The Best West African Songs Right Now

For the past few days, I have been traveling across West Africa, getting an on-the-ground experience of the music shaping some of the region’s most culturally vibrant cities and of the people behind the sound. From underground artists in Accra to mega superstars in Senegal, it’s always a delight to see the ways West African music is guided by certain similarities yet remains distinct in many other ways. This list is borne out of these recent observations, but of course, years of covering and observing the changes taking place across the region. Enjoy this list featuring music from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Rcee - Sweety (Ghana)

To celebrate the release of his EP Young Daddy, Ghanaian singer Rcee took over a charming, outdoor restaurant in the heart of Accra. The crowd was full of young people, and the energy was heady, much like what one might expect from a hip-hop artist. Except it would be inaccurate to label Rcee a hip-hop artist. His music, as with “Sweety,” the opener of his EP, sits between contemporary highlife and local funk. It’s at once refreshing and disarming, because you never really expect it if you haven’t heard it before. “Sweety” is ultimately a love song, filled with beseeching words and earnestness. It’s also just technically interesting. While Ghanaian highlife has seen some dilution and contemporary interpretations, it’s fascinating to find artists like Rcee who remain loyal and are revitalizing the classic Ghanaian highlife. And even better, Rcee’s hip persona draws in a crowd that otherwise wouldn't be paying attention to a genre that started everything but remains underappreciated.

Igwe Aka - Egonomics (Nigeria)

Nigerian-American rapper Igwe Aka has a relationship with language that’s hard to manufacture. His songs might open with Igbo poetics and end with snazzy, gritty rap lines delivered in English or in some cases, Engli-Igbo. It all depends on how he’s feeling, which is fine, because he has perfected this technique. In his latest “Egonomics,” which uses “Ego”, the word for money in Igbo, as a play on economics. Like most of his songs, Aka takes his listeners on a journey, picking them up on a sonic bus that looks rickety from the outside but turns out to be a thrilling adventure once the ride begins. The beat is a striking delivery of Igbo ogene (flutes, local hand drums, minute gongs). In “Egonomics,” Aka’s mind is, as you can imagine, on money and the fine things it can deliver. It's what his eyes are set on, and he has very little space for anything else. 

Dydy Yeman - C’est Gnimo (Côte d’Ivoire)

Even before its release, Dydy Yeman’s latest “C’est Gnimo” already got its own dance trend. The movements are deceptively simple, involving lifting one’s legs from side to side in quick succession before finishing up with a V-shaped hand movement. If that sounds like a lot, then it’s probably because the Yeman Ivorian rapper wants you to get up and move your body. “C’est Gnimo” is quintessential Coupé décalé: fast-paced, high-energy, and instantly infectious. 

Josey - Fais ton malin (Côte d’Ivoire)

Josey’s latest release, “Fais ton malin” (meaning “act smart” or “be clever”), is a joyous and groovy track that serves as a reminder to be grateful and to appreciate individual uniqueness. At once didactic and simply indulgent music, “Fais ton malin” follows in Josey’s tradition of making music with soul, meaning, and an energy suited for a sweaty dance floor. Josey has been teasing this track since February, and by all accounts, it was absolutely worth the wait.

Didi B featuring Mavo - Fire In Your Eyes (Côte d’Ivoire/Nigeria)

In “Fire In Your Eyes”, Ivorian superstar Didi B teamed up with Nigerian alt-mainstream star Mavo. This pairing might seem odd to fans of both artists; Mavo’s style is intentionally unruly, while Didi B has a sleeker, more traditional rap/Afro-pop sound. “Fire In Your Eyes,” however, proves Mavo’s delightful versatility while solidifying Didi B’s commitment to cross-continental collaboration. In the past, he’s entered successful partnerships with fellow African stars like Zlatan and Fally Ipupa. “Fire In Your Eyes” is sleek and unhurried, with repetitive lyrics and swaggy hooks. This song is a triumphant hit for both artists, showcasing Didi B’s wide taste and attention to the shifting sounds on the Afropop landscape and highlighting Mavo’s flexibility and propensity for lyrics that get you thinking and moving at the same time.

Pappy Kojo featuring Kuami Eugene - Roomie (Ghana)

In “Roomie,” Ghanaian artists Pappy Kojo and hitmaker Kuami Eugene find common ground in this highlife, funk-laced track dripping with desire and passion. Kojo and Eugene are artists who love a memorable, quotable hook and do not refrain from bringing that to this track. They offer this through the many promises they make to their objects of desire: to help her calm down, to be there for her, amongst other things. Fantastic hooks aside, though, “Roomie” is a vibrant, brilliantly produced track with immense replay value. 

Sarz featuring BNXN - Back Outside (Nigeria)

Sarz has been pulling inspiration and influences from Malian music for a minute now, most recently with “Ko neye mounka allah la,” a folksy song by iconic Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, for his latest track “Back Outside” featuring BNXN. Before that, it was Toumani Diabaté’s “Jarobi” for “Getting Paid” off his debut album Protect Sarz At All Cost. While Sarz’s samples serve a somewhat complementary effect, while not necessarily engaging thematically with the songs he’s sampling, his interpretations manage to bring something delightful and fascinating to his songs. On a thematic level, “Back Outside” is a simple Afropop song about everyday matters of love and minor emotional complications. The complexity and delight rest solely in the beat. In the complex design of the sample and the intelligent way it is woven through the song, and not dumped over the track. “Back Outside” is sleek, club-ready, and already blowing up online. Sarz is clearly laying the groundwork for a spike in interest in music that draws on esoteric influences.

Mia Guisse featuring VJ - Sama Xool (Senegal)

In “Sama Xool,” Senegalese Afro-pop star Mia Guisse offers her heart and love through syrupy-sweet poetics. Finely complimented by VJ, the track is bouncy, filled with warmth and undoubted honesty. Mia and VJ are some of the most important young voices in Senegalese music, made even more interesting by their willingness to incorporate local instrumentation into their Afro-pop endeavors. “Sama Xool” is what you get from a generation that’s constantly forward-looking while never ignoring the beauty and uniqueness of tradition.