Afrocritik’s Weekly Music Spotlight: South Africa, Soul & Sundry
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Happy new month, my amazing music adventurers.
We’re already in May, and it’s incredible how quickly the year is flying by. I hope it has been treating you well so far. I come bearing gifts to either improve or rescue your day—depending on how it’s been for you up to this point. This gift is the gift of music, as it is once again time for the Weekly Music Spotlight!
This week was slightly light on releases across the continent, but South Africa kept us well-fed. So, they take centre stage in today’s playlist. They’ll be joined by a host of soulful entries and a few intriguing outliers.
Before we get into that, though, don’t forget to follow us on our socials, @Afrocritik, to stay up to date with the Spotlights as they’re released. That way, we can also let you know that the Monthly Editorial Playlist for April is up and ready for your enjoyment.
Also, if you or someone you know is releasing music that deserves to be discovered by our curious listeners, don’t hesitate to drop me a line at yinoluu@afrocritik.com for details on how to get your music considered.
And now, without further ado, let’s get into our playlist—anchored by South African sensations and soulful offerings. We have:
FOLK AND SOUL: We begin our journey with artistes baring their hearts and emotions while weaving stories inspired by culture. KwaZulu-Natal native, Jabulile Majola, inspires with his Isitifiketi album boasting gems like “uBhubesi”, “Amagugu”, and “Woza Mntana”. Ringo Madlingozi follows suit with “Wu He Hem”, “Bomi Bam” and “Nithuleleni” off his new album Ikhwelo.
Nigerian-American singer, Teledalase, explores tales of empowerment and resistance across her new album, The Bad Wife has no Tongue, which gives us “Unwanted”, “Agbaya” and “The Bad Wife”. Joyce Olong also embodies an introspective narrative style on SOSEO with tracks “M.I.B”, “Engine”, and “Everybody’s Outside”.
AFROBEATS/AFROFUSION FARE: Focusing on South Africa doesn’t mean our standard Afrobeats and Afro-Fusion segment is going to be left in the dust. Singles like Bridget Blue’s “Mbuzi” and AYLO’s “Settle Down” give us some R&B flavouring, while IRIE Sessions assemble a star-studded team for their Lust On The Coast with songs like “Radio”, “Lust For Her”, and “Was I Not The Man”.
Chrystel teams up with Timbaland for “Treasure”, Tega Starr enlists T.I Blaze for a remix of “Cook Dem”, and Jaylon combines with Anjeli for “No Luck”. Boy Spyce and Tim Godfrey give us some Igbo-tinged grooves in “Achalugo” and “Nwachinemelu” respectively.
SUNDRY: In today’s selection, we get a handful of standouts from various genres that caught my attention. South African rap collective Qwellers stun with their Egalini album with hits like “4/5 Rings”, “Minciza”, and “CV”.
Sauti Soul’s Bien combines with Suldan Seeraar for “Safari”, Princewill Agbazue hits us with a unique Gospel song in “Shammah”, Bantu provides the energetic “Habibi”, Ric Hassani and Cobhams Asuquo flex their songwriting skills on “Make Me Believe”, and “The Traffic Song” respectively. Afrobeat legend, Femi Kuti, rounds off this category with “Shotan” and “Journey Through Life” off his new album of the same name.
AMAPIANO AND AFROHOUSE: Finally, we get to what you’d expect from our South Africa-focused list. CowBoii kicks us off with “Tsokolo” and “Madibuseng” from This Aint A.I, Shaun Stylist gets diverse with Maison, boasting tracks like “Lord SS” and “Themb’itshe”.
Mellow & Sleazy give us “Dalwa Zami” and “Welele” off Midnight In Diepkloof, and Dlala Thukzin amasses a wealth of talent for 031 Studio Camp 2.0 which is brimming with amazing songs like “Kanjani”, “Mali”, “Muthi” and “Ngeke Balunge”.
And there you have the cross-section for this week. I encourage you to play through the entire playlist—either straight through for the curated experience or on shuffle for a bit of surprise. That way, you’ll be able to discover some other gems that went unmentioned. It would also be fun to explore the albums and artistes highlighted to uncover personal favourites of your own.
If you’re a budding musician with a sound worth sharing, don’t hesitate to message us to find out how your songs can be considered for the Spotlight.
Also, don’t forget to experience April’s Monthly Editorial Playlist. Follow us on our socials to stay on top of that, and let us know which songs from this week were your favourites.
I wish you all the best in the coming week and hope you have a great time vibing to the music on this list. I implore you to go adventuring on your own and perhaps even share some of your great finds with me. Enjoy the journey, and have a blessed week full of musical highs.
Warm regards,
Yinoluwa “Yinoluu” Olowofoyeku is a multi-disciplinary artist 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.