The Best Amapiano Songs Right Now

It's August, and Kabza De Small's Tutu — originally slated for a June release — has been pushed back again, this time to the end of September. No one has given a reason, and internet residents are not impressed. Some decry the utter lack of professionalism; others curse the day he started making spiritually attuned amapiano, arguing that it set him chasing streaming numbers. Which, of course, is fanspeak for "we're mad that our guy has been discovered by more people" — the same case being made by the "amapiano is dead" wing of the residents' association.

The effervescent and ever-funny Mr JazziQ went on the MacG podcast at the tail-end of July, and, as usual, the clips filled up the internet, leaving us richer by a few memes to incorporate into our piano lore and lexicon. The conversation ranged widely: his early years as one half of the JazziDisciples and why the duo fell apart; his beef with hosts MacG and Sol Phenduka, sorted out live on air; and the breadth of work he has done with artists both living and gone — among them Killer Kau and Mpura, who died in a car crash in 2021.

This month, we bring you new music from Stixx, whose remix of Judith Sephuma's "Iya Iyo" is doing serious injury to the soul; Thuto The Human, who continues to innovate righteously within the amapiano tradition; and prodThina, whose new body of work showcases a singular vision and a real dedication to the craft of production. Leroyale, Sai Hle, Uncool Angels and more complete the lineup.

These are the best amapiano songs right now.

Focalistic, Uncle Waffles, Shaunmusiq – “2 Spin Jikeleza”

Focalistic is one of the illest emcees practicing in amapiano right now. He’s been around for a while, and somehow reinvents himself while maintaining a unique, identifiable identity. It’s because he knows himself, understands the mission, and knows he can outwork everyone around him. “2 Spin Jikeleza” packages the feeling of partying in Jukulyn, Pretoria, into song format. There is pop culture here: “bo-Musa Khawula, ngapha nangapha / la tjwatla tjwatla, bo-Paparazzi (Musa Khawulas everywhere I go/ gossiping all the time, Paparazzis),” he raps, referencing a South African on-line personality and gossip monger and the infamous European lensmen in one go, his flow so immersed in the dynamics of the music that it sounds like it’s going head-to-head with the kicks, which are muted and nondescript in true Bacardi house fashion. There’s also the admission of being distracted: “hade mabebeza, ke controlwa ke sqepeza,” he admits, honesty rearing his head amidst the surrounding synth trombone, in true bacardi style.

Uncool Angels – “Uyakokotela”

The best amapiano songs wear their influences on their hearts, letting their pulse resonate with techniques their forebears have already put on record. “Uyakokotela” treads that fine line between influence and biting, between being stuck in the past and embracing the present. It’s a family affair: the duo Uncool Angels collides with fellow up-and-comers to cook something that could potentially take us through the summer.

Judith Sephuma – “Iya Iyo” (Stixx Remix)

A four-track remix package of the great Judith Sephuma’s “Iya Iyo” landed on the internet this month, accompanied by seismic shifts that point toward a full integration of past and present. The future looks bright. Stixx, whose touch rests on a solid foundation, builds the mood layer by layer, starting with a bassline that locks in the groove, adding jazzy chords, introducing the vocal sample for about two bars, then veering temporarily to bring in a mean synth. The result? Music you can truly live inside. And the lyrics? “Thuto ke lesedi, ke lesedi la ditjhaba / ha re ruteng bana ba rona (education is the key, the key for many/ let’s educate our children),” she sings. It can’t get more on-the-nose: a song for the future we hope to build.

Doushii – “DRUMMAX” (feat. Senjay and Season98)

With production credits on songs by artists like EeQue and Scotts Maphuma, Doushii is part of the newer generation of amapiano producers upholding tradition on one hand while veering off in their own direction on the other. “DRUMMAX,” with Senjay and Season98, is a soft touch that lands gently, the epitome of instrumental evolution and a masterclass in how to build and release tension.

Thuto The Human – InnrChyld [LP]

Thuto The Human’s InnrChyld is a bumper ride of cutting-edge innovation. There’s a refusal to submit to maximalism, and in that disavowal lie possibilities: ways to make something edgy and exciting, to suggest a direction through sonic choices and the collaborations one chooses to pursue. There’s a joyful nature to the compositions, as though the sunshine were next to him while he composed the songs. Features range from Warren Justin and Rory Diamondz to Calvin Fallo and Uncool Angels.

Xduppy – Amaroyale [LP]

Xduppy has been on the hardest-working producer list for three years running, and he’s only getting better with time. A literal studio rat, emerging for the live show or to give us another album, he’s proof that talent and hard work, executed seamlessly, can sustain one beyond the moment. And he’s had plenty of moments so far, each one a stamp of approval on his range. 

prodThina – House Meets Ivory [LP]

Amapiano is mostly a team sport, where it’s normal to find a single song with three or more artists credited. So it’s curious and exciting when a producer decides to do it on his own, which is what prodThina does for the majority of his new album, House Meets Ivory. Blackout features on one song, “Deep Nation,” while “Artwork” features Kgabz The DJ and Thabo M. His style is calm, fusing the best elements of deep house into the amapiano universe, with results that will keep feet stomping and hands raised on the dance floor.

Sai Hle – “Khula”

A year after a viral internet moment that launched their groundbreaking debut single, “UBUMNNND,” sisters Amahle and Siphosethu are wiser and a bit more connected in the music industry. It makes “Khula” another special moment: an attempt to build a listener base, assess their voices, claim what is theirs, and flip rules on their heads. They’re still high on the amapiano wave, packing harmonies that layer the soul and beats that force you to move. “What can I do / it’s what I had to do,” they sing, an admission that sometimes, in love as in life, one just needs to lock in and do the necessary work of healing and forgiveness as a way to grow and become bigger.

Leroyale, DJY Potsow, Nvcho – “Thandanda”

The percussive buildup at the beginning of “Thandanda” foreshadows something great. You feel it in how the persistent shaker opens the palette for extra spice, building into a solid drum pattern. Guitars arrive, as does the squelching bassline, with Nvcho’s vocals finding their way through all that sweet surrender. In no time, we’re deep in the cut: “lengoma ingikhumbuza ikhathi zama Quantum/kush’ isound, lapho kumnandi (this song takes me back to Quantum taxis/ sound blasting through the speakers, fun times all around),” he sings, recalling times gone by and the memories they left behind. It’s a song about being young and wild, free to explore life with friends.