The African Music You Need to Hear This Week

Every week, OkayAfrica highlights the top African music releases — including the latest Afrobeats and amapiano hits — through our best music column, African Music 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.

Read ahead for the best African songs of the week.

Sarz, BNXN – The Game Needs Us [EP]

Sarz and BNXN's collaborative EP comes during a year of similar efforts in Afrobeats and builds on a creative partnership between two artists who've stood their ground and charted their own course over the years. Says BNXN: "This project brings together two of Nigeria's greatest forces to deliver a refreshing yet reflective experience. To show the dynamics in the African sound and to give a feel of where the future of the sound is headed.”

Muzi – “Khethile”

There’s so much to like about Muzi’s new song, “Khethile,” a duet with friend and collaborator Msaki. For one, the eighties as sonic muse glimmers across the song, from the synths to the vocal arrangements, which recall something the legendary artist and producer Chicco Twala might’ve done. Then there are the drums, somewhere between Wanitwa Mos’ bolobedu house and an as-yet-undefined third space that is cozy yet refuses to succumb to comfort. Then there’s the songwriting: clear, economical, distinctive. Bring it all together, and you’ve got a potential problem to keep ears busy all summer. The song’s from Muzi’s new album, Electric Zululand, which also features Zoë Modiga, Bongeziwe Mabandla, and more.

Sio, Daev Martian – “Liquor”

A devout student of Dilla, Daev Martian creates music that lives on the edge: of past and future, of spirit and the physical world. Sio’s another force entirely, a spellcaster whose musings over soul-adjacent beats have endeared her to a diverse league of music appreciators. “Liquor” is their latest collaboration, a searching earthbender that fetches jazz from its hiding place and wrecks it into pieces to exhume its true character.

tg.blk – “So Bad”

Mombasa-based tg.blk returns to the fold with “So Bad.” Her flow’s smooth, landing somewhere between sung and rapped, with a whisper that suggests an internal joke is being shared with her confidantes. Only, it’s a public declaration, expressed over music composed by Max He and eyezeck. The lyric “feel like I’m addicted to the feel of your skin” sounds like a line meant to be worn out in public, like a sleek garment admired for its distinct beauty. The vibes are endless, and tg.blk has a way of bringing it all together, skilfully preventing anything from spilling over or going to waste.

Tower – “Wildflower”

There’s a magic in words that gets amplified when music accompanies them. Like when Tower sings, “I will keep calm like the waters / close my heart tight from predators,” on her latest release, “Wildflower.” There’s a sense of release, but also of treading lightly because of past hurts. There’s commitment to staying the course (“maybe then I’ll blossom”), coupled with a hunger to live life in its fullness. The music searches without seeking a definite endpoint, traveling while tessellating between light and shadow, where the real work happens. It’s only her second release, and we’re already looking forward to a fully fledged body of work because this is truly impressive.

Sal Ly – “Satisfy”

Nigerian artist Sal Ly sings about the weight of longing on “Satisfy.” “The hole in my soul so deep / only you can fill,” she sings. She’s adamant, sticking firmly to her convictions. It’s such a bop that you could miss the message entirely: this is a song about how her Creator satisfied her soul, about feeling complete under the guidance of scripture. The vocal execution is world-class, and the production is top-tier. This is the stuff vision boards are made of.

Efe Oraka – “Mending Mending”

There’s an early-2000s Nigerian pop sensibility to Efe Oraka’s sound that feels both enticing and sincere. She’s like a mixture of old Nollywood and The Bold and the Beautiful reruns; a late-night cross-genre video mix; a Lagos party where street and upmarket collide. “Mending Mending” cuts deep, a love note to the work of picking up the pieces after everything falls apart.

Voltz JT – “Isa Matext”

Voltz JT can never put a foot wrong. It’s a statistical impossibility — just check the discography. “Isa Matext” showcases his version of Harare: bold, undulating, rapping over JaxTheBeatBully’s trap production as words form effortlessly on his tongue. His restraint is his strength; he knows he can rap, but that’s secondary to making you feel something. And that’s where the melodic cadence comes in; it wiggles its way into your soul as he fires off some of the meanest bars in African rap today.

Celeste Ojatula – “This Side of Love” (feat. Dwin, The Stoic)

There’s a sound brewing across the African continent: a new strain of Afro-folk artists deeply aware of the music industry’s predefined tastes and standards for what sells. Still, they push, and in their music, the alt kids, the freaks, and the weirdos find an identity. Celeste Ojatula’s “This Side of Love” feels like it fits that mold — one of constant wonder, constant challenge, constant growth. Of bravery. Of being willing to take on the world. Impressive in every conceivable way, with assistance from Dwin, The Stoic, “This Side of Love” feels like freefall, like letting go in the most beautiful way possible.