The 14 Songs You Need to Hear This Week
Featuring Jidenna, 25K, Dyo, Mr Eazi, Kwesi Arthur, Goldlink and more.
Every week, we highlight the cream of the crop in music through our Best Music of the Week column.
Here's our round up of the best tracks and music videos that came across our desks, which you can also check out in our Songs You Need to Hear This Week playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
Follow our SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS WEEK playlist onSpotify hereand Apple Music here.
Check out all of OkayAfrica's new playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
Jidenna '85 to Africa'
Jidenna shares his latest studio album 85 to Africa. In the lead-up to the album's release, the artist dropped the singles "Tribe," "Sufi Woman" "Sou Sou," and "Zodi" featuring fellow Nigerian artist Mr Eazi.The 11-track album also boasts features from Seun Kuti, who appears on the opening track "Worth the Weight." American rapper Goldlink on the hip hop-leaning "Babouche," as well as St. Beauty and Mereba, who both appear on the album's final track "The Other Half."
25K 'Culture Vulture' Remix feat. AKA & Emtee
Earlier this year, 25K's single "Culture Vulture" went viral. Everyone was talking about the song, commending the rapper and producer for managing to incorporate his identity to trap. The remix, which came out today, features not only AKA, but Emtee, who spits the strongest verse on the song. "I'm tryna make a living, nigga, why hate?/ You want beef 'cause you know you got a dry plate," he opens his verse and carries on to flex for the duration of his slot.
GoldLink 'U Say' ft. Tyler, The Creator, Jay Prince (Produced by Juls & Directed by Santi)
The highly-anticipated music video for Goldlink's 'U Say,' featuring Tyler the Creator and Jay Prince, and directed by Santi is here. The video sees Tyler, Goldlink and Jay Prince at a hazy party, having a decent time until things take a creepy, supernatural turn. It also features a cameo from Juls, who produced the track.
Dyo 'Go All The Way' ft. Mr Eazi
Mr Eazi teams up with budding Nigerian artist Dyo, for her latest single "Go All the Way." The duo share a memorable music video, inspired by the work of vintage African studio photographers like Malick Sidibé, James Barnor, Seydou Keïta, and Samuel Fosso. The music video features cameos from several young African creatives including Congolese artist Miles from Kinshasa, who are all photographed in stylish clothes before staged backdrops.
Kwesi Arthur 'See No Evil'
Kwesi Arthurcomes through with the new music video for his no bad vibes single "See No Evil," one of the highlights from Live from Nkrumah Krom Vol. II: Home Run. The new video, directed by Lex MacCarthy, was filmed entirely in Tema, Ghana, the city where Kwesi Arthur grew up as well as the home to Ground Up Chale, a music platform that harbors young talent across Ghana and gives them access to studio time and support.
Kabza De Small 'Pretty Girls Love Amapiano'
Kabza De Small has been hinting a new project for the last few weeks. He finally delivered on his promise. The title of his new 15-track project is an obvious reference to 2 Chainz' 2017 album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. Amapiano is the incumbent subgenre of house in South Africa, and pretty girls aren't the only kinds of people who love it, we all do. Pretty Girls Love Amapiano, as one would expect, is packed with bass-heavy and key-laden songs that will pack dancefloors from shebeens to clubs—as is the case with amapiano.
Ebo Taylor 'Make You No Mind'
Back in 1980, during a tour in Nigeria, Ghanaian highlife pioneer Ebo Taylor recorded a one-album session to be released by Tabansi Records. But for unknown reasons that no one, including Ebo, seems to recall, the label never did anything with the master tapes from those sessions. The 5-track release, which features all new material and original Ebo Taylor compositions, is a lost gem and time warp back to the 1980s that captures Ghanaian artist with his standout backing musicians.
Olamide 'Pawon'
Olamide has been one of this year's most consistent artists, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down. Today, the Nigerian rapper shares his latest song "Pawon," his fourth single of the year. The track sees the artist hyping up a love interest, and encouraging all the "sexy" ladies to continue to "kill them" with their style. The track, produced by Craker Mallo is a definite party starter. With its pulsating beat and catchy chorus, we can already see folks running to the dance floor to hit the zanku when this comes on.
Solo x Kwesta 'Promises'
Solo and Kwesta share a bouncy kwaito beat on "Promises." Kwesta's at home over an instrumental of this kind. It's, however, a shift on Solo's side, who hasn't been known for new age kwaito. The rapper adapts his delivery accordingly, using fewer words than you'd normally expect in his verse. "Promises" is the second single to Solo's upcoming album C.Plenty.Dreams.
Manu WorldStar 'Young African Story' EP
Manu WorldStar has found his voice. Around the same time last year, the Congolese-born South African singer and rapper released the song "Nalingi," which grew to be a smash hit over the summer. With the release of his new EP, Young African Story, the artist proves "Nalingi" wasn't beginner's luck. Young African Story sticks to the same aesthetic of triumphant feel-good Afro pop with sprinkles of Afrobeats and hip-hop.
Mr Eazi & Simi - Doyin (Official Video)
For his latest single, "Doyin," Mr Eazi connects with Nigerian singer Simi for a head-nodding Afro-RnB track. The new song, which is built on woozy synthesizers and mid-tempo beat work, was produced by Killertunes. Eazi and Simi trade verses in the addictive single, which comes paired with a new music video directed by Manuel Concha.
Tshepang Ramoba 'Sešate' EP
South African artist Tshepang Ramoba returns with this immersive new 4-song EP, Sešate. For the new EP, the BLK JKS member reimagines African folk stories over hazy rock instrumentals. Throughout these songs, he reintroduces those folk stories, told his in native language SEŠATE (Sepedi). It's well worth a close listen.
Bils 'Softly'
Nigeria's Bils comes through with the video for "Sotfly," a highlight from his new EP MANS ON THE MOVE. This self-produced song is a blend of afro-fusion and 808s. The new video was shot Softly was shot somewhere on the outskirts of Los Angeles, CA.
Rick Jade 'D.N.A (Da New Africa)'
Bontle Modiselle and Priddy Ugly, collectively known as Rick Jade, aren't half-stepping. Today, the couple released their debut album D.N.A (Da New Africa). D.N.A consists of 10 songs that dabble in pop, trap and even kwaito. Guest features on D.N.A includeForcalistic, KLY and some members of the collective Frsh Citizen, which Bontle and Priddy are part of.