Afrocritik’s weekly spotlight: buttery smooth
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Can you believe February is already over? Where is the year flying to? We’re already heading into the final month of Q1, and as we all rush hectically to achieve our goals for the first quarter, we at Afrocritik feel like you might need something to keep you calm and composed—for balance, you know. So, here I am with a new Music Spotlight to bring that much-needed equilibrium into your life.
This week’s edition is mainly focused on buttery smooth jams that slide effortlessly into your earholes. Regardless of the genre we find ourselves in, I can assure you that this week’s songs will go down smoother than a glass of fine whiskey.
Keep an eye out for our Monthly Editorial playlist update for February. Follow us on our socials @Afrocritik to stay up to date with all things Spotlight.
Additionally, if you or anyone you know is releasing music that deserves to be discovered by the musically adventurous, don’t hesitate to drop me a line at yinoluu@afrocritik.com for details on how to get your music considered and featured.
Now that all the housekeeping is out of the way, let’s dive straight into this week’s selection of buttery-smooth ear candy. This week’s playlist features:
Smooth and Soft Afro-Fusions: We kick off with mood-setting acoustic offerings with Muthoka’s “Free”, and the acoustic version of SYEMCA’s “Room 104”, before we are pulled into the emotions of “Heartbreaker’ by Iver Rivers, “Why” from Tanzania’s Platform, and both “My Way” and “Stop” from Enaky’s emotive Wild Flower EP. “Second Chance” and “Settle Down” represent Suté Iwar’s new EP, The Gift.
Buttery Afrobeats and Afro-Pop: Here, we have the familiar grooves and beats of the continent supported by soulful instrumentation. Jessie the Gem steals hearts with “You” and Remy Baggins professes his love on “Sunrise”.
Returning superstar L.A.X reminds us of his talents on “Lockdown” while sultry songstress Guchi takes us along as she feels the “Pressure”. We also have some francophone spice as Aya Nakamura delivers “Chimiyé” and Dadju teams up with Tayc and Rsko for “J’ai Zayé”. Another returnee, Skales, gets us moving with “Another One” while the Ajebo Hustlers feature Victony on “Ave Maria”, one of two offerings from their new Onorato EP.
South African Soul: No Weekly Spotlight is ever complete without our Amapiano contingent. Today, the theme dictates the absence of the heavier-hitting variants in favour of the vocal-led soulful gems. Superstar songstress, Nkosazana Daughter, graces us with “Selimathunzi”, Zee Nxumalo assembles an ensemble for “Ngisakuthanda”, and Venom & co. butter us up with the relatively brief “weSthandwa”.
There’s some noteworthy projects represented here as well. Tonic Blue’s Amore EP gives us “Ngiyohlala Kini”, Shaunmusiq’s Tokollo is represented here by “Phinde”, Amu Classic, Kappie, Mellow & Sleazy don their capes as the Fantastic 4, giving us “Into The Stars” and Yusuf_sa gives us “HR12” from his Back To Basics EP.
Remember, this is just a glimpse of the musical wonders awaiting you in our playlist. Hopefully, you’ll dive in yourself and stumble upon something that feels right at home in your own playlists. Don’t be shy—explore each featured artist and album further to uncover your hidden gems.
And if you’re a budding musician with a sound worth sharing, don’t hesitate to message us to find out how to get your songs considered for the Spotlight.
Now, take the plunge. 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 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.