A fresh wave of African music has arrived, with new singles from Kelela, Victony, Zakes Bantwini, Ezra Collective, and several other artists spanning Afrobeats, amapiano, R&B, and beyond.
Victony and Zakes Bantwini
Victony returns with “Slick,” a track that incorporates a melody from Michael Jackson. The song runs under two minutes and finds the artist in a romantic pursuit, with outcomes that mirror his open-hearted approach.
Zakes Bantwini, known for expansive production and soaring vocals, has released “The Crossing.” The single features Msaki and Jesse Clegg and reimagines a classic by Johnny Clegg as an Afro-house track. Bantwini and Skye Wanda also released a joint EP earlier this year.
Kelela and Ezra Collective
Kelela and PinkPantheress have collaborated on “the bridge,” an R&B track inspired by Burial. The Ethiopian-American artist has previously discussed the influence of Black British culture on her work.
Ezra Collective’s “Well Organised” features Jamaican vocalist Lila Iké. The song blends reggae and afrobeat, with Iké singing, “this is healing, I love the way this music got me feeling.”
Additional Highlights
South African-German artist WizTheMc offers “Falling Stars,” a track driven by a muted bassline and reggaeton-inspired groove. Palestinian artist Saint Levant and Haifa Wehbe draw on mid-00s pop and hip-hop drum patterns and Latin guitar on “Mitsubishi.”
Greek producer MetaBoy and Nigerian vocalist Seyi Vibez connect on “Peppa,” built around a manipulated vocal sample. South African artpunk group Honeymoan deliver a melancholy cut where lead singer Alison Rachel asks, “How do you expect I to respond to your text when you ask about dinner or similar things?”
Afrobeats artist Tekno closes the selection with “Adaeze,” produced by D’Meek and Justopac, a reflective track about love strained by distance.
