African Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best new African music tracks that came out this week featuring Sarkodie, Asake, Dee Koala, Savara, and more.
Sarkodie and Lasmid connect for a sensual, opulent-driven record on “Lavida Loca.”
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.
Sarkodie – “Lavida Loca” feat. Lasmid
On his latest single, Sarkodie explores the pop rap path he’s done so well since the start of his career. He promises the good life on “Lavida Loca,” with the exquisite imagery and opulent flows to go with, but a winning element in its composition is the vibrant drums at the core and the atmospheric vocals of feature Lasmid. Known for his own soulfulness, he creates a truly memorable record with one of Africa’s most consistent rappers ever. A surefire bop. – Emmanuel Esomnofu
Dee Koala - “Horns”
Dee Koala needs to be protected at all costs. The Cape Town-based emcee has the masses obsessed with her style and endless swagger. Her bars that borrow heavily from the Khayelitsha streets she calls home, from the slang to the inter-personal and communal relations; and her enigmatic stage presence and camaraderie that has seen her produce smash hits with the likes of Riky Rick, Maglera Doe Boy, Blxckie, and fellow Cape Town emcee, K.Keed. She has one album under her belt in 2019’s 4 the Kaltsha, and has waded the waves of fame with her head up, feet on the ground, and a mouth that knows how to put detractors in place. “Horns” is a triumphant, brass-heavy return to a form she never lost. She is sharp, incisive, assured, and fly as hell. “Andizanga ngalonto/ suka kude, deep kwi ntsokolo (I didn’t come here for nothing / I come from far, deep within struggle),” she raps, adding fuel to a fire that had been blazing from the first bar, which started with her declaring that she’s got no time to chit-chat after she gets off the stage. With Flowaboii delivering with a heavy hand on the boards, Dee Koala is left with no option but to cause total annihilation. - Tšeliso Monaheng
Asake & Tiakola “BADMAN GANGSTA”
Nigerian star Asake connects with buzzing French artist Tiakola for the new single and music video for “BADMAN GANGSTA.” The two artists trade verses in English, Yoruba, and French, as they celebrate all of their self-made successes. “‘BADMAN GANGSTA’ is a page from my real life. It’s about owning your space, your struggles, your blessings, all at once,” says Asake in a press statement. “Working with Tiakola brought a whole new flavor to the track. We come from different places but speak the same language when it comes to vibe, feeling, and ambition.” - EE
Gabzy – ‘It’s Not You, It’s Summer [EP]’
For years, Gabzy has embodied the Afrobeats sound with a subtle diasporan touch. Often taking from R&B, the blend has won him a unique spot in the scene, and with his new EP, the artist seems to be moving even closer to the roots of his sound. It’s Not You, It’s Summer is a tender collection of six songs, featuring Fireboy DML and Victony, who further enforce Gabzy’s unique vision. Replete with tales and interesting characters, it’s a showcase of an artist who’s kept in constant touch with their process. – EE
Voltz JT feat. Sane - “Cannabis”
Voltz JT is no stranger to Zimbabwe’s music scene. A pioneer of jecha trap, which is his homegrown blend of UK drill and Zim street grit, he’s built a solid reputation through consistency, carving his own lane one bass-heavy banger at a time. Following the explosive “Medzai Fridge,” he returns with “Cannabis,” a track many believe throws subliminal shots at fellow emcee Holy Ten. The tension between the two, fanned by online back-and-forths, now finds a new home on wax. Holy Ten’s political affiliations, particularly his vocal support of the ruling ZANU‑PF, have drawn ire, and Voltz TJ seems to channel that discomfort into his verses with sharp precision. Cannabis is used as a metaphor for escapism or compromised values, positioning Voltz JT and his clique as the real ones. Sane slides in with purpose, anchoring the track with a verse soaked in youthful recklessness, hunger, and street-wise determination. Shots have been fired. - TM
Kehne – “KILODE”
Nigerian singer-songwriter Kehne showcases impressive vulnerability on “KILODE.” The trappings of a toxic love situation is one that’s been massively courted by musicians, but Kehne makes the theme uniquely hers, reflecting the years of fine-wrought artistry. Over the string-awoken production, her perspective is urgent and sensitive, asking to be treated with the same assurance that the other person’s words hold. “No dey call me baby, cos I’m not your baby,” she cautions with an unguarded shade of weariness that renders even more complexity to the record. – EE
Jordan Moozy - “Kryptonite”
Jordan Moozy is in a league of his own. He swaggers on songs like it's second nature, glides on beats like they’re his to slide on, and maintains a level of grit that usually gets lost when ambition overrides effort and hard work. “Kryptonite,” with Sun, is steeped in nostalgia, rich with imagination, and very much future-facing – a declaration that the homies are outside. Tatenda LXA draws from a deep well of house music, funk, amapiano, and more. The songwriting is magnetic and magnificent; “must be delirium, mass hysteria,” as your opening line is pure craft and attention to how the words move the soul, how rhythm injects meaning into life, how poetry becomes existence itself, made manifest through music. “‘Kryptonite’ is about a big comeback where you have your ops sitting on the edge of their seats, shaking in their boots. They don’t know what’s next and all you’re being is badder and better,” says the artist in a press release. - TM
Savara x Jay Melody – “Asali Mbichi”
Since deciding to release individual projects, Savara has shown a purposeful edge to his post-Sauti Sol days. Moving closer to a solo breakthrough with every release, his latest song “Asali Mbichi” has real potential in that regard. A subtle experimentation lies at its core, with log drums adapted in the realization of the East African rhythm. With emotive notes and the ever-beautiful singing of Savara and his guest Jay Melody, there’s obvious hit potential in the mellow beauty of this record. – EE
Phiwo - “Falling”
South Africa’s R&B scene is in full bloom, and Phiwo is right at the forefront. The Durban-born, Johannesburg-based singer/songwriter has been steadily carving out her lane since 2021, delivering deeply felt, slow-burning gems like the evocative “In The Moment,” collaborating with Adrienne Foo on a joint EP, and lending her voice to DJ Clen’s All Is Fair, a street-certified showcase of the country’s rising R&B talent. Her latest offering, “Falling,” is a hazy, bouncy slow-jam with vocals that float effortlessly over woozy production. There’s vulnerability at its core: “I know the role I played, I know I made mistakes,” she confesses, mid-descent into love’s dizzying spiral. It’s introspective and intimate, the kind of R&B that sounds and feels like everything will be okay again. - TM
Tyla – ‘WWP [EP]’
Every move Tyla has made since the start of her career reveals a young woman who was ready for fame. With her sensuous, minimalist songs, she’s positioned herself as one of the leading acts of her generation and her new collection of songs reiterates that fact. A new feature verse from one of Afrobeats’ icons, Wizkid, props this new release considerably well, also with the duo of singles that have been shared prior. New Tyla is always welcome, so there’s little to say except to get into the vibe. – EE
Halo Yagami – ‘Ingubo Enamehlo [LP]’
The Johannesburg-based soul artist Halo Yagami has often reflected a high sense of artistry. Through his songs, which blend a variety of genres, he’s provided a quality counter-perspective to the hyper-realized nature of Africa’s pop music, and he again proves his mettle on his new project. Yagami’s fifth, Inugbo Enamehlo, is a stirring body of work that goes deeply into the traditional modes of song-making, with the artist infusing his own unique touches that makes it a rewarding listen. – EE
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- African Songs You Need to Hear This Week ›
- African Songs You Need to Hear This Week ›
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- The Songs You Need to Hear This Week ›