The Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best African music of the week featuring Tiwa Savage, The Qwellers, Seun Kuti x Kamasi Washington, Davido x Victoria Monét, and Runtown.
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.
Tiwa Savage – “You4Me”
Tiwa Savage has shared a new single ahead of her much-anticipated new album. “You4Me” is a much-anticipated return to the R&B sound that marked her early music, where Savage drew influences from musicians such as Mary J. Blige and Brandy. The new record takes after the genre’s cool aura and insistence on sensuality, both qualities Tiwa has infused into her Afropop music in the past. Now, giving the sound an expansive palette to shine, it is inevitable that this legend will embark on another dominant arc. - Emmanuel Esomnofu
Qwellers - “Feel Amazing” feat. KindlyNxsh
One of Johannesburg’s hardest-working crews, The Qwellers, released their debut album two years ago and a host of solo projects since they first found each other in 2023. The 10-man-deep crew, which features rappers, producers, and tastemakers intent on revolutionizing South African pop culture with their unmistakable presence and irresistible slang — ‘what’s the qoh, anyone?’ — has split the album into two parts. They get impressive results in both the Afropop and trap-formatted songs. “Feel Amazing,” with Kindlynxsh, is a rager anthem fit for both arenas and intimate settings. - Tšeliso Monaheng
Davido – “Offa Me” feat. Victoria Monét
“Offa Me,” one of 5IVE's breakaway hits, carries a seamless blend of distinct energies.Davido’s exuberance finds the perfect match in the cool flame of American R&B star Victoria Monét, whose hook strikes with the intensity that has become more audible in Afrobeats in recent years. The just-released visuals capture the warm energy of the performance, casting both acts in sunset-streaked scenes with a lot of physical closeness and impressive choreography, again underscoring the superstar’s fine ability to bridge the cultural sensibilities of his home countries, Nigeria and the US. - EE
K.O - “Pharadise” feat. Young Stunna
On ”Pharadise,” revered artist and producer, K.O, dips into his emotionally-charged bag (see: “Skhanda Love,” “Hate Love”) to unearth a beacon of hope for hustlers in the city of Johannesburg. “And my patience is running low, I wanna know,” he raps, taking the position of someone who has to suffer at the hands of these hustlers. Young Stunna, who also appeared on one of K.O’s biggest songs, “Sete,” adds his spiritually-tinged flavor on the chorus, begging and pleading to his creator to give him the power to overcome. “Pharadise” is the last single until his fourth studio album, Phara City, drops this June. In a statement, the rapper described the work as “a mirror held up to our lives, reflecting the raw, beautiful chaos we navigate every day.” - TM
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – “Move (Keep Moving Version)” feat. Kamasi Washington
Continuing in the vision of re-imagining the songs from his last album, Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head),Seun Kutiand the ever-blazing Egypt 80 welcome the tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, whose prolific playing vivifies the band’s message of inequality across the world’s systems. It’s a fine alliance of artistic interests that further demonstrates Seun’s grand mission to connect Black people across the globe through the multi-cultural experience that is Afrobeat music. - EE
Paras Sibalukhulu Dlamini - “Yobe”
On his debut album, Ingoma Busuku, vocalist Paras Sibalukhulu Dlamini finds a delicate sweet spot that swings between Zulu vocal traditions advanced by artists like Shaluza Max and Mbuso Khoza, and an undefined, new vocal territory. He also gathers a heavy set of collaborators to help him advance his vision. Nduduzo Makhathini handles production duties, while a cast of musicians from across South Africa, Switzerland, and France completes the cipher. “Yobe” sets the tone for meditative reflections on spirituality, tradition, and what it means to be an African in the modern age. - TM
Runtown – “Do Me”
A hip-hop bounce and a riveting bass line form the sonic trip that is “Do Me,” the latest record from Afrobeats’ favorite recluse,Runtown. His second release of the year continues in his style to go left-field from the industry’s pace, favoring the mid-tempo sound he made popular in the scene during the mid-2010s. On the new song, Runtown sounds as purposefully detached as ever, a figure from behind tinted screens whose eyes, however, blaze with a unique vision. It’s a song that invites you to enjoy life while maintaining the borders of one’s personal space. - EE
Dlala Thukzin - “Muthi”
About a month ago, a clip surfaced online featuring Kabza De Small and Dlala Thukzin in the studio, cooking up what one can only imagine to be sizzling bangers. Some of the fruits from that collaboration are featured on 031 Studio Camp 2.0, a refreshing approach to electronic music rooted in a deep understanding of spirituality, and a future-forward mindset unafraid to break new barriers. “Muthi” is sonic alchemy, delivered in Dlala Thukzin’s three-step grooves, Kabza De Small’s unmistakable basslines, and Zeh McGeba’s reassuring vocals. We might have another song for the summer with this one. - TM
Mr. Bady – “Achalugo”
Mr. Bady is yet another showcase of Nigeria’s endless stream of talent right now. A fine craftsman who sings for the thrill of everyday life, his sound blends the vivacity of contemporary Afropop with the subtle flavors of Igbo culture, as heard in the highlife-streaked energy of “Achalugo.” A sweet tease offered in service of a loved one, making it versatile enough to suit a lively party and an intimate setting. With more projects expected soon, Mr Bady is definitely a name to watch. - EE
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