African Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best new African music this week featuring Amadou & Mariam, Victony, Kokoroko, Amaarae, and more.
Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top Afrobeats and African music releases through our best music column, 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.
Amadou & Mariam – “L’amour a la folie”
When Amadou Bagayoko died earlier this year, it was a devastating blow to African music lovers who’ve been into his music — as part of Amadou & Mariam — since the eighties. Now his wife Mariam must fly the flag of their legacy, with a forthcoming album and tour later this year. “L’amour a la folie,” the album’s first single, is an emotive number amplified by the raw delicacy of Mariam’s recent loss, but buoyed, however, by the psychedelic-driven Afro-rock sound they perfected. With grungy guitars and their ever-fresh voices, it’s a fine piece of music. – Emmanuel Esomnofu
Victony – “Glory”
Known to tap into the details of his life for inspiration, Victony creates an enthralling piece once again on “Glory.” The artist has been on the road for much of the year, touring his Stubbornalbum that’s often been touted as one of the best released last year. “Glory” has all the lived-in intensity of a record crafted on the road, intense and melancholic, with the artist’s usual vocal manipulations coming into play. With softly knocking drums, the vibe is one of a celebrity moving through the street behind the tinted shades of a car, just taking it all in. – EE
Kokoroko - “Just Can’t Wait”
Sometimes a song lands that perfectly captures the collective mood. In Kokoroko’s case, we’ve indeed been waiting, and we just can’t hold it in any longer. Their cheekily titled forthcoming album, Tough Times Never Last, arrives this July, and “Just Can’t Wait” sets the tone. It’s sun-soaked melodies that take the best parts of R&B, thumping basslines fit enough to rattle entire foundations, and harmonies as heavy and full as rainclouds – enticing, ominous, dangerously so. The horns are impeccable, the vision is future-facing, and when the album finally drops, it’ll be worthy of a footnote in musical history. - Tšeliso Monaheng
Amaarae – “S.M.O”
Amaaraeoperates on a creative level that is entirely hers. With concepts and sounds that swirl over the world and yet find their way back to Ghana, her forthcoming project Blackstar has all the makings of great music. We definitely hear a lot on “S.M.O,” an electro-charged single that has all the directness of Amaarae while taking its own space, contorting into several shapes as it desires. Always the inventive stylist, the soft coo of Amaarae’s vocals are ever-ready, as she paints a seductive image of a woman coming into her own, with all the dance and desire she is. – EE
Tommy WÁ - “Keep On Keeping On”
On “Keep On Keeping On,” Tommy WÁ makes a compelling case for Afro-folk’s quiet power – a lane shared by artists like Michael Kiwanuka and Leon Bridges. Sparse guitar chords create space for his songwriting to shine. “Sitting down with friends whilst they cheer to the night / and you’re wondering why things haven’t been going right,” he sings, a disarming confession that all is not well. But there’s hope, too: “Following your shadows but it’s a dark time / for I know right after the darkness comes the light,” he sings, his haunting voice a river of hope and emotion. It’s searing musicianship from the Ghanaian-born, UK-based artist. - TM
Anendlessocean – ‘Sceptre [EP]’
It’s no secret that Anendlessocean is an artist to watch out for. His divinely inspired takes on contemporary afropop have grown him an enviable fanbase, with love and impact at the root of the community. Following up from the great year he had in 2024, the Nigerian artist has now released a new EP, a beautiful collection of six songs which he says, makes up the throne room that bows to God’s sovereignty. Sceptre delivers on that promise, bursting with tender sonic choices while Anendlessocean vivifies the atmosphere with his inventive song structures and frequent tinkering with local Nigerian languages. – EE
Bliksemstraal - “Geld”
When it comes to hip-hop discipleship, Cape Town emcee Bliksemstraal more than understands the assignment. A dynamic b-boy, earth-shattering lyricist, and conscious Rastaman, he navigates the full spectrum of Afrikaaps without cutting corners. What listeners get is a thoughtful, ever-evolving artist constantly pushing to outdo his last effort. “Geld,” meaning “money,” fuses dancehall and hip-hop into a sound that’s unmistakably Cape Town, and entirely his own. - ™
Only Fire - “Hunny” (feat. Deto Black)
“Hunny” belongs on the dance floor. It’s a provocative track that discards convention in favor of something edgier, more menacing, and undeniably invigorating. Only Fire and Lagos-based Deto Black strike a compelling balance. The track is raw and unfiltered, yet polished enough to attract a broader audience. - TM
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- Remembering Amadou Bagayoko of the Iconic Duo Amadou & Mariam ›