By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Greetings, courageous travelers! We’re keeping the playlist quite simple again this week as we continue to get back into the swing of things. Sadly, the releases came a bit slow this week with very few new albums releasing. There were a number of interesting singles, but all in all, it was a quiet week for new gems.
Before we get to this week’s playlist, I’d like to encourage you to follow us on our socials @Afrocritik to stay informed as we prep the aggregated editorial playlists for your consumption.
This will feature the crème de la crème from weeks 9-12. Also, don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your own music featured on the playlists. Send an email to yinoluu@afrocritik.com for further details on how to get your work considered.
To cut the preamble short, we’ll dive directly into the fourteenth edition of the Afrocritik Weekly Music Spotlight which plays host to:
- A Few Big Names: Victony rides the high of his recent live performances with his new 2-pack single of “My Darling” and “Angelus,” Fireboy is back to his Afrobeats ways with “Yawa,” K’naan of previous World Cup fame releases a new single for the first time in a while called “Refugee,” and Nasty C teams up with Charlie Sloth to drop “Fire in The Booth, Pt.2”…
- Smooth New Afrobeats: A selection of newcomers are making their mark with soft-spoken emotive Afrobeats entries such as Teddy BYM’s heartbroken “Cry Me a River,” Segun Aniyi’s introspective “Different,” Lykan Sensei’s romantic “Jeje,” GhostwriterMel’s R&B-infused “Monopoly,” Babyboy AV’s suggestive “Quick Question” …
- Unique Genre Fusions: As the mainstream African genres meet and meld with new styles and influences, genres bend and fuse into unique forms exemplified by the likes of Minz’s Zinoleesky-assisted soulful Amapiano blend on “Sokoto,” Lady Donli’sfunky off-kilter deliveries on “My Ability,” King Perryy’s Reggae offering “Beast of Our Nation,” Hamzaa’s Latin-infused “Borderline” …
- Eclectic Electronic Entries: Every week, I bring a selection of the electronic styles sweeping the continent and this week they come in the form of “Valentines,” “Amaputha,” “Buqamama Eduze,” and “Empinikazi” off Nkosazana Daughter’s captivating debut album Uthingo Le Nkosazana, cross-continental feature-ridden experimental track “Treasure Island,” “Hushpuppi” in Seyi Vibez’s signature Fuji-Amapiano style, moving AfroHouse song “Hamba Juba” courtesy of Lady Amar and a number of cohorts, …
These are but a few of the discoveries waiting for you to peruse on the playlists you should see to the right of this page. If you have trouble with the playlists, feel free to find our profiles @Afrocritik on your music streaming service of choice and the playlists should show up there. I recommend you check out the albums named to find your own gems, too. Feel free to listen in the curated order or shuffle the playlist if you’re feeling adventurous. Either way, be sure to give the songs time to work their magic on you.
Don’t forget to add and follow the playlists, save your favourite songs as updates will be frequent, share the playlists with the people you care about, and get the information necessary to submit your own songs (or those of your people) by reaching out to yinoluu@afrocritik.com.
ENJOY!