The Best West African Songs Right Now

In this month’s list of best songs from West Africa, a surprising collaboration between two of the region’s biggest stars, Roseline Layo and Fatoumata Diawara, sets the tone for a month of great music, unexpected releases, and a broader range of tastes and genres. Below is music from Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire. 

Check out the full list below:

Tower - Fallin (Ghana)

Ghanaian rising indie star Tower has an earnestness that is hard to manufacture or replicate. Her music, like her latest “Fallin,” is anchored by honest delivery and a crystal-clear approach to dissecting the often murky terrain of romantic feelings. “Fallin” is a soft-rock, guitar-laced track that documents a state of uncertainty. It’s a song that perfectly captures the bewildering feeling of tumbling into emotions that feel too overpowering to feel. Tower captures this emotional limbo with great skill, while hinting that, if everything clicked, she might let herself sink fully into her feelings.

SEHB - Be Myself (Nigeria)

If you’re looking for philosophical musings on life, love, and self-perception, look to SEHB, Nigeria’s fast-rising voice in indie music, who blew up this year with her single “Another Day.” If you’re looking for a song with sharply written lyrics delivered like a long, unending sentence and an almost psychedelic effect, look to SEHB’s newest track, “Be Myself.” Laden with self-reflection and lyrics that combine plain speak with emotional candor, “Be Myself” is a stirring track with a beat stripped back so far that SEHB’s unconventional tonal delivery comes across as a live poetry performance. SHEB makes herself instantly recognizable and unforgettable with a voice that isn’t afraid to be sharp, to break the rules of conventional vocal delivery, and with writing clearly steeped in thoughts and ideas she's spent time on.

Young Jonn - Glass In The Air (Nigeria)

In “Glass in The Air”, renowned producer-turned-hitmaking singer Young Jonn is urging you to let loose, raise a glass, and celebrate with him. It’s the most recurring assurance he gives his listeners in his music, and it's what has given him an uncontested stake in the Nigerian music industry. Taken from his new EP Dear London, “Glass In The Air” is a perfect feel-good song, complete with the high energy and optimism one might expect from a victory lap. This celebration feels well earned; after a successful career transition and a string of hits, Young Jonn has clearly entered an era that once seemed far-fetched. What’s more interesting about “Glass in The Air”, apart from its groovy blend of amapiano and Afropop elements, is that it feels like a prophecy, a song designed to manifest the celebration of things not yet here but certainly on their way.

Wendy Shay ft Lasmid - Bendova (Ghana)

Wendy Shay’s “Bendova,” featuring Ghanaian rapper Lasmid, is a sexy, sleek, and extremely groovy track that approaches desire with confidence. The beat is classic Ghanaian pop brightened by memorable hooks and clever lyrics. In “Bendova”, Shay and Lasmid are enthusiastic about what they can do for and with their objects of desire. They are determined about what they want and clear-eyed about exactly how they will get it. “Bendova” is sure to be a club classic, soundtracking many sweaty nights and inspiring confidence for all the right reasons.

AMADEUS - Naxe mbaay (Senegal)

In “Naxe mbaay”, contemporary mbalax superstar AMADEUS considers loyalty and deceit in relationships. Nestled in his impressive new album Digg Doole, “Naxe mbaay” uses storytelling to explore deceit and how it can rupture something beautiful. 

Drizilik - Alpha and Omega (Sierra Leone)

Sierra Leonean rapper Drizilik keeps his flows easy, like someone chatting with a friend on a long walk. In “Alpha and Omega”, he has a lot on his mind, and he hardly takes a moment to catch his breath or edit his feelings. He has a word for a long list of people, which includes corrupt government and the youth who should be doing something about it. He also has a word for doubters and the people who have ignored his impact. Drizilik, one of Sierra Leone’s most important rap voices, also shows an admirable level of self-awareness, giving himself space to consider his complicity in his own life. While it might seem as though the music industry or his naysayers are his biggest opponents, Drizilik knows that, deep down, the self is often one’s biggest stymie and biggest source of power. 

Legacy Boi - Joy (Sierra Leone)

In “Joy”, Sierra Leonean singer Legacy Boi goes full Afro-pop. He is a man reassuring himself, as he is whoever is listening to him. “Joy” is a delightful blend of amapiano beats, Afro-pop flavors, and Sierra Leonean lingo that makes it uniquely Boi. This track is a testament to the growing homogeneity of Afropop music, but also to how artists across West Africa interpret the sound in their own ways. The effect is such that “Joy” would sit comfortably on any radio station in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, or Freetown. 

Darkua ft Tariq - Know You (Ghana)

As an artist, Darkua possesses a beguiling self-possession that makes her music plausible and her thematic concerns intensely believable. In “Know You,” featuring Nigerian singer TARIQ, she sets out new terms of engagement for a floundering love interest. With fluttering guitars, a calming sonic arrangement, and poetic writing, Darkua and TARIQ create a reflective track that explores the complexities of loving, believing, and trying to make sense of affection that can tear you apart.

Roseline Layo ft Fatoumata Diawara - Den’ba (Côte d’Ivoire / Mali)

“Den’ba” is an impressive collaboration between two women who occupy important positions in their country’s music landscape. Côte d’Ivoire’s Roseline Layo and Mali’s Fatoumata Diawara were headliners at this year’s edition of FEMUA, which makes this new collaboration a full-circle moment. “Den’ba” is a strong tribute to motherhood, to the tireless and often thankless vocation of nurturing and loving. On this special, beautifully crafted track, both artists lean into each other, creating a fresh sound that blends their sonic signatures. Thematically, lyrically, and sonically, Layo and Diawara have found a wonderful sweet spot for a collaboration that one can only hope will birth more.