The Best East African Songs Right Now

February, the month of love, is also delivering a wave of exciting new music across East Africa and beyond.

Many of these recent releases demonstrate powerful collaborations across the African continent, like Rwanda's Bruce Melodie's "Beauty on Fire" with Nigeria's Joeboy, or partnerships that bridge continents, such as Tanzania's Rayvanny's global link-up with the U.K.'s Headie One on "Alone."

These standout tracks showcase the chart-topping talent East Africa continues to produce, highlighting how the region's artists are forging exciting new musical connections both locally and globally.

Mereba - "Heart of a Child" (Ethiopia/USA)

"Heart of a Child" is the next single from Mereba's second solo studio album, The Breeze Grew a Fire. The song's video was shot in Ethiopia by renowned videographerMaranata Tegegne, capturing Mereba's journey back to her roots. Reflecting on the album's creation,she explained, "I was trying to find my way back to myself first. What do I like? What do I want to hear? What do I want to say to people now?"

Bruce Melodie - "Beauty on Fire" feat. Joeboy (Rwanda/Nigeria)

Following the release of his highly anticipated debut album, Colorful Generation, Rwandan superstar Bruce Melodie teams up with Nigerian singer-songwriterJoeboy for the captivating new single "Beauty on Fire." The East-West collaboration was solidified during Melodie's recent trip to Lagos to promote the song and the album, an experiencehe described as "a movie."

Eddy Kenzo - “NYANGE” feat. Green Daddy & Grenade Official (Uganda)

It's been a moment since Ugandan legendEddy Kenzolast made headlines, but his new track "NYANGE" with Green Daddy and Grenade Official is already shaping up to be the one that reignites his momentum. AsUganda's first-ever Grammy-nominated musician, we're excited to see what this new era of music will produce.

Jay Melody – "Turudiane" (Tanzania)

Tanzanian artist Jay Melody returns with a new heartbreak anthem, "Turudiane," in which he pleads for the return of his lost love. The release follows his latest album, Take Away The Pain,which dropped earlier this month.

Willy Paul & Bahati - “Keki” (Kenya)

Kenyan artists Willy Paul and Bahati have returned with two back-to-back releases,"Pah" and "Keki," with the latter quickly becoming the fan favorite. The duo have chemistry, and it'd be interesting to see if they can replicate that success with future projects.

Rayvanny x Headie One - "Alone" (Tanzania/UK)

Rayvanny and Headie One join forces on their global collaboration "Alone." Shot in South Africa, the Tanzanian singer-songwriter and the British rap star explore the feeling of isolation, even in a crowded room.

Dyana Cods - “Chude Genje”  feat. Femi One (Kenya)

It has been six months sinceDyana Cods dominated Kenyan radio with her hit "Set It." Now she's back with "Chude Genje," which may become her subsequent chart-topping success. This time, she collaborates withAFRIMMA Award-winning rapper Femi One, adding an extra layer of star power to the track.