This year will surely go down as one of the best for full-length albums from some of the best emerging and established talents in African music . Already this year we’ve got projects from Tyla, Tems, Ayra Starr, Ruger x BNXN, Young Jonn, Victony and King Promise, with several of those coming just this past month alone. It’s a lot of great music — and presents some good problems for this column, with so many great options of songs to choose from.
Tems burns bright with soulful reflections about discovering her true destiny while navigating newfound fame, ridding relationships that no longer serve her and more on her debut album Born in the Wild . Meanwhile, Victony expands Afropop ‘s borders by bringing an international assortment of artists like American rap-rock sensation Teezo Touchdown and Guyanese American rapper SAINt JHN on his first full-length project Stubborn . “It represents overcoming adversity and transforming life’s ‘lemons’ into powerful art,” Victony recently told Billboard .
“I hope that when people listen to the album, they feel a sense of shared experience and inspiration to find strength and hope in their own journeys.” And Tyler ICU and DJ Maphorisa’s scorching new single “Manzi Nte” — which is currently No. 10 onthe South Africa Songs chart (dated June 29) — is inescapable in the artists’ native South Africa.
( Billboard ‘s senior R&B/Hip-Hop/ Afrobeats reporter Heran Mamo can attest to that given her recent travels to .
