African Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best new African music tracks that came out this week featuring Victony, Lojay, Kabza De Small, Mlindo The Vocalist, and more.
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.
Victony & Fridayy – “Glory II”
Releasing a sequel to his latest single just some weeks after the original, Victony is flexing the reach of his artistry. Here he’s joined by Fridayy, who’s built up an impressive resume of collaborations with Afrobeats acts. The grass-to-grace narrative of the original is maintained, as Victony’s rap-informed flow is matched for intensity by his guest’s choir-reminiscent vocals. A fine blending of sensibilities, it’s a song that delivers beautifully on its role as an ode to God’s enduring grace. – Emmanuel Esomnofu
Kabza De Small - “Siyabonga”
Kabza De Small moves in his own lane. His long-awaited fifth album lays his heart bare, clarifies his intent, and reaffirms his status as the top don in the electronic music game. Not that he ever left; in the past year alone, his music was performed by an orchestra, he dropped one of 2024’s standout tracks in “Hayi Baba” (with Chronical Deep and LaTique), and laced bangers alongside Darque, DJMaphorisa, Xduppy, and Dlala Thukzin. He’s a man on a mission: to stretch the sonic spectrum, school our senses, and come out on top every time. “Siyabonga,” featuring Nontokozo Mkhize and Mthunzi, shows Kabza at his most tender, most curatorial. It leans into 3-Step, embraces you, cradles you. It’s a prayer – “asisabi lutho, isandla sakhe siphezu kwethu imihla yonke” (we fear nothing, His hand is upon us every day) – and everyone’s invited. - Tšeliso Monaheng.
Lojay – “Tenner”
After announcing the August release of his long-awaited debut album, Lojay has set the wheels rolling with a fiery song intended for the dance floors. Pairing his svelte vocals with hyper-vibrant pop beats is an artistic choice favored by the artist, and it continues to prove a winning formula, as he paints a riveting portrait of a lady he’s enamored by. Bold metaphors, swirling notes, and banging drums are ever-present throughout the song’s runtime, but the fusion doesn’t eclipse Lojay’s voice at the center of the fanfare. – EE
Adekunle Gold – “Coco Money”
Always one to reinvent himself, you’ll be hard-pressed to find Adekunle Gold in the same spot. On “Coco Money,” he returns to the indigenous throb that influenced his early music, pairing disco sensibilities with the unmissable drums of Juju music. It’s a quintessential fly talk song, an arena the artist particularly excels in. The vocals and the energy matching each other’s vivacity, it’s a renewed demonstration of the artist’s prowess as a songwriter. – EE
TOSS, Maglera Doe Boy, Young Stunna - “Hermano”
“Hermano” is the rap Olympics – a relay of distinctive, heavyweight voices in African music. Themed around Black township life, with fashion nods to la sapeur, Black dandyism, and ukuswenka, the video brings the song to life in elegiac style. The back-and-forth between TOSS and Maglera Doe Boy deserves its own support hotline; there are simply too many quotables to catch in one go. Then comes Young Stunna on the chorus, a welcome breather from the lyrical warfare unfolding. Together, the three move like a league of their own: elite yet grounded, daunting but disarming, feisty and tender in equal measure. It’s an overload of excellence, so pace yourself. - TM.
Mr Eazi – “Corny”
On his latest song, Mr Eazi shows why he’ll always be an interesting voice within Afrobeats. The chill number produced by P Priimeshowcases the artist’s expanding vision as a storyteller, as he reveals the intricacies of a romantic relationship. “No go do you cunny,” he sings atop the mid-tempo production, charting a seductive vibe that sways with the lyrics of the record. – EE
Blue Pappi - “G-Wagon” (feat. LaCabra)
Blue Pappi’s on a roll, and he’s only just getting started. The emcee, vocalist, and producer, who hails from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal – home of the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo – follows up last week’s high-octane, Kane Keid-featuring “Dairy” with a mellow, left-of-centre tune that allows him and fellow Qwellers member LaCabra to exercise their rap muscles and cross uncharted flow territory. The cadences are impeccable, and the music, very stripped back, very lo-fi, allows them to swim with intention, playing lifeguard to your treasured eyes and ears. No word is wasted, and every moment of silence is as necessary as breathing itself. South African hip-hop is enjoying its moment in the sun, and these two are but part of a bubbling movement whose legend shall be spoken about in years to come. - TM.
Mlindo The Vocalist - “iMedi Yakho” (feat. Sir Trill)
Following the success of his breakout debut, Emakhaya, and the vulnerability of his self-titled sophomore album, Lindokuhle, Mlindo The Vocalist enters his third chapter with something deeper: perspective. It's a delicate balance of talent and emotional maturity that cuts above the clatter to go for the heart. Uhambo – The Journey is an album shaped by his own lived experience. It carries the weight of heartbreak, the beauty of healing, and the clarity that comes after navigating life’s highs and lows. On “iMedi Yakho,” a duet with Sir Trill, he repurposes the melody to Oliver Mtukudzi’s hit, “Neria,” and injects an Afro-pop swing to its step. The flavours ooze from the speakers straight to your soul. - TM.
Chrissy Spratt – “Call On Me” feat. Nonso Amadi & Serøtonin
Chrissy Spratt is no newcomer to the Afrobeats scene. Through her covers, the Canadian-based artist has curated a strong presence, even going on tour with Chike. Now, the Hi-Way 89 signee has released her latest song, a three-way collaboration with the talented singers Nonso Amadiand Serøtonin. As the line-up infers, it’s a vulnerable embrace that offers the love of a partner, with Spratt holding the thematic core through her piercing verse and vocals. It continues the purposeful run-up to a project expected in August, as she’s shown an impressive ability to handle several genres. – EE