Afrocritik Music Spotlight: Matters of the Heart.
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Hello beautiful people, and welcome back to another edition of the Afrocritik Weekly Music Spotlight! I hope you’ve all had a fantastic couple of weeks, and if you’re reading this at the start of a brand new quarter, here’s wishing you nothing but progress, good health, fresh opportunities, and plenty to be excited about in the months ahead.
If you’re here with us in Nigeria, I hope you’re keeping safe and dry through what has been a particularly intense spell of rain. Lagos has definitely been reminding us who’s in charge lately, and with flooding affecting so many communities across the country and beyond, our hearts genuinely go out to everyone dealing with the aftermath. Please look after yourselves, look out for one another, and here’s hoping the worst of it is behind us.
On the sporting front, the World Cup continues to give us plenty to talk about. It hasn’t been the easiest tournament for our African representatives, but there have still been moments that have made the continent proud, and we’re rooting for every remaining side carrying our hopes forward. Whatever happens on the pitch, though, African music continues to put in world-class performances week after week, and this latest batch of releases is further proof that the continent simply doesn’t miss.
As always, if you’ve got new music you’d like us to hear, we’d absolutely love to hear it. Send your releases over to [email protected], and don’t forget to follow @Afrocritik across all our social media platforms to stay up to date with our reviews, interviews, playlists, and everything else we’ve got cooking.
Now then… enough talking. Let’s get into another fortnight of fantastic African music.
For this edition, we get:
MATTERS OF THE HEART
Soulful R&B, tender ballads, gentle Afro-Pop, and emotionally rich songwriting come together in a collection that reminds us that some of the continent’s finest music is found not in the loudest moments, but in the most vulnerable ones.
South African singer-songwriter Thando Zide delivers one of this week’s most heartfelt projects with Ku Ngawe, where “Mama Ka Myeni”, “Imizamo”, “Into Zakho”, and the Msaki-assisted “Usana” blend rich Soul, Afro-Pop, and heartfelt storytelling into a deeply intimate listening experience. Ghanaian artiste Caleb Awiti explores longing, distance, and emotional vulnerability across For Nights You Feel Lonely, giving us “no more voicemails”, “Passport Pages”, “Passionate”, and “Tempt Me”, each wrapped in warm R&B textures and reflective songwriting. Nigerian singer-songwriter McKAY leans into love’s complexities on BITTERSWEET, with “KISSING & TOUCHING”, “BAD GIRL”, “COLD OUTSIDE”, and “MINE” balancing tenderness with contemporary Afro-R&B sensibilities, while Africaine invites us into a beautifully personal world on For Me, This Time, where “Before”, “For Me, This Time”, “Give Me Love”, and the Nonso Amadi-assisted “Give It Away” unfold with graceful vocals and understated elegance.
Beekay celebrates enduring love on Love Like Mr Bassey, bringing together “For Life”, “Ufan”, “Kokomma”, and “Phases”, each rooted in warm Highlife and Soul influences. Marcus Harvey’s reflective “Mapula”, Miji’s dreamy “Bubble”, KwesiSoul’s stirring “FOTM (Running)” featuring TAITAN, and the heartfelt “Obvious” by KLA & KLY round out a section dedicated to music that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve.
VIBRANT FUSIONS
This is where the playlist stretches its legs and embraces the beautifully unpredictable. Afro-Pop remains the foundation, but it constantly reaches outward, borrowing from Alternative music, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Electronic music, and countless other influences to create songs that feel adventurous without losing their groove. It is the biggest stop on this week’s journey, packed with artists pushing familiar sounds in exciting new directions.
Magixx continues his impressive run with ATOM II, bringing together the infectious “Power Ranger”, “Nonstop”, “Tonight”, and “Consistency”, a collection that balances smooth melodies with confident Afro-Pop songwriting. La Soülchyld expands his colourful sonic universe on TWARA, where “DO BETTER”, “STYLO”, “DINNER”, and “MIND” blur the lines between Alternative music, Electronic music, and genre-bending Afro-Fusion with remarkable ease. Ajebutter22 returns with the effortlessly charismatic Big Bad World, delivering “Everybody Guide”, “Polanco Dreams”, “Big Bad World”, and “Format”, all wrapped in his unmistakable blend of witty songwriting, laidback delivery, and polished production.
Ghanaian artist Oseikrom Sikanii injects pure street energy into 9 through “Hustle”, “Ronaldinho”, “Gen Z Hiplife”, and “Dance Like Nobody”, celebrating modern Ghanaian sounds with infectious confidence and swagger. Nigerian rapper Straffitti brings personality and playful bravado to GBED$$$, serving up “GBONO LOWO”, “PAPASUPE”, “LOKE”, and the BabyDaiz and Eggerton-assisted “PAAK AM” across a project bursting with colourful Hip-Hop energy.
Elsewhere, Iver Rivers and PD deliver the emotive “Sinner”, Taves keeps things effortlessly catchy with “Uche Jumbo”, Majeeed returns with the smooth “Miss Me”, Solana and Killertunes unite on the infectious “Okunkun”, Gyakie reminds us of her effortless charm on “TREASURE”, while Remy Baggins, Oladapo and Ife offer the hard-hitting “Enemy”, each adding another distinctive flavour to one of the richest sections of this week’s playlist.
ELECTRONIC AFRIQUE
We round things off, as always, with our brief detour into the electronic heartbeat of Southern Africa. It is a lighter stop than usual this week, but no less rewarding, offering a compact selection of Amapiano, AfroHouse, and Dance music built for movement, atmosphere, and communal celebration.
Zan’Ten return with For The Streets, serving up the infectious “Abaningi”, “Maspala”, “Clap & Tap”, and the Jazza MusiQ-assisted “Lullaby”, another reminder of the duo’s knack for balancing hard-hitting Piano grooves with melodic finesse. Al Xapo, Benzoo and collaborators bring high-octane energy on ESCAPE PLAN: NEW AGE HEIST, where “JAIVA”, “FOSTA FOSTA”, and “STANCE” lean fully into the vibrant, log drum-driven spirit of contemporary Amapiano.
The section is rounded out by the thunderous collaborative single “Uyabalabala” from CDQ, Moonchild Sanelly and LaCabra, while Shimza, Jnr SA and Thatohatsi close the playlist on a more atmospheric note with the immersive AfroHouse textures of “Uma Wami”.
As always, what we’ve highlighted here is only a cross-section of everything waiting for you on this week’s playlist. There are plenty more discoveries tucked away between these selections, so if something catches your ear, keep digging. You never know which artiste, project, or song might become your next favourite.
That has always been the heart of Music Spotlight. Beyond celebrating the biggest releases, it’s about creating space for exciting new voices, overlooked gems, and remarkable records that deserve to be part of the conversation. Hopefully this edition has introduced you to a few artistes you hadn’t heard before and given you plenty of new music to carry with you over the coming weeks.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us what you’ve been listening to lately, which releases you’ve had on repeat, and whether there are any hidden gems you think deserve a spotlight of their own. If you’re an artiste, don’t forget that you can submit your own music to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in a future edition, and be sure to follow Afrocritik across our social platforms because we’ve got plenty of exciting things coming your way.
As we settle into the second half of the year, here’s wishing you a peaceful, productive, and fulfilling July. Stay safe if you’re navigating the heavy rains, keep looking out for the people around you, and remember that checking in on yourself is every bit as important as checking in on those you love.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep listening, and keep your ears open to the unexpected. We’ll be back in two weeks with another collection of brilliant music from across the continent. Happy listening.
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.
https://music.apple.com/ng/playlist/afrocritik-music-spotlight/pl.u-LdbqE75I21vAkDK