Must-Hear African Hits – Afrobeats, Amapiano & More

The best new African music tracks that came out this week, featuring AratheJay, Peruzzi, Famous Pluto, amongst others.

Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases — including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano hits — through our best music column, African Songs You Need to Hear This Week.

Read ahead for our round-up of the best new African music tracks and music videos that came across our desks this week.

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AratheJay – “Put Am On God”

Always repping a poignant side of Ghanaian music, AratheJay’s new record is the new single from a forthcoming LP. “Put Am On God,” as the title suggests, is a riveting ode to the process of the divine, with its trap-influenced production spurring evocative imagery from the artist. A sensibility not totally new to artists, here the faith in a bigger destiny is beautifully paired with the long journey the artist has to make, underlining the artist’s focus beyond fleeting emotions. – Emmanuel Esomnofu.

Stixx – “Christmas Song” (feat. Reed and Nvcho)

Earlier this year, Stixx, alongside Sam Deep and Nvcho, staged an intervention in amapiano with Kings of Kwapi Vol: 1, a record that introduced a new attitude and approach to the ever-expanding palette of the global sound. With The Dawn, he builds on the groundwork he’s laid over the years, the momentum of that trio release, and a newfound appreciation among listeners to create something momentous and resonant. On “Christmas Song,” featuring Reed and Nvcho, he paints a sonic portrait of the season when people return home: to revel in the glory of loved ones, and to consume copious amounts of food because ’tis the season. The production is immaculate; Stixx grips the dance music fundamentals that shaped his generation while continuously finding ways to push the music forward. – Tšeliso Monaheng.

T.I Blaze & Llona – “Lonely Road”

Both T.I Blaze and Llona have built impressive fan bases off the back of their melancholic, meditative music. On “Lonely Road,” those urgings are bare as they reflect on the journey and grind of making a name in their chosen career. From Blaze’s more sing-song delivery to the rapper poise of Llona, it’s a beautiful fusion of varied sensibilities that however unite under the banner of dreams. It’s the kind of music you want to hustle to. – EE.

Joshua Baraka, JAE5 – “Wrong Places”

Joshua Baraka and JAE5 follow up the hugely successful May release of “Wrong Places” with “Dive In,” a track that draws you inside its sonic universe and shatters previously held perceptions about self. There’s the ceremonial pairing of Amapiano’s log drum with the fundamentals of Afrobeats that JAE5 explores, allowing the Ugandan artist to stretch his vocal range in ways that are both enticing and intimate. “Scared to drown baby, but I’m ready to dive in / just give me a sign, yes, I need all your love,” he sings, a signal that love is in the air, and an admission that vulnerability, no matter how frightening, is what ultimately anchors human connection. – TM.

Famous Pluto – “Hot Hot”

Undoubtedly one of the most revelatory artists of the year, Famous Pluto has mastered the art of shock value. His lyrics revel in their brazen overtones, revealing something of the sensibilities of young men today. But even at that, he’s a quite skilled rapper and an even better hit maker, and “Hot Hot” carries strong evidence of that. Bursting with colorful synths and a fluid drum progression, it has that groovy feeling that so often makes a mark in these festive-approaching times. – EE.

SABRI – “Sold Myself For Love”

There’s a folksy quality about SABRI’s voice that hooks you in from the first note. Its grip is unrelenting, and on “Sold Myself For Love,” the Dutch-born Moroccan Algerian artist unapologetically goes for the jugular, rising above the occasion — and the acoustic guitar riffs and the sweeping baseline notes — to reach for something more emotive, ethereal, and evocative. The words are mountains, peaks to valleys that never reach the bottom. “Prisoner of my feelings (?) / my own enemy / it is me, release me,” she sings, extracting raw emotion from each syllable, as though searching for absolution in the very act of confession. – TM.

Peruzzi – ‘SABALI [LP]’

On his new album, Peruzzi unites a wide cast of Nigerian music players. Featuring two new verses from Davido, we get veterans like Timaya and Jesse Jagz also chipping in their signature stylistics. With its 17 songs coming just under an hour, it’s surely a mouthful for his listener base who’ve clamored for more music from him in recent years. If the names are anything to go by, we’d surely be getting a varied depiction of Peruzzi’s well noted skills, moving effortlessly between meters of sound and sensibilities. – EE.

Diteboho – “Pitso (1st Movement)”

Diteboho is a South African musician and visionary whose piano playing has graced stages across the country – both as a solo act and as a trusted collaborator in several ensembles. “Pitso (1st Movement)” is Black classical music at its most alive, improvised across formidable scales to tell stories of scattered nations and shattered hearts, but also of elaborate schemes and blueprints for a better future. There’s a trace of Abdullah Ibrahim in the way the keys sound slightly rickety, even as harmony prevails. This is spirit music, a fountain of joy and resistance, and renewal from one of the country’s most radiant talents. – TM.

Kunmie – “My Brother”

When “Arike” took over the soundscape, some doubters thought Kunmie wouldn’t be able to replicate its high level of vulnerable musicality. Not only has he shattered such doubts by following up with an impressive EP, he’s continued to create very beautiful music. The latest is “My Brother,” an affectionate letter to his sibling who’s shaped his trajectory positively. Featuring two interesting samples from quite interesting personas, it’s a dreamy song that yet invokes the realistic, revealing Kunmie as an artist wiser beyond their years. – EE.

Nyashinksi – “Elegance”

Nyashinski’s roots in Kenyan music were planted early. A pioneer of the country’s hip-hop scene, he co-founded the trio Kleptomaniax while still in high school, before going on hiatus in 2007 when he moved abroad. His return in 2016 marked the rebirth of a solo career that’s only grown stronger with time. Now, with a new deal and a renewed sense of purpose, he’s unveiled Yariasu, a 13-track showcase of his dual gifts as singer and rapper. “Elegance” leans toward the former; he sashays across the beat as if it were a landscape to be admired, leaving fragments of himself tucked into its grooves — moments to be revisited, savored, and rediscovered with every listen. – TM.