Mthunzi Shines in Apple Music's 'New Artist Spotlight'

Apple Music's "New Artist Spotlight" for this month is South African artist Mthunzi.

The honor comes just after he released his debut album "Selimathunzi" which was written exclusively in his mother tongue, isiZulu. The 16-track project includes other South African talent including Sun-El Musician, S-Tone, Ami Faku, Simmy, Sino Msolo, Claudio and Kenza.

Listen to "Selimathunzi" on Apple Music and Spotify.

In "Selimathunzi", which translates to "sunset", Mthunzi mixes maskandi, house, Afro-pop and R&B to create an exquisite body of work. From serenading rhythms in "Ngibambe La", "Zigi Zigi", "Elentulo" and "Uhlale Ekhona" to the uptempo beats of "Selimathunzi" and "Kwaphela U Ink", Mthunzi leaves very little room for any negative critique—a rarity with any debut album.

Additionally, the fact that all 16 tracks are written and sung in isiZulu only adds to the truly authentic feel of the album.

Commenting on the recent honor, the artist says that, "This is one of the best things and highlights in any musicians career, I am grateful to Apple Music for their continuous support to artists and it is a great honor."

Mthunzi is a part of Sun-El Musician's record label, El World Music.

Describing how he came to join the label, he says, "I had my first deal with a company called Mapsit, but nothing important materialized until I posted a video on social media tagging [Sun-El Musician], singing cover music from his label." He adds that, "Which is when I got a call from him and he invited me to his studio. We worked on a few songs where I recorded my first single, "Vuka" and a follow up "Insimbi".