The 5 Songs You Need to Hear This Week
Featuring Amaarae, Naira Marley x MHD, Vieux Farka Toure x Khruangbin, Tems and Maya Amolo.
Every week, we highlight the top releases through our best music of the week column. Here's our round-up of the best tracks and music videos that came across our desks.
If you like these music lists, you can also check out our Best Songs of the Month columns following Nigerian, Ghanaian, East African and South African music.
Amaarae 'A Body, A Coffin'
Amaarae appears on the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Prologue EP with "A Body, A Coffin," a more modern tune that lives on a similar afro-futuristic sonic bed that we're used to hearing from the Ghanaian artist. The song features her signature high-pitched voice going in over lush production which includes afro-fusion influenced percussion, flutes and much more.
Vieux Farka Touré x Khruangbin 'Savanne'
Mali's Vieux Farka Touré and American trio Khruangbin have announced their collaborative album Ali, which will honor Vieux’s late father, the legendary Ali Farka Touré and his 'desert blues' style. They've shared "Savanne," the hypnotic lead single off that upcoming album, which you can get lost in above.
Maya Amolo 'Foundry'
Following the success of her last single "Can’t Get Enough," Kenyan artist May Amoloa’s latest offering "Foundry" exemplifies her growth as an artist in full mastery of her emotions. To make the smooth-jam anthem, Maya collaborated with Kenyan producers Lukxrito and DJ IV along with upcoming Ugandan artist kalibwani who features on the track. Read our new interview with Maya Amolo here.
Naira Marley 'Excuse Moi' Ft MHD
Naira Marley comes through with the music video for his God's Timing's The Best standout "Excuse Moi," featuring none-other-than the king of French Afro-trap MHD. The vibrant clip was shot in France by Lucie Morey and finds the two controversial artists pairing up for a highly energectic affair.
Tems 'No Woman No Cry'
The new trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever featured clips of Nigeria's highly-buzzing Tems covering Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," the lead track of a new 3-song EP, entirely produced by the film's composer Ludwig Göransson. The Marley cover features Tems' soaring voice doing a faithful rendition of the classic tune accompanied by a minimal-yet-cinematic arrangement of electric guitar, bass, keys and strings.
