Rolling Afropop 2023

Opening up this year's game with Ghana and another nicely shot video. I need to get that hat. I couldn't find it on YT at first until I realized that in my head his artist name was Kwaku the Traveller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtJQX53Syec
Black Sherif - Konongo Zongo

Assuming that South African House and Amapiano will go under one of the other threads

Otherwise the song I've been listening to the most at the beginning of this year is Ruger - Asiwaju.

Thanks!

You're welcome !

Since it's early in the year, maybe it's a good time to post some of the big songs that we missed in last year's thread. This one goes back to a 2017 sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0qiBMe8MRw
Patoranking & Diamond Platnumz - Kolo Kolo

From Kenya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H059rrXKX1s
Vic West - Kuna Kuna

The EP was mentioned by The Breast but no song posted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPBRGWUgQsA
Victony & Tempoe - Soweto

I wrote a post about Victony on the Naija Albums poll thread, the Soweto video was very much included.

mentioned by The Breast

Pure Akan is one of Ghana's best rappers, combining indigenous storytelling traditions with old-school US rap influences. his two albums, Onipa Akoma (2017) and Nyame Mma (2021), are classics.

he just dropped a new song with Efya, called "Yete Apor". I think I love it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoIHJnrNgY

(btw, initially he called himself just 'Akan', but from 2020 onwards he rebranded as 'Pure Akan', I'm guessing to avoid confusion with singer Akon. it's a road Buju could have taken as well, 'Basic Buju' would have been just perfect)

another one from Ghana

"2Am", Fameye's new single is just too lovely. it's produced by LiquidBeatz, with whom he also did last year's excellent Songs of Peter album, which I now regret even more not nominating for the EOY. theirs is one of those special artist/producer partnerships (much like Asake + Magicsticks and Ruger + Kukbeats in Naija):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy8ZsrcF9ws

wau

https://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/private_images/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best/ANM23---POSTER-TEXTURE_1_thcznw/burna-boy-and-wizkid-to-headline-afro-nation-miami-2023.jpg

Favourite so far is the Vic West - Kuna track. Real earworm there

Not sure if this has been featured before but it came on after Kuna Kuna and it's really good:

BREEDER LW X MEJJA - "GIN AMA WHISKEY"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bul2_AwOqHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j7Fa2PCMow
Kizz Daniel & Empire - Cough

That's an interesting one

le Sénégal vous souhaite une très bonne année !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm5bJos1H7w
Attack ft. Bass Thioung • Wichakh

I'm feeling that one

not sure if I had encountered amapiano touches in Senegalese pop before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_koRwPVvNfs
Mia Guisse • La Vie est Belle

That's really nice!

Went on a little Coupé Decalé rabbithole the other day and found some nice stuff.

This is Shado Chris - CPLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=412Z_SZCreU

just calmly posting Senegalese bops as I normally do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT1yrrDb83c
Akhlou Brick • Man lagn bouga

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewZRajbJDzo
Akhlou Brick ft. King Kheuch & El Menemo • Deff Effect

no video as of yet for this one unfortunately, but it's another rhythm killer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkRG31milRc
Dip Doundou Guiss ft. Hussain Dada • #BBDD (Bo Bëggé Degg Dëg)

I made an hour-long mix of some of my favourite Afrobeats/Afropop tracks from the last couple of years, including a lot of faves picked up from these threads. Hope you enjoy it Ilxors :-)

Charlie Stoic - E Choke!: Afrobeats and beyond

Khuli Chana - Buyile
Burna Boy - Last Last
Tetu Shani - Spend My Money
Breeder LW ft. Mejja - Gin Ama Whiskey
Omah Lay - I'm A Mess
Alex Muhangi - Something Good
Ruger - Girlfriend
Rosa Ree - Mulla
NSG ft. MHD - In Da Car
Vic West ft. Fathermoh, Savara, Brandy Maina, Thee Exit Band - Kuna Kuna
Dunnie - Overdose
Muzi - Need Dat
Pongo - Doudou
Prettyboy D-O - Police n Teef
Tulenkey ft. Ice Prince & Falz - Proud Fvck Boys (Remix)
Laycon - All Over Me
Sarkodie ft. Prince Bright - Oofeetsɔ
Obongjayar - Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me For A Fool)
Fave - Scatta Scatta
Skiibii - Daz How Star Do
Dai Verse x Buju - Sweet Daddy
Rema - Bounce
Lasmid - Friday Night
Midas The Jagaban - Party With A Jagaban

https://soundcloud.com/charliestoicdj/echoke

Years later “Jerusalema “ has reached the Black southern soul and r’n’b American audience:

Friday night driving in my car in Washington DC area the DJ doing a late night special mix on the commercial station that plays r’n’b and some rap ( old school not trap) played a version of “Jerusalema “ and then Beenie Man “Rum and Red Bull.” Then the next night I was at a club seeing a southern soul band ( current southern soul with keyboard and congas and not just retro) Hardway Connection. After their 2nd set , the DJ played “Jerusalema “, and lots of the crowd ( many Black women) started to line dance to it.

Plz visit my new thread … not afropop more afrobeats

Thraed of Nigerian Cruise / Freebeat

Tyla has signed to Epic Records and released a single produced by Tricky Stewart ("Been Thinking"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7jSoCzxC0I

le Sénégal vous souhaite une très bonne année !

📹
Attack ft. Bass Thioung • Wichakh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeIT8OHwtd0
Asake • Yoga

Do you know what else than the ILM year-end poll is ongoing ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frBT2Jx2cvA
2Point1 - Stimela

Minimalistic Kwaito, anthemic House vibe, and Amapiano, it has it all. The cowbell is killing me (positively).

xp
that's really nice! maybe a bit too idk stately or something, but it works as a deserved victory lap

Stimela is a good time

You're right I think with victory lap. Shameless retro and good vibes too, but rather refreshing with its country vibe (they're from Free State).

Oh I meant Asake wrt victory lap. I don't know anything about 2Point1

lovely Ruger trifle with DJ Neptune - this is “Bienvenue”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN1W3Y_Qv4

“Stimela” is a big banging Decemberrrr favourite, I approve

"yoga" is great, nice to hear him slow it down a little bit

Shock in South African news as rapper AKA was shot dead outside a restaurant in Durban yesterday night. He was 35.
He dies a year after my friend who introduced me to him with one of his favorite songs, Fela in Versace. They now share very similar dates of birth and death. Destiny really botches things up. Shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1CRoYZeD0Q
AKA - Fela in Versace

Beauty Dlulane, who heads a parliamentary committee on arts and culture, condemned AKA's murder, describing it as a "hit". She called on authorities "to protect South Africans from this new scourge of what seems to be contract and revenge killings where performing artists and DJs seem to be targeted".

this is chilling, especially coming less than three months after the assassination of DJ Sumbody, also when he was on his way to a celebration

In more uplifting news, veteran soca star Machel Montano is doing a Friday February 17 carnival show in Trinidad with Wizkid, Rema, Ayra Starr, and a bunch of soca acts and others

Doglatin: Great mix! Loved most of these songs already and several I’m listening for the first time.

Anyone longing for the old days of afrobeats can hear Ayra Starr's take on it. Which has Awilo Longomba haunting in the background. It's good. But yeah, give us an album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLucolSS-Wo
Ayra Starr - Sability

Thanks so much Moka! Yeah a lot of the selections are fairly obvious but I just wanted to stick to my tried and true faves from the last couple of years or so. Glad you enjoyed it!

I'd love to hear Rema on the remix of Sability.

Sability is cool. I feel like I don't have much of a sense of Ayra Starr as an artist yet though (poss my problem not hers).

I like this barely-there Zinoleesky track "YanYanYan" that runs on charisma fumes (I had no idea what he looked like until this video...I'm straight but wau) and threatens to turn into a v good ama song in the final seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMChLgtZ1J8

rob is in love!!! that’s so cute!
I agree that Zino definitely has a way about him

lol, I don't want to get weird here, but that is one striking looking human feline hybrid being

No homo please, this is not the Beatles thread damnit !
JK, it's not weird rob, I have the hots for Omah Lay myself.

Coming back to AKA because there's a scandalous backstory.
First, I normally never watch something that graphic, but I was shown the video. It must be from the surveillance camera of the restaurant from which AKA is seen leaving with his friends. It's very clear how it happens. A guy on the pavement signals to the killer that the group is coming. The killer takes his relaxed time to cross the road (busy traffic), circles around to avoid suspicion. AKA and his friends are still hugging and saying goodbye when he dashes and shoot AKA at close range, before re-crossing the road and disappearing into the night in a matter of seconds. We looked at each other with my partner and agreed this guy must have killed a lot of people.
Now, if the killing is dramatic in itself, what about the backstory ? Suspicion immediately fell on the family of the ex-girlfriend, young model Anele Tembe who it's rumoured AKA pushed off the balcony of a hotel room two years ago. In a letter that has resurfaced from June last year, the family and their lawyers are pressing the national public prosecutor to press charges against AKA. They were denied, and the official story is that she committed suicide. The family makes its position very clear that they are convinced it was murder, and it's known that South Africa justice system is corrupt. AKA leaves a young daughter behind, not from the model, but from DJ Zinhle.

xp

similarly it's not a secret I'm hopelessly devoted to Oxlade's striking sounding vocal instrument:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz8sJBDSzvM
Michael Brun ft. Oxlade • Clueless

JayO - 22 ... from the UK but feels as of a piece w/ afrobeats influenced R&B as anything else... his last single was also remixed by victony. this had been going on viral on tiktok for at least a month before coming out yesterday so it may end up being a hit, we'll see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwyKHN-znrA

went back to the tyla song... pretty forgettable sadly. for some reason they're having trouble cracking the code w/ her? feels like they're trying to push her into a more westernized idea of dance/R&B but it ends up just feeling generic in a tinashe sorta way. i'm still holding out hope nonetheless

This girl always bangs so hard. Limpopo strikes again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3lDyGoqVU
Sho Madjozi - Chale

Chale owns me.

Chale sounds massive. Video doesn’t quite fit the vine of the song though.

Rick Ross amapiano jams is all I ever wanted

someone posted this clip in the comments to a Naira Marley tweet - intriguing, to say the least:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjF-u6Ht870

the actual recording of it, perhaps surprisingly, slams pretty hard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKaESxBnYaI
Yomisings ft. Topskidometer • Bestie isonu

Wow, I think Chale is my first great song of 2023. The bouncy synth-lines make it sound like a mix of amapiano and ratchet, and that's basically the best thing in the world right now.

LOVING Chale and the Yomisings song

I'm not quite sure where this falls in terms of genre, but gosh I love these sweeter-than-life South African ballads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID57psUzWO0
Lizwi Wokuqala - Umbuzo

Not exactly Afropop 23 but am enjoying Instagram Live of Washington DC go-go band doing Wizkid & Tems's "Essence"

I miss Davido, been playing a lot of his stuff recently. he hinted at a March comeback back in December, but we’ll see how it goes. I just hope he’s alright.

Libianca - People ft. Ayra Starr and Omah Lay

Well of course a song with that refrain is going to have Omah Lay on the remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sivims7tSH4

Another shocker in South Africa as this time it's 28 year old Costa Titch (rapper, Amapiano) who has died on stage in Johannesburg after a seizure. They couldn't revive him. I don't think there are details as to cause of death yet.

No... For crap's sake. RIP Costa Titch - a true talent

new davido album next friday ... i think i'm one of the few here who liked both of his last albums

There is a time for everything. A time to Grieve and a time to Heal.
A time to Laugh and a time to Dance. A time to Speak & A time for Silence.

Thank you to everyone out there for your love and that has held me down.

My next album TIMELESS is here, March 31st. Preorder in bio💚 pic.twitter.com/XLXNAJl4XL

— Davido (@davido) March 21, 2023

very happy for this! I like both albums too.

as I noted a few posts upthread I found myself really missing his presence within Naijapop

Burna Boy + J Balvin - rOllercoaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyVVGW-5ITw

as can be gleaned from that video, the Davido package will, to the surprise of no one, include at least one Magicsticks-produced banger

meanwhile, this a remix for the US market I can get behind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agjgfxKIIgM
Victony ft. Don Toliver & Rema (& Tempoe) • Soweto (Remix)

log drum (lock drum?) bonanza:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMHxgrvdPMQ
Nonso Amadi ft. Zinoleesky • Lock Up
(co-produced by P.Priime)

If you, like me, enjoy sensory overloaded Coupé Decalé then this one is for you

Dydy Yeman - Koko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2jjSf2T2kc

My haphazard explorations of Maskandi and Afro Soul and Amapiano and thereabouts have taken me into various other corners I didn't know about, and my latest fascination is with Tsa Manyalo, which is Limpopo wedding/party music. There's not quite enough of just that on Spotify to reach our genre thresholds, so I widened the scope out a little to "Sepedi Pop", but the extra variety does the experience no harm!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3BW3cqDHqYSqC0B1a8xQcV?si=1bf0468876524f9b

ooh nice

ooh "koko" is real fun

It's mad as a box of frogs and I love it

Enjoying glenn's playlist too

I have nothing much else to contribute to this thread ATM other than I'm convinced coupe decale is quite the thing

I love this lowkey, as the man puts it, bordering on melancholy but also def horny track from Olamide & Ckay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcjOlcWaaU8

Trumpet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fhtbd5NxW0
Buju, Kiss Daniel & Seyi Vibez - Gwagwalada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8ULpYAX8M
Falz & Vector - Yakubu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjCg3jFLBuw
Gyakie & JBEE - Scar

And special for rob:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdo1E-qsCoQ
Zinoleesky - Many Things

Nothing that really lifts me off my feet here I must say

I don't know how my esteemed colleagues feel about them, but there's a bunch of new naijapiano songs (Asake's 2:30, Joeboy's Body & Soul, Young Jonn's Aquafina) that sound rather messy.

And special for rob

lol, but I agree it's not that remarkable -- I guess the thrill is gone

fyi the current Zinoleesky banger is party No Dey Stop with Adekunle Gold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnXq06m9P4g

Jonz with last year #1 boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsEjqV7kZdM
Ruger - Jonzing Boy

He also has a more upbeat (though maybe less personal) single out called Bun Bun with Jugglerz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n22O3NR1yRI
Ruger & Jugglerz - Bun Bun

and I guess Shu-Peru is the song of the moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1NPXKoTGy0
Kizz Daniel - Shu-Peru

I've heard worse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_-v1fNdSHs
Asake & Olamide - Amapiano

The new Burna is... lazy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxnu4MmAF68
Burna Boy - Sittin On Top of the World

For @pitchfork I wrote about @asakemusik’s new album Work of Art, which is phenomenal. Asake’s one of the best artists right now, just the most unimpeachable in the Afropiano / Street Pop zone rn. He had the best Nigerian pop album of 2022 and now 2023!!https://t.co/QSQ3CdmBGe

— Joshua Minsoo Kim (@misterminsoo) June 16, 2023

Since Chale was posted her, why not Mnike? Oozes coolness, and the chorus seeps through directly to hook onto your brain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_hgm2Mf6Ag
Tyler ICU & Tumelo.za feat. DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee - Mnike

Full version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxwydXdudWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyaVNggovdM
Iyanya & Buju - Sinner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmytMK1ZjcY
Omah Lay - Reason

That's a very good one and Tom London's career introduction after being Soweto's Finest lead choregrapher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oVLcko1cE
Tom London feat. Optimist Musicza and Soweto's Finest - Tom London

Fast review: Dreamlike song. Floating, dense, smooth. The fast delivery and overdubbing on the chorus is serpentine, the keys are like soulful high notes in a prog song, and the whole production slays.

very unengaged this year sadly, but wow "reason" is fantastic, I'll have to check out the whole deluxe edition

"Sinner" is nice too. I just really love BNXN's voice; I revisited Gwagwalada and loved it

Agreed, also he knows how to make music fun

Mid-year is when I start engaging usually. Doing it any earlier feels like you're alone to push the cart, but around June it's like abundance and let me do harvest season on this music.

yeah I was very invested in being an early adopter / hit-spotter for my pet genres for a while, but this year I think that's finally left me

Watched just now this Tyla performance on DSCVR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r3XnJAXmI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88a7rr8KXcE

Hadn’t realized how attractive she is. She has the mannerisms of a popstar down to a T, a great voice and an excellent set of singles so far.

Hope she makes it big.

I had to google the lyrics of Fireboy DML's latest single YAWA because I had a doubt

There is no word for how weird the coloured accent is (Tyla).

I only found out today that A-Star is born and bred in London

Anyway his recent album King of Afrodance is good fun

Billboard's "best albums of 2023 so far" includes Davido and Spinall.

Enjoying Tom London upthread

2023 has been less insanely good for afropop than 2022 was, but isn't it always like that? You can't have Rema, Burna Boy, Wizkid and Asake all do albums every year - and the two we've got were a bit less good than last year. Highpoints for me were seeing Rema and Burna Boy live at Roskilde, my first afropop shows. They both brought down the house.

I loved In The Garden from the Davido album, which isn't the hit. But it's so good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFStBh7AMZQ

And I think Adekunle Gold made his best album yet with Tequila Ever After? Opener Chasing Peace of Mind is incredible, combining the naija sound with amapiano rhythm as so many others do, but then getting Habib Koité from Mali to put some desert guitar on top of it, and taking the afrofusion to the next level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDqaVLUvrvs

Lojay is on the new French & Swae - Wish U Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyuCgK3_W-E

Ayra Starr coming to DC in September

Loved that track from Adekunle

Yay! Ruger has a new album out called R U The World

MTV video awards nominees :

Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr – “Rush” – Mavin Global Holdings
Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty” – Atlantic Records / Spaceship Entertainment Ltd.
Davido feat. Musa Keys – “UNAVAILABLE” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
Fireboy DML & Asake – ”Bandana” – Empire Distribution
Libianca – “People” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– “2 Sugar” – Starboy / RCA Records

MTV winner was Rema and Selena Gomez

The stuff from this summer is very good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvO36ngj2P4
Oxlade feat. Dave - Intoxycated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ1UyrBljgw
Reekado Banks & Adekunle Gold & Maleek Berry - Feel Different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7CHVcjwpAg
Fireboy DML - Yawa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBNKFH7Xj70
Qing Madi & BXNX - Ole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2td9-16fsc
Victony - My Darling

Realizing we haven't posted Stamina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pz7y8Sl0co
Tiwa Savage, Ayra Starr and Young Jonn - Stamina (produced by Magicsticks)

Still Focalistic biggest fan on ILX, such baffling fun music, so creative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g73VxMU8Rp8
Focalistic feat. Ch'cco, Mawhoo, Eeque, Thama Tee - Wena my Dali

Ditto Chley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2byDgJ8AyA
Diamond Platnumz feat Chley - Shu!

There are loads of piano-adjacent music from Tanzania, also newcomers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhWQ2SXTO-Y
Abigail Chams x Marioo - Nani?

wish i'd heard tyla's "water" before last week. sounds really really nice during these final days of warm weather in ny

"girl next door" w/ ayra starr from earlier this year is awesome too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7C6FhmE37M

(i would also pay real money for a crazy cousinz remix of this song)

Mnike is the song of the year.

GoodNation Feat Lojay & Joé Dwèt Filé - Routine Lover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2UZvdg_uH4
^Digging this. Especially the bassline.

Victony is really the revelation of the year for me, though I guess the potential was clear from his first EP. After the tasty production of Juls on My Darling, his latest is produced by Kzito. Adding Babylon because it's also on the playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdWlB1A4Ye8
Victony feat. Babyboy AV - Jaga Jaga

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cPaiU31AtA
Patoranking feat. Victony - Babylon

Jaga Jaga is gorgeous. These subtle percussions are the future.

Water has a video btw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoiOOiuH8iI
Tyla - Water

I think Asake is only afropop artist on Pitchfork’s best of albums list 2023 so far

Amaarae? I don't know what I would add to those two. I can't stop listening to the Burna Boy album, but it's not his best, and who else has really delivered a consistent album?

Those Victony tracks are fire

Rema guested with Ice Spice on Saturday Night Live on her second song

one of my friends is obsessed with "water" so i pointed him to some of her other songs ("getting late" esp.) to make sure he knows she's, you know, developing a catalog and isn't just amounting to one hit song. he seems legit excited abt her. international star tyla incoming!

From every video and performance I’ve seen of her, Tyla definitely has that IT factor to make it big with the right push.

I did a "which afropop song will break through next" poll with my students a while back and they all agreed water was irritatingly catchy to the point of being boring. They did vote for it though.

It’s number one now on Billboard US afrobeats chart

Water doesn't do half as much for me as some of her prior stuff. Not sure I'd describe it as "irritatingly catchy", I'm not hearing much hook here

It's kind of all hook to me. Just a bit low on fun.

This song from November 2022 just popped up in the YT channel and that definitely should be posted and maybe also on the r&b thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I9ufTCxQ20
Adanna Duru - Pop!

Listening to Lady Donli “Pan African Rockstar “ album. Some of it sounds good

Loving this jazzy SA sensation:

Oscar Mbo & - KG Smallz - Yes God (feat. Dearson) (Mörda, Thakzin, Mhaw Keys Remix):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bFIkEDffuk

Grammys nominees for Feb 2024 awards

Best African Music Performance

Amapiano
ASAKE & Olamide

City Boys
Burna Boy

UNAVAILABLE
Davido Featuring Musa Keys

Rush
Ayra Starr

Water
Tyla

Good choices.

critic and substacker Brad Luen nitpicking Asake--

Asake: Work of Art
Popularizing amapiano with Afrobeat(s) characteristics, he’s become the hottest hitmaker on the Nigerian charts. At album length, it becomes more apparent that the songwriting per se barely exists (poor Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork’s best critic this year, was reduced to making claims about Asake’s “intimate storytelling” to justify an 8.0; should’ve reserved that for NewJeans), though his pidgin can sound Biblical to speakers of other dialects: “heavily, we are getting lit”. But he’s a skilled vocalist, handling varied rhythms and code-switching at will, and he has no shortage of newish-to-pop sonics. Standout “2:30” is the start of a run that tunes the donk into funk almost as avant as DJ Black Low’s, a trick hard to overuse, like the all-too-brief snippets of store-brand highlife and unlike the massed chorales. The closing “Yoga” samples Mauritian(-Australian) singer-percussionist Jason Heerah and suggests a way forward for Asake that involves more engagement with African traditions. Honestly, though, there’s still much room, if little incentive, for him to improve on what he does now. Grade: B (“2:30”, “Yoga”, “Great Guy”)

i don’t care what this guy thinks

wtfffffff

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HuZH0P1mL/

i'm gutted. one of the best shows i've seen in years.

Thakzin 3-step music bridges afro-tech house and amapiano

https://x.com/misterminsoo/status/1728997781254336783?s=46&t=u2ZSlsY3trRV36IPP6jNDQ

https://www.snl24.com/drum/celebs/news/have-you-heard-of-a-new-genre-called-three-step-this-dj-tells-us-where-this-sound-comes-from-20230921

Felo Le Tee/Mellow & Sleazy: The III Wise Men (New Money Gang)
South African amapiano trio, affiliated somehow with DJ Maphorisa (Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe), although the producer names that appear here areTshelofelo Mokhine, Phemelo Sefanyetse, and Olebogeng Kwanaite (plus Mlotlasi Phoshoko on one track). Beats are inscrutable enough they take quite a while to settle in, and will be hard to distinguish from future efforts. But pretty good for now. *- Writer Tom Hull from his year end list

Jon Pareles , one of The NY Times music critics, has Nkosazana Daughter “Uthingo Le Nkosazana” album in his additional top 20 albums of 2023 he also likes

Jon Caramanica of NY Times has Asake “Work of Art” as his number 1 album

take that brad luen!

ah fuck does this mean that asake is not going to take brad luen's advice to engage more deeply w/ african traditions......

Lol!

Omah Lay’s Holy Ghost is positively gorgeous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBjHEkLlrEY

And ODUMODUBLVCK’s Blood On The Dancefloor is something too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr5YwkazQbw

what albums/tracks have been favourites this year, i've done a terrible job at keeping on top of this thread

Tyla (amapiano crossover)

made a thread for tyla since the album's on its way

Apart from the usual suspects (Co-star, Pretty Girl, the Asake and Burna Boy albums etc) I still listen to Adekunle Gold - Chasing Peace of Mind and Davido - In The Garden. I don't get why Unavailable became the big hit, I love that other song to bits.

At this stage, a lot of the less poppy, more instrumental, and dare i say it 'donk-flavoured', amapiano reminds me of the experimentalism of vintage dub

Vibekulture Sa & Mcdeez Fboy - Duck Vibes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CySpcmCx6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ7zd5A6lQI
Oxlade - Katigori

From the year I'd say:
- Anything Victony is on
- Ditto Buju / BXNX
- Crayon & Ayra Starr - Ngozi
- Byron Messia - Talibans
- Fireboy DML - Yawa
- Omah Lay - Reason
- Reekado Banks - Feel Different
- Leigh-Anne - My Love
- Adanna Duru - Pop!
- 2Point1 - Stimela
- Abigail Chams & Marioo - Nani?
- Sho Madjozi - Chale

That's a start.

I'm enjoying seeing this girl grow, she's a raw talent, gives off Gyakie/Tems vibes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqdyB5k1sJI
Qing Madi - Vision

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj9mwag091U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJXW0uwHrU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-PkIzv-Qt8

i really need to keep up with senegalese music properly because it has the best drums in the world

me too, i always have the same reaction! thank you for posting these.

Couple other things that caught my ear from Senegalese charts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haBMfY0z5M8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKboYK87ROg

ooh "ni la deh" is lovely

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9e3AogOOz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5RChlIETwA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_YRqIGzztA

i really love "surprise"

Tangal might be the first one I'm really connecting to. But yeah striking how their style is at the crossroads of so many things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hALNVDRN4_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmioOXClM2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg81-Iv_guU

ok that's exhausted my youtube digging of the last few days

Really feeling the 3-Step stuff today

Wow, that list of Senegalese music kinda just got better and better. Might vote for Tégguil sa Tank when EOY listmaking begins.

If dog latin or anyone else wants to do a posting spree of 3-step videos it would be must appreciated. What little I've heard, I've liked.

Also, new Teni album out last month, for the people who enjoyed Wondaland! It's not as good, unfortunately :(

Narah Diouf I see was mentioned last year for a track , and I like that 2023 track “Teguil sa Tank” with Bilou XIV also.

https://sondela-recordings.bandcamp.com/album/rising-strong

I have no idea what to call this, it's afrohouse and Thakzin is involved.

Honestly, there's a lot more going on here, kind of big room-ish electrohouse? But it doesn't suck?

Also it's weird to see the old UK Funky people involved in this, Dubplate Malice releases afrohouse on his label and Perempay and Davinche just released something on Sondela a couple months ago.

Asake and Amaare made Fader best 2023 albums list

last month's cruel santino ep is wonderful, especially "ftr" which combines mbalax drums (finally that sound is moving beyond senegal/gambia!) with rage synths which is an incredible combo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGhEzL3e72o

Oooh, new Cruel Santino music! Thanks :)

Flavour's Big Baller is a banger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf40zo26TIE

Tyla “water” was 17th on the Uproxx music critic poll for songs.

Amaarae 14th on Uproxx critics poll for albums

I just wanted to do a final post to acknowledge the death of Zahara on 11 December 2023. She died from liver failure age 36 after years of battle with alcoholism. She was a Xhosa girl from a village outside of East London who made it big. Life and music labels didn't treat her too well, but her voice shined powerfully. Maybe those stories make me emotional, but I have to repress tears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1CMWnxfFys
Zahara - Ndiza

And one more for the road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEV_4xBrMJU
DJ SBu feat. Zahara - Lengoma

Someone should start an Afropop 2024 thread please.

Done

Rolling afropop 2024