The Songs You Need to Hear This Week
The best African songs you need to hear this week, featuring Sarz x Asake, Sarkodie, Runtown, Angelique Kidjo, Bongeziwe Mabandla and more.
African music legendAngélique Kidjo covered South African smash hit “Jerusalema” this week.
Every week, we highlight the top Afrobeats and African music releases through our best music column, 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.
Sarz – "C'mon Look!" feat. Asake
After handling significant production duties on Lungu Boy, the hottest producer-artist duo on the block seems to beSarzandAsake. The former is known for tapping into the most unrestrained parts of the artists he works with, and with Asake, that soundscape is the bubbling, club-ready intersection between house and disco. "C'mon Look!" extends their impressive run, no doubt a potential end-of-the-year banger.
CKay – "ADDICTED" feat. The Cavemen.
Directed by Dalia Dias, one of the standout tracks fromCKay'sEmotions gets an impressive visual treatment. The soft, warm tones align with the record's mood, casting the musicians in scenes with implicit sultry imagery. When a director matches the song in such a symbiotic way, a moving picture will inevitably be created, and throughout "ADDICTED," we cannot look away from the screen.
Angelique Kidjo – “JERUSALEMA”
Angelique Kidjo has been busy lately, marking her 40th in the music industry this year. From singles to memorable performances, the iconic musician has been everywhere, and now she's given a fresh twist to one of the greatest songs of our generation. A symphony arrangement from Derrick Hodge gives her voice the space to shine, and Kidjo does deliver, as always, her lilting voice proving inspirational.
Runtown – “Flow”
Runtown rarely puts out music, but it tends to be quite memorable when he does. On "Flow," he charts a musical territory he's seldom done before, which is the upbeat candor characteristic of 2000s Nigerian pop, and he even interpolates Original Stereoman's"E Dey Pain Me Gaga" for a more potent effect. Wistful, his ever-breezy vocals are purposefully allied with the theme of trying to stay focused amidst the distraction of hedonist thrills.
Wande Coal & Kel P – "Old Soldier"
Dynamic vocalism has always been a strong suit ofWande Coal. He again proves his mettle on this record, with the hypnotic Afrobeat-evoking production coming fromKel P. An account of his battle-tested strength, he compares himself to the old soldier who never dies, a theme of resilience that emboldens the record's otherwise groovy intent.
Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta – “Bonne Annee”
Known for picking influences on the road, the Peruvian artist Ale Hop collaborates with Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta on this explosive record. Bakorta's strings are electric and spontaneous, wrapping colorful turns around the bouncing drums engineered by Hop. It's a musicians' record, wherein no words are said, but the listener comes away feeling deeply refreshed by the groove set on wax.
Sarkodie – “No Sir”
There's never been a period whenSarkodiewasn't releasing music. One of the most consistent artists around, the Ghanaian rap veteran, fits in and out of different pockets, in this record adapting the log drums of amapiano in a more breezy fashion. At the same time, he drops memorable one-liners in between soft chants of "no sir." Promising to enliven a love interest's life, it's a timely reminder of Sark's unparalleled ability with fly talk.
M.anifest & King Promise – "HANG MY BOOTS"
The duo ofM.anifest andKing Promise are both unique creators. With their rap and soul influences, respectively, they've crafted a quintessential love song that seems destined to stand the test of time. Softly delivering the hook, the suave persona of M.anifest finds the perfect gaze to bounce off, utilizing the football term of hanging one's boots to indicate that they're done playing games and now committing to this one woman.
Bongeziwe Mabandla – “Hamba”
Bongeziwe has been relatively quiet this year, but he's never been one to saturate the market, not with each of his songs sounding like a letter from the universe speaking through a human medium. On "Hamba," he returns to the heartbeat-evoking sound of his better records, each second building towards a catharsis that never comes. It demonstrates great emotional scales, reiterating Bongeziwe's place as a savant of soul
Fatoumata Diawara – “Seguen”
Iconic Malian artistFatoumata Diawara does something new on her latest record. She explores synthpop, a genre whose freewheeling sensibilities perfectly sync with her soaring vocals. Oscillating between a narrative core and an inclination for fun, it's a record that quickly leaves an impression on the listener, if not through Fatoumata's splendid runs, then through the drum-led bounce of the production.
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