The 9 Songs You Need to Hear This Week
Featuring Tiwa Savage x Davido, Nasty C, Yemi Alade. Rema and more.
Tiwa Savage Celia artwork.
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 on Spotify here, Apple Music here and YouTube Music here
Check out all of OkayAfrica's playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
Tiwa Savage "Park Well' ft. Davido
Tiwa Savage has finally released her fifth studio album titled Celia and it is an undeniably solid project filled with a number of bangers. The album boasts 12 tracks that fuse both Afropop and R&B. Tiwa Savage is coming for it all this year with epic collaborations with international artists Sam Smith, Stefflon Don and Naira Marley. Our pick of the lot if "Park Well' featuring fellow Nigerian top star Davido.
Nasty C & Ari Lennox 'Black And White'
Zulu Man With Some Power, Nasty C's highly-anticipated third studio album is finally here and available in its entirety for streaming and downloading. Zulu Man With Some Power has already broken records. Apart from Nasty C's undeniable talent and large fanbase, the rapper has the backing of Universal Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Our highlight out of the many is "Black and White" featuring American star Ari Lennox.
Zeshari Jean 'Hewa' (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Rising Kenyan popstar Zeshari Jean, is taking over the airwaves with her newest banger "Hewa." With her powerful vocals and vivacity she definitely has the potential for stardom. Get into "Hewa" above.
AMEME ft. Don Bello Ni 'Patchido'
AMEME is a Beninese DJ/producer who now splits of his time across Brooklyn and Berlin. His productions typically blend West African influences with strains of house, techno and more. For his latest, AMEME teams up with Don Bello to deliver the new single "Patchido," an addictive track tailor-made for the dance floor. "Patchido," which means "fix it" in the Fon language of Benin, is based on the idea of sustainability, reusing and recycling things as a basic foundation of everyday life, his team explains.
Yemi Alade 'True Love'
Yemi Alade's new video for "True Love" is all shades of inventiveness, captivating cinematography, dazzling costumes, energetic choreography and a complementary mix of African cultures, from Lagos streetlife to Ghanaian kente dresses. This music video, directed by Nigerian music video director Paul Gambit, sees Yemi Alade, one of Nigeria's most vibrant performers, direct her stage performance energy into a delightful visual experience.
Thutmose, Rema & R3HAB 'Love in the Morning'
Last year, the buzzing Brooklyn-based, Nigerian rapper Thutmose linked up with Nigerian star Rema for "Love In the Morning." That track, one of the highlights from Thutmose's Don't Wake Me EP, is now getting a full revisit courtesy of producer R3HAB. "Originally, I was asked to remix 'Love In The Morning,' but the workflow on this one was so smooth and pleasant, and additionally Thutmose and Rema were so involved and interested in the process, that we decided to combine our forces to release this dance spin-off as our original release," says R3HAB. "I have never done anything like this before. I love this fusion of Dance Music and Afrobeats."
OKAN 'Mercedes'
Here's an ear-grabbing Afro-Cuban concoction for you from OKAN, a Toronto-based JUNO-nominated group that fuses jazz, folk and Cuban rhythms. Their latest single, "Mercedes," features Cuban rapper Telmary Diaz, pianist Hilario Duran, and trumpet-player Alexis Baro. The track is built on elements of Pilón, a genre that's rarely played in Cuba these days. Listen to it above.
Chu-Chu 'Electra & You'
Nigerian-American artist Chu-Chu rolls through with a noteworthy double single release. He enlists WANI for the head-nodding "Electra" and then connects with Elhi for the more upbeat "You." Check them both out above.
Namenj 'Rayuwata'
Namenjis an Afropop singer-songwriter coming out of South West Nigeria, Ibadan Oyo State. The up-and-coming artist, who is currently enrolled at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), is one of the latest acts to make it into Mr Eazi's #emPawa30 talent incubator. The Dëra-produced single "Rayuwata," is Namenj's first single through the emPawa program. Sang entirely in Hausa, the single is a mid-tempo Afropop concoction pairing light beatwork with Namenj's standout vocal delivery.
Follow our SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS WEEK playlist on Spotify here and Apple Music here.
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