The 9 Best East African Songs of the Month

Kick off the second half of the year with these picks from East Africa's finest.

Read ahead for our selections.

Victoria Kimani "Should Be"

This month Victoria Kimani dropped "Should Be," the second single from her latest project Afropolitan. The Kenyan afro-pop singer shows off her vibrant fashion sense in the music video as she sings about men who fail to meet her standards for love.

Diamond Platnumz ft. Rayvanny "Iyena"

Amidst all the rumors surrounding Diamond Platnumz marriage to Zari Hassan, fans were shocked to see the Tanzanian heavyweight releasing the music video for "Iyena" which featured his former wife. Nonetheless, Diamond and Rayvanny still manage to capture our hearts with the romantic bongo-flava track.

Khaligraph Jones Testimony 1990

Kenya's most skilled rap-star Khaligraph Jones finally released his debut album, Testimony 1990, this month. The 17-track album is a top-quality listen with features from other popular African artists like Mr. Eazi, Ycee and K.O.

Vanessa Mdee "Unfollow"

Vanessa Mdee begs her man to unfollow a particular girl on Instagram over a contagious S2kizzy-produced beat.

Meddy ft. The Ben "Lose Control"

Meddy is one of Rwanda's biggest artists and this month he returned to the scene with "Lose Control," an afro-pop track that's already dominating the airwaves in his home country.

Octopizzo "Young Puffy"

Kenyan rapper Octopizzo has definitely come a long way. After posting a lengthy Instagram message and a throwback photo of his early rap days, the rapper released the visuals for "Young Puffy," a trap-influenced track celebrating his rise to fame and success. Well in!

Mbosso "Nadekenzwa"

Wasafi artist Mbosso serves a taarab-influenced Swahili love ballad with "Nadekezwa,"

Cherrie "Känns Som 05"

Even if you don't understand Swedish, it won't be hard for you to enjoy Cherrie's smooth R&B music. The talented singer of Somali descent just released her brand new album, Araweelo, and with songs like "Kanns Som 05" on it, we know it's definitely worth the listen!

Lava Lava "Gundu"

Produced by WCB Wasafi's in-house master producer, Lizer Classic, "Gundu" by Lava Lava is a luscious blend of bongo flava and dansi and it's very easy on the ears.