adds, âJumping on the âTshwala Bamâ remix was a no-brainer for me. Itâs a track that resonates with everyone, and Iâm thrilled to bring my energy to it and connect with fans in a whole new way.âÂ
Ayra Starr feat. Seyi Vibez, âBad Vibesâ
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For a song called âBad Vibes,â thereâs something extremely smooth and calming about this track, a single off the Beninese-Nigerian âCommasâ hitmaker Starrâs debut album, The Year I Turned 21, which dropped today. And Seyi Vibez, known much more for his scrappy street cuts that vividly bring the underground of Lagos to life, shows off a gentler side of himself, too, as the duo croon about deflecting the negativity life throws a personâs way.
Fireboy DML, âEverydayâ
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Over a fantastic laid-back groove set by producer Blaisebeatz, Fireboy shows off his melodic flow in this ode to a woman he wants by his side. The young Nigerian star, who broke out in a major way over the past few years with crossover hit âPeruâ and a string of high-profile singles and guest spots, puts his own twist on this R&B-inflected cut, one perfect for late nights and low lights.
Sarkodie feat. Beeztrap Kotm, âAmenâ
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Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie is one of the most celebrated artists in his home country, and his skills are still at the highest level on this latest track. He flips through languages and flows, while Beeztrap Kotm comes through as the perfect complement, putting his stamp over this soulful production that comes straight from the church.
Victony & Asake, âStubbornâ
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Victony has established himself as one of the most soulful singers in Nigeria over the past few years, and this link-up with amapiano-inflected sensation Asake adds to the canon of each. The two weave a tale of coming up to success by staying true to their own respective vision, even before success and fame eventually found them.Â
Shenseea feat. Wizkid, âWork Me Outâ
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A standout track on the new Shenseea album, this cut sees the Jamaican singer tap one of Nigeriaâs resident superstars to craft a song that combines the standout vocal abilities of both to meet somewhere in the cultural middle, with a sultry jam that sets the right tone. Itâs another reminder of Wizkidâs chameleonic ability to fit into any style, and Shenseeaâs multi-genre approach to her music.