African Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best new African music tracks that came out this week featuring Victony, Shekhinah, Wendy Shay, Amaarae, and Kwesi Arthur.
South African artist Shekhinah’s new album, Less Trouble, is one of OkayAfrica’s African music highlights this week.
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.
Shekhinah - "Hard To Leave"
Shekhinah's impact on the African R&B landscape is undeniable. After rising through the ranks of music reality television, she broke out with 2016's "Back to the Beach," then followed it up with the earth-shattering Rose Gold, a project that set the tone for a generation of artists to come. Her latest offering, Less Trouble, builds on the foundation laid by 2021's Trouble in Paradise, and spans 11 tracks that are unmistakably South African, distinctly Shekhinah, and globally resonant. "Steady" and "Risk" featuring Moliy have already climbed the charts, but it's on "Hard to Leave" that Shekhinah truly bares her soul. "My friends don't think you're good for me, they don't know what got over me," she sings — a quiet admission only a gone girl can offer. It's the song's bridge that guts you: "It's pretty sad that you're the best that I've had/I'm kinda mad you see, I'm better than that/ but I'm stuck in the past, and I just want you back." Her pen is sharp, her voice is raw, and her heartbreak is palpable. Play this on a long road trip and let your guard down, Shekhinah is in control. - Tšeliso Monaheng
Victony & Terry G – "Tanko"
There's something wholesome about Victony, undeniably one of the most creative artists in Afrobeats music right now. He connects the movement through its several phases, harkening back to the 2000s in his presentation and aesthetic. On "Tanko," he moves viscerally closer to that era, with its pulsating house-inflected rhythm providing the perfect texture for a verse from dancehall OG Terry G. There are many things to like about this record. – Emmanuel Esomnofu
Leomile - "Leseli" feat. Kekelingo
Over nearly a decade, Leomile has explored multiple sonic pockets with fearless curiosity. From the Afro-jazz flourishes of "Mantsopa (Pula-Molomo)" to the new-age R&B of "Bana Ba Kohale," where she goes note-for-note with Maleh, and the folk-inflected introspection of "Nevermind," her music is marked by a restless spirit of experimentation. That spirit remains alive on "Leseli," a track that leans into gospel and features Kekelingo. Leomile's voice has the rare ability to carry any song, any genre, into new emotional terrain. "Na ke mosa o mokaakang o mponang har'a sepaka-paka" ("what amazing grace this is, that sees me through the empty space") is a line of deep resonance, a glowing affirmation of faith in both the seen and unseen, and a time-warp of vulnerability and praise. Kekelingo, known for his solo work and as a member of The Muffinz and Litšomo (the trio he shares with Leomile and Muneyi), feels divinely placed here. His soaring baritone, as expansive as his signature smile, wraps the song in magic. - TM
Wendy Shay & Olivetheboy – "Crazy Love"
In recent times, we've seen Wendy Shay reflect a searing, focused vision of her craft, which is only refreshed by her consistency. Song after song, the Ghanaian singer continues to fly the flag for sing-along tunes, weaving essential stories about love and life in between. On "Crazy Love," the thematic register stays the same, but introducing the feature of Olivetheboy, there's a vibrant synergy weaned from the production's upbeat tempo. – EE
Siibu, Cy - “Needy”
On "Needy," South African vocalist SIIBU questions the sincerity of her lover's heart: "Since you say you love me, why do you make it so hard for me to believe you?" Then, with striking clarity, she lays out exactly how she wants to be loved: "I need to see some quality time, words of affirmation and spoil me/…/put your hands on my hips, a kiss on hips." Her voice is full and textured, effortlessly riding the head-nodding beat while her pen leaves no room for ambiguity. She's not asking for much, just, as she puts it, "a little bit needy." Produced by Saak Beats and featuring a smooth verse from Cy., "Needy" is a mercurial gem, one of those rare tracks you put on repeat, marvelling at how perfectly placed every element is. Majestic. - TM
Amaarae – ‘BLACK STAR [LP]’
Since announcing her third album, BLACK STAR, the inventive Amaarae has led a remarkable but chill rollout, releasing a few singles while tightening her fan community through visuals and pop-ups. Now that the 13-track album is here, it's ostensibly shaping up to be one of the most forward-leaning records the artist has ever put out. With strong electronic and punk elements, features from artists like Bree Runway and Pink Pantheress amplify the record's atmosphere, as the artist makes a bid to be cemented among the great artists we've seen from this side of the world. – EE
Mikhalé Jones - "I said what I said"
It's about to be a fly girl Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and we might as well declare Mikhalé Jones' latest release the season's official soundtrack. It's got the right energy to welcome the warmth back, the right message to keep you hitting repeat, and a stellar lineup of collaborators in Nanette and K.Keed to make it a regional anthem. With Leo on production, the track expands like sunshine, taking turns to rake in the feelings and radiate them back tenfold. It's smooth, affirming, and undeniably fresh: everything you want blooming alongside you this Spring. - TM
Osa Nkiru – "Only One"
On this mellow record, Nigerian artist Osa Nkiru captures the feeling of being smitten in love. With a beautifully poetic approach, the record's appeal stems from its tender expression, as much as from Osa's cooing vocals. Too often, we've seen singers bring flamboyance to love songs, but here, there's an essential trail into love's softer plains, a choice that proves rewarding for the listener. – EE
Kwesi Arthur – "Real Thing" feat. King Promise
The listener comes away from "Real Thing" feeling that Kwesi Arthur invited King Promise to curate the sound of this record. Its upbeat tempo doesn't reflect the searing quality of Arthur's most well-known records, but rather a pop-friendly interpretation of them, which is adequately delivered by his guest. The seamless fusion of rap and singing on this song shows why Kwesi Arthur is so revered in the scene and why his return has been eagerly anticipated. – EE
Sarnilo - "Different Dimension"
Sarnilo is all sorts of gifted. She radiates glory. Her voice is distinct — perfect, even — and her words feel hard-won, as if sifted carefully from the noise of the world. Every note she sings feels intentional, necessary, and precisely placed. On this track, she pleads for alignment with a lover, whispering, "Give me your love with intention, 'cause that is all I need," just as the song takes an otherworldly, ethereal turn. It's a sonic gem, treasure mined from the depths, meant for the sharp-minded, and delivered with immense love and care. - TM
Mavo – “Escaladizzy II” feat. Zlatan, Shallipopi & Ayra Starr
For those who know, Mavo has been one of the revelatory artists in the scene. With an alté-presenting style, his rap-streaked songs have entered the core of popular conversations, and no one more than "Escaladizzy," an atmospheric cut whose shafirp synths mirror the expensive lifestyle Mavo sings about. On its remix, he assembles a worthy lineup of good life connoisseurs, from the introductory verse of Shallipopi to Ayra Starr's show-stealing cut, and Zlatan's signature pomp, to boot. It's one of the best-realized remixes we've had of a viral song. – EE
Oyedele & BoyLiam - "Irapada"
On "Irapada," producer and emcee Oyedele resigns himself to the reality unfolding before him. "Moti sekunle/ ori penile/ mo ti gbeni te/I've been penniless" ("I have bowed down/ the head has accepted it/I've placed my burden down"), he admits, yet he never concedes defeat. Instead, it's a moment of reckoning, a reset point to interrogate what's broken in order to move forward. This redemptive arc unfolds alongside BoyLiam, with whom he has released a collaborative EP that blends Afropop, dance, and Afroswing, only to tear them apart and reassemble them into something unrecognizable. "Irapada" is the outlier: hip-hop-heavy, emotionally layered, thumping, and resonant. - TM