Afrocritik’s Monthly Music Spotlight for January 2025
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Happy New Year to you all, our dear sonic adventurers.
It’s a real pleasure to have you back with us. Yes, the spotlight took a brief hiatus, but I’m delighted to announce that it’s now back. You needn’t fret any longer. I couldn’t stay away for too long, as I find such unbridled joy in bringing fresh sounds to your attention.
I hope you all had a festive holiday season, and that January wasn’t too much of a drag. Even if it was, we’ve got some tasty treats to get you back on track as we head into the month of love.
Before we dive into the melodic wonders that await us, allow me to remind you of how this usually goes. This will also be useful for the newcomers to the Spotlight. Every week, I bring you tidings of interesting songs that might have slipped beneath your radar for one reason or another.
We cover a wide range of genres and Africa’s diverse geography to uncover gems that are begging to be added to your playlists. And then, at the end of every month, we compile an editorial list of the very best offerings from the month gone by.
These written Spotlights are merely samplers, pointing you to the playlists themselves (on Apple Music and Spotify) so you can enjoy the discoveries at your leisure. Stay connected with us by following all our social media channels @afrocritik, ensuring you never miss a beat of our musical adventures.
For the musicians among us, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at yinoluu@afrocritik.com for a chance to have your song featured in the Spotlight.
Now, with all the housekeeping out of the way, let’s turn our attention to January’s playlist. It’s a moderately sized selection, designed to keep you company for a while and set the tone as we get back into the groove of things.
Without further ado, let’s explore the musical gems awaiting us. January brought us a delightful sprinkling of:
Smooth Afrobeats: Super starlet Qing Madi kicks off with “Ali Bomaye” from her debut LP, I Am The Blueprint, BabyboyAV enlists CKay and Victony for the sensuous “Obianuju”, AYLØ teams up with Joeyturks for “Beat Blocks” off his new EP, Money Won’t Make You Beautiful.
The eclectic Twelve XII blesses us with with “Before”, Theecember serenades us on “NUNU”, and Discover Community recruit, Naya Akanji, Toyemusic, and Wasalu for “Wait”.
Soulful Fusions: Some artistes prefer to branch out and keep things fresh. Bayanni finds himself on a Bollywood set with Aroob Khan and Rajat Nagpal for “Bukhaar”, Taves links up with BoyPee, Hyce & Brown Joel to give us Eastern infusions for “Adanna”.
Highlife enthusiasts can look forward to “Puff Puff” from M.anifest and The Cavemen, Braye delivers “Painless Melody” in the way only he can, Magixx and Boy Spyce serve up heartfelt ballads with “Winter & Summer” and “I’ll Be There” respectfully, and Joshua Baraka flexes his unique vocals on “Desire”.
Energetic Bops: Ditching the sultry, some other artistes would rather up the tempo and give us musical caffeine shots. Taves features again with Adewale Ayuba and Krizbeatz to raise “The Roof”.
Nasboi enlists veterans 2Baba and Falz for the fun story in “Ashewo”, thumping 808s pump up Toby Grey’s “Running to You”, Krizbeatz has Darkoo and Ajebo Hustlers lamenting on “Wicked Jazz”,, and Qdot teams up with DjFaya for the pulsating “Omo Adugbo”.
South African Gems: The South of Africa gives us a number of gems to round off the playlist. Sha Sha and an A-list crew bless us with “Eglasini”, Kelvin Momo makes a double feature; appearing on “Lindiwe” with Nontokozo Mkhize and Da Muziqal Chef, as well as “Wazee Wamuhle” alongside Mashudu, Sino Msolo and Stixx.
Echo Deep’s Music In My Life album is represented by “You Are” and “Best For Us”, and burgeoning fusion genre Lo-Fiano is exemplified by John Lundun’s EP of the same name, from which we get “Butterfly Effect” and “Piano Garden”.
Remember, this is just a glimpse of the musical wonders awaiting you in our playlist. Be sure to explore each featured artiste and album fully to uncover your own hidden gems. And if you’re a budding musician with a sound worth sharing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Now, let the music envelop you in its embrace, and may each melody carry you to new heights of joy and inspiration. Enjoy the journey, and may your week be filled with sweet musical bliss.
Warm regards,
Yinoluwa “Yinoluu” Olowofoyeku is a multi-disciplinary artiste and creative who finds expression in various media. His music can be found across all platforms and he welcomes interaction on his social media @Yinoluu.