{"id":2270121,"date":"2026-02-06T18:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T18:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2270121"},"modified":"2026-02-06T18:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T18:21:33","slug":"the-african-music-you-need-to-hear-this-week-feb-06-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-african-music-you-need-to-hear-this-week-feb-06-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The African Music You Need to Hear This Week \u2013 Feb 06, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-element-guid=\"ecba85ea-e183-4c01-9b99-9238afc4d66f\">\n<p class=\"kicker \" style=\"\">MUSIC<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subtitle \" style=\"\">Stream the best African music this week and listen to new releases from King Promise and Mr Eazi, Omah Lay, DWSON, Naledi, and more.<\/h2>\n<p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"\">King Promise and Mr Eazi sample the Backstreet Boys on their new single.<\/figcaption><figcaption itemprop=\"author\" class=\"\" data-byline-prefix=\"Photo\">by Empawa<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-element-guid=\"acd6f85e-5ef8-46be-eca4-e85073a62792\">\n<p>Every week, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">OkayAfrica<\/span> highlights the top <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/african-music\">African music<\/a> releases \u2014 including the latest <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/okayafrica.com\/tag\/afrobeats\">Afrobeats<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/amapiano\">amapiano<\/a> hits \u2014 through our best music column, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">African Music You Need to Hear This Week<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Read ahead for our round-up of the best new African music tracks and music videos that came across our desks this week.<\/p>\n<p><!-- placeholder(#1) --><\/p>\n<h2>Omah Lay &#8211; &#8220;Don&#8217;t Love Me&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"ee423574-9f2d-4835-a7a6-81e1d58bec79\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/mlqIZV2ICDo\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t Love Me,\u201d declares <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/interview-omah-lay-is-nigerias-new-young-act-to-watch\/237737\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Omah Lay<\/span><\/a>, an instruction, self-loathing encompassed in a single phrase. \u201c<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">I don\u2019t feel nothing, I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m alive,<\/span>\u201d he confesses, turning darkness into golden bars. His delivery is a blazing flame that rips into an unfulfilled life, diagnosing fault lines, spitting in the face of conformity, and opting instead for blatant honesty. This is the sound of numbness. \u201c<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">I\u2019m heartless, I\u2019m broken,<\/span>\u201d he sings, his voice almost cracking under the heaviness, the unbearable weight of being. As for the beat? <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Tempoe<\/span> unlocks a portal. Listen closely, and you might just hear and feel the future of Afrobeats.<\/p>\n<h2>Fredo, Burna Boy, Steel Banglez &#8211; &#8220;Birthday&#8221;\u00a0<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"3f728e28-a7d5-468f-ba6f-65a22a85857d\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/WxKkHSfwN4c\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/burna%20boy\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Burna Boy<\/span><\/a>\u2019s R&amp;B bag has unearthed classics over the years. On &#8220;Birthday,&#8221; he links up with UK artists, rapper <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Fredo<\/span> and producer <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Steel Banglez<\/span>, for a song that throws it back to the golden age of hip-hop and R&amp;B collaborations in the &#8217;90s. &#8220;<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">I know you feel it, because it&#8217;s written all over your face,<\/span>&#8221; sings <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/five-takeaways-from-burna-boys-latest-album-no-sign-of-weakness\/245524\">Burna Boy<\/a>, paving the way for Fredo to unleash his relentless lyrical attack. It&#8217;s fierce in all the ways that are sweet and gentle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>King Promise, Mr Eazi &#8211; &#8220;That Way&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"e80a57dc-79fd-447c-83d4-07de6aec3f3c\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/tkJj_ItRSrA\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Before the words announce themselves, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/mr-eazi-and-king-promise-sample-the-backstreet-boys-in-that-way\/1422700\">That Way\u201d<\/a> impresses with drums that knock and a bass line tucked neatly underneath for extra warmth. Then comes the guitar sample: a reworking of Backstreet Boys\u2019 massive hit \u201cI Want It That Way,\u201d newly reimagined as an Afrobeats joint. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/king%20promise\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">King Promise<\/span><\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/tag\/mr%20eazi\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Mr Eazi<\/span><\/a>\u2019s chemistry has held its ground time and again, and here their direction ticks all the right boxes: a hint of R&amp;B, a splash of dancehall, and impossible levels of bounce, courtesy of <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">GuiltyBeatz<\/span> and <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">JAE5<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>Naledi &#8211; &#8220;Meadows&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"413eb019-5615-4dab-8016-b60b7736120c\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/MWvgPMPPiC0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Naledi<\/span>\u2019s voice carries a tune with intent. She works the edges, sets the mood, then readies a swift attack, embracing world-building as craft. Her writing weaves tales that are at times whimsical, at times hard-edged and urgent, always grounded in meaning. \u201cMeadows\u201d arrives as part of her new EP, Darkness, my old friend. \u201c<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Ke bophelo bofeng boo re bo phelang?<\/span>\u201d she inquires, questioning the life we are subjected to on this earth. It\u2019s also a heart-to-heart, a beckoning of ancestors and creators alike. \u201c<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Dlozi lam, Thixo wam, sondela<\/span>,\u201d she pleads, as the music \u2014 a lush, textured assemblage drawing from multiple jazz modalities \u2014 embraces her in return.<\/p>\n<h2>Shoday &#8211; &#8221; Bad and Bouje&#8221; feat. taves<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"d28a3c5e-ccd4-4b0a-9a24-6b476e82c7d2\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/wb1V7kL1Dxg\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Shoday<\/span> transforms the phrase \u201cbad and boujee,\u201d lifting it from its Migos trap origins and guiding it through the endless maze that is Afrobeats. \u201c<span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">You\u2019re bad and boujee, and you\u2019re looking sexy,<\/span>\u201d he declares, while the rhythm maintains a steady bounce that lets you know there\u2019s no hurry here; this groove is built to hang in the air.<\/p>\n<h2>Dwson &#8211; &#8220;Sense&#8221; feat. Lusanda<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"22460be3-647b-4e79-a8f9-6b24ba0a9077\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/feUbyYU90F8\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cape Town\u2013based producer <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Dwson<\/span> has been holding the torch for deep house music in South Africa for close to a decade. Over that time, he\u2019s watched the sound grow and fuse with other strains of the country\u2019s vast electronic ecosystem. It\u2019s not a stretch to say his presence has been energizing, emblematic of the passion so many DJs and producers have poured into the genre\u2019s expansion. His new LP, <span data-lab-italic=\"italic\" class=\"italic m-italic\">Nothing to Lose<\/span>, arrives amid a global Afro-house boom, where debates around originators abound. On \u201cSense,\u201d Dwson enlists the incandescent <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Lusanda<\/span>, who embeds feelings of love and affection into an already immersive soundscape.<\/p>\n<h2>Mavimbs &#8211; &#8220;Love Drive&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"8d6ab33f-d551-4441-a6f8-5dc8773d91f7\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/RodJAYyZBVY\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As a bassist and arranger, Mavimbs\u2019 hands have graced some of South Africa\u2019s most memorable musical gems, shaping the contours of the country\u2019s jazz landscape. About two years ago, he assembled a group of musicians, a work that has culminated in his forthcoming debut album after years on the sidelines. \u201cLove Drive\u201d arrives as its first single, a divinely timed intervention during the month of love. It\u2019s affecting, even optimistic, in a world edging toward the tipping point daily. <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Sisonke Xonti<\/span>\u2019s alto saxophone guides the room, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Keenan Ahrends<\/span> shreds his guitar \u2014 each note a statement \u2014 while <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Teboho Kobedi<\/span> on keys, <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Robin Fassie<\/span> on trumpet, and <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Lungile Kunene<\/span> on drums hold it down with elegant precision.<\/p>\n<h2>Asher Gamedze &#8211; &#8220;Air&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"d7bae6b1-58e5-4b28-8ab8-394f879b0d52\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/9kjPlydXiv4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.okayafrica.com\/asher-gamedzes-dialectic-soul-is-an-exploration-of-continual-motion\/269475\"><span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Asher Gamedze<\/span><\/a> adds another striking entry to his trajectory with \u201cAir,\u201d a piece laced with protest and intellectual rigor, testing sound as a site of collective inquiry \u2014 where group theory yields cumulative power. The drummer anchors the composition, freeing the musicians to push the music into wild, exploratory territory. It opens with audio snippets \u2014 a kind of group discussion \u2014 textures brewing beneath the surface before dissolving into a groove that\u2019s bright, warm, and enchanting. It recalls everything that makes creative improvisation a fearless undertaking. These artists aren\u2019t afraid to stretch the canvas wider, moving so expansively they might just bend time. <\/p>\n<h2>Shabaka &#8211; &#8220;Eyes Lowered&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div data-element-guid=\"3ad68dae-bc6b-4e33-8be7-f28b918e4e39\" class=\"column youtube small-12 large-12 small-abs-12 large-abs-12\">\n<div class=\"content \" style=\"\">\n<div>\n<p>\n                    <iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/68HbFFNGVMk\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cEyes Lowered\u201d begins like a martial-arts epic. <span data-lab-font_weight=\"font-weight-bold\" class=\"font-weight-bold m-font-weight-bold\">Shabaka<\/span> tests the waters, injecting a distinctly Eastern sensibility into the music, as if a duel \u2014 the ultimate test of ascension \u2014 is about to unfold. He heightens this force field with spoken word, shifting the piece\u2019s essence, recalibrating its frequencies, and plunging deep into the flute\u2019s sonic temperament. The energy remains measured, enhancing the listening experience rather than overwhelming it. Somehow, it all works: you can feel Shabaka\u2019s many sonic directions itching to break free, each gently released, one by one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.okayafrica.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MUSIC Stream the best African music this week and listen to new releases from King Promise and Mr Eazi, Omah Lay, DWSON, Naledi, and more. King Promise and Mr Eazi sample the Backstreet Boys on their new single.by Empawa Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases \u2014 including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2270122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2270121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-African-Music-You-Need-to-Hear-This-Week-\u2013.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2270121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2270121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2270121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2270123,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2270121\/revisions\/2270123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2270122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2270121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2270121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2270121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}