The Top African Songs You Need to Hear This Week: October 24, 2025

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

Celeste Ojatula – “Traveler” feat. Anabel Rose 

On this string-led song, Nigerian artist Celeste Ojatula reflects a soulful energy that craves the fulfillment of new experiences. Joined by Filipino Ghanaian artist Anabel Rose, it’s a tender affair that, quite fittingly, began with conversation. “I remember daydreaming about the story [Brazilian musician] Luedji Luna told about Bahia: how time slows, a sharp contrast from the chaos of Lagos. This story shaped what ‘Traveler’ would become,” Celeste revealed in a chat with OkayAfrica. “I took all of these experiences with me … I needed it to have all the elements of wonder that I had imagined, like dancing and feeling light with nothing to worry about, a good time”. – Emmanuel Esomnofu 

Mandisi Dyantyis - “Sonwabe” 

One of South Africa’s most established composers, Mandisi Dyantyis, is something of a national treasure among those attuned to his music. His voice is commanding, and his mastery of the trumpet reveals an artist who has spent years in the trenches, thinking, rethinking, and refining how to deliver his message through sound. “Sonwabe,” from his third album Intlambululo: Ukuhlambulula, out today, is a call to attention. From the opening bassline to the quick-marching drums and percussive piano, it signals urgency and purpose. There’s no time to waste; the train is moving, and Mandisi Dyantyis is steering it with grace and a hard-won acclaim. - Tšeliso Monaheng

BOJ – “After Hours” feat. Anaïs Cardot 

Ahead of project season, Nigerian artist BOJ has been putting out a stream of singles. On this one, he features French Gabonese singer Anaïs Cardot, whose music shares the soft, sultry intent of her host. As expected, “After Hours” takes after this shared sense of intimacy, a drowsy affair that promises the world to the other person, and in return seeks the best of them. It’s the charged responsibility love-led records are known to inspire, but here it’s drawn with remarkable lightness. – EE 

Internet Girl - “SOMETHING IN THE MUD” 

Internet Girl have today released their new EP, THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST US ALL THE TIME. The trio dig further into the pop-rock sound they’ve been perfecting since their first official release in 2020, and on “SOMETHING IN THE MUD,” they bring leaders of the new school of South African hip-hop, Brotherkupa and Jaykatana, into their world. What we get is something nostalgic, fun, yet very serious and intentional at the same time. - TM

Show Dem Camp – “Normally” feat. Joey B & BOJ 

BOJ holds the unofficial record as the only artist to appeal on all Palmwine Music series, and entering their new era, it seems Show Dem Camp are intent on maintaining the connection. “Normally” is the typical earthy record you’d expect from Africa’s premier rap duo, but with a BOJ hook and a Joey B verse, there are even more subtleties worked into the calm trio of the record. No doubt it stokes even more anticipation leading up to the upcoming album AFRIKA MAGIK. – EE 

Sampha – “Cumulus / Memory” 

Few artists relate the therapeutic as Sampha does. The artist of Sierra Leonean descent pushes the perceptive senses with every release, further sinking his unique skills into the soft matter of stories — whether his or others. On his self-produced two-suite record, he builds a subtle soundscape of skittering drums and reflective notes. With his signature feathery vocals, the emotions of a continued journey are brought alive, with all its considerations bare, with the thrill of motion. – EE 

Sarnilo - “Don’t Be Shy” (feat. Nana)

“Don’t be shy, feel the love if you feel the high,” belts Sarnilo on “Don’t Be Shy,” a song very much in touch with its Afrobeats/dancehall sensibilities. It’s a song about not being afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve, a symbol of hope in an increasingly hopeless world. The combination of her and the acclaimed Nana Magagula is one for the books. They feed off of each other’s vibe and give right back to the song tenfold. “Don’t Be Shy” comes ahead of Sarnilo’s sophomore EP, Makuhwalala, which will be out in November. - TM

Juls & Tay Iwar – “MAGIC” 

After collaborating several times across the years, the accomplished duo of Juls and Tay Iwar will finally release a shared album. Today, they’ve released the first single, a balmy record that takes after the serene beachside vibe Juls has cornered in the scene. Tay’s svelte vocals, as usual, are applied with an airy flourish, an angel of sound just sprinkling gems over the production. Charged with urgency through its percussion, Juls makes sure the peaceful vibe doesn’t lead the listener to an inactive state, but rather an engaged thrill. – EE 

Sannere & Phokoa Ea Boroa - “Lesotho” 

Sannere and Phokoa Ea Boroa are on an unstoppable streak. Their chemistry can fill entire rooms—they know how to work their magic and find their rhythm around a song. “Lesotho” isn’t the hip hop-adjacent material they usually deliver. This time, they reach beyond their comfort zone, clawing their way into famo territory and emerging with something bold and intriguing, which also has the potential to become great. - TM

Arathejay – ‘The Odyssey [LP]’ 

One of the most intriguing artists from Ghana presently, the gospel of Arathejay has been spreading far and fast. On his debut album, The Odyssey, he takes the listener on a roving journey of his musical trails, flexing his singing and rapping skills over atmospheric, intricate beats. A fine and accomplished showcase, the inclusion of features like Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Joshua Baraka, and Bella Shmurda infuses even more gravitas to the artist’s remarkable world-building. – EE