Can the new Drake album help intensify the global spotlight on South African dance music?
A viable entry point—for the rest of the world—to a varied and inventive scene
Drake slung a major curveball with his newly released seventh studio album, ‘Honestly, Nevermind’. Announced only a few hours to its June 17 release date, the Canadian hybrid superstar gave the music world barely any time to speculate, on the intentions of the album, on its sound, and on its collaborators. But even with that blank slate, not too many people can claim that they had a Drake dance album on the cards.
Eight months back, as 2021 ground to its final days, the rapper and singer released his sixth LP, ‘Certified Lover Boy’, a typically lengthy album that continued Drake’s knack for hopping across modish musical styles. Like several of his projects from the last five to six years, its reception wasn’t unanimously warm; amongst its criticisms was, this was another paint-by-the-numbers Drake album, an attempt to reach the widest variety of listeners possible and appease the algorithms in order to juice up the numbers and continue his hegemony over pop music. Like all of his projects, ‘CLB’ spawned hits and cultural moments, but it obviously didn’t move the needle on Drake’s artistry, nor the discuss around it.
Not too long after ‘CLB’, and months before the announcement and arrival of ‘Honestly, Nevermind’, there were already speculations of a quick turnaround between albums. The tell signs were there: Several ‘CLB’ songs had leaked nearly a year before release, affecting its impact; he famously followed ‘Views’, another highly anticipated album, with the better-received playlist project, ‘More Life’; and Drake has established his preference for being prolific. Patterns, though, are meant to be played with and, even if this surprise release matched those signs, Drake pulled off a new trick with the music direction of his latest LP.
Maybe the garish cover, which is quite atrocious if you ask me, and relatively lean tracklist should have let us know ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ wouldn’t be a typical Drake affair. At 14 tracks, it’s one of, if not, the most concise album from the artist, and it includes only one credited vocal collaborator, in the person of Atlanta rapper 21 Savage. Then, within minutes of release, listeners who use Apple Music pointed out its genre tag as ‘Dance’, an alert that helped jumpstarted the hot takes.
Following its luminous instrumental intro, the rest of the album kicks into gear, a perpetual motion affair of high octane beats with Drake’s straightforward croons, some warbled falsetto, and rare moments of rapping. From a writing standpoint, not that much changes in Drake’s wheelhouse, as he fixes his attention on the complicatedness of modern romance. That means it’s left to the music to carry the weight of inventiveness, and a formidable, sometimes thrilling, series of dance beats are consistently up to the task.
Within general and critical conversations on ‘Honestly, Nevermind’, there’s been extensive detailing of its influences from regional styles of dance music, including Jersey Club, Baltimore Club, and Chicago House. A musical influence that’s not really being given its just due, is House music from South Africa. Maybe because it’s only one song (“Texts Go Green”) that fully bears the imprint of South African Deep House, but a beyond-the-surface look shows just how important it is to the very thread of the album.
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Across ‘Honestly, Nevermind’, a cumulative half of the songs are contributed to by its three South African collaborators, led by globally celebrated producer/DJ and recent winner of the Best Dance Album award at the last Grammys, Black Coffee. Reuniting with Drake after producing “Get It Together” off ‘More Life’, which sampled his 2009 hit song, “Superman,” he’s credited with co-producing two songs, “Currents” and “Overdrive,” which is in addition to being the one of the album’s executive producer.
Sona, Black Coffee’s son and a rising producer/DJ in his own right, helms the thumping and affecting “Texts Go Green,” a gleaming standout from the album’s opening third. TRESOR, the only non-producer of the trio, has his pen work and distinct voice embedded in six songs, co-writing on five songs and contributing vocals to four songs. It’s arguable that, with their contributions, these three put up some of the definitive highlights of ‘Honestly, Nevermind’, from Sona’s evocative piano chords, to Black Coffee’s booming but billowy drums on “Overdrive,” to TRESOR’s emotive mutters on “Down Hill.”
There’s a personal undercurrent to the musical scope of this Drake album that’s impossible to ignore: It’s the work of an apex music superstar flexing his autonomy. This is the first time in a long while that the rapper and singer doesn’t seem to be creating music out of obligation to his status; it’s an album he made because he wanted to, not necessarily trying to please every type of Drake fan there is. Attached to this is the obvious mainstream influence he wields, the kind that kickstarts trends or, at the very least, catalyses increased attention to the sounds he’s tried on for size.
Within an hour of release, ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ scored the highest single day streaming numbers for a dance music album on Apple Music. Even within the divisive discuss that immediately surrounded the project, it’s impossible to deny the absolute power that sort of record indicates, and it’s been suggested that Drake’s latest will help increase interest in dance music, specifically the subgenres that got shine on the album. Obviously, because the influences of Jersey Club, Baltimore Club and Chicago House are on the forefront of these discussions, that agenda explicitly applies to them. It makes sense to wonder if the improved visibility will extend to dance music from South Africa.
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South Africa’s dance music is arguably the most inventive scene within the context of urban African music. It’s a lineage that traces down most notably from Kwaito’s emergence in the ‘90s to Amapiano’s current reign at home and across the continent. The timeline between and around those aforementioned sounds are populated with mainstream and regional subgenres like Deep House, Tribal House, Afro-Tech, Tech-House, Gqom, Shangaan Electro and more. In their own invariably obvious and subtle ways, these different styles of dance music are interconnected with each other, and linked to other prominent sonic forms around them, from Jazz to Maskandi to rap.
With the variety of subgenres and the continent sweeping power of sounds like Gqom, Amapiano and Afro-Tech, dance music from South Africa isn’t just cutting edge, its influence on the multi-coloured tapestry of urban African music is undeniable. Globally, South African dance music has been able to corner its fair share of admirers: Black Coffee, arguably the most popular African house producer/DJ, consistently plays dance festival stages across the world, in addition to his annual summer residency in Ibiza; these days, more than a handful Amapiano producers and DJs go on European tours, while also getting festival bookings. As laudable as these exploits are, the scene could use better visibility on an international scale, to match its importance to African music.
Within the framework of Afropop’s global rise, Nigerian pop music is often afforded the largest share of attention, often overwhelmingly controlling the narrative. Part of that stems from “One Dance,” Drake’s summer ’16 mega smash which featured Nigerian superstar Wizkid, and combined elements of Caribbean pop with the then du jour groove of Nigerian pop. At that point, Nigerian music was already working its way into global music conversation, but the presence of an identifiably Nigerian star and sound on the biggest song in the world for several months, was a massive catalyst.
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Regardless of how you feel about his knack for borrowing from regional styles of music and his globe-trotting tactics, Drake has proven himself to be a catalyst for wider acceptance of previously lesser known subgenres. At his most wholesome, the rapper and singer is an influencer, staking out new sonic territory to add to his omnivorous sound palette and, by effect of his superstardom, exposing his findings to an international mainstream audience.
‘Honestly, Nevermind’ isn’t Drake’s novel dalliance with dance music from South Africa. Also, in the time since “Get It Together,” globally renowned superstars Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé have also tapped South African dance styles and collaborators on compilation projects. At that, Drake’s influencing track record and the sheer shock of a surprise dance album is arguably more monumental, and it’s happening at a time when we’re now accustomed to African music crossing over to a global audience through light curiosity.
Whether Drake has helped to further stoke interest in South African dance music, through his collaboration with Black Coffee, Sona and TRESOR, remains to be seen, but his track record with music of African origins is more than a tenuous basis for optimism. The biggest obstacle to this Drake-fuelled visibility might be narrative. Already, several publications have misattributed the production on “Texts Go Green” to Black Coffee, while Billboard completely omitted TRESOR in an article highlighting key collaborators to the album. On social media, many are comfortable lumping everything into a very American context, misrepresenting the influences of tracks with the South African dance music flavour.
Perhaps, this is where prideful ownership comes in, a loud claiming of their influence by those closest to sound: South Africans—and to an extent, Africans. I remember, in 2016, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora loudly proclaiming the importance of Nigerian pop—under the widely accepted Afrobeats misnomer—to “One Dance” across social media. That made it impossible to misrepresent the sound, and it helped to focus the spotlight of the Drake influence on a globally nascent scene. While none of the songs with SA dance affiliations on ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ have shown the power to be as world conquering as “One Dance,” a similar sort of pointed arrogance could be pertinent—and urgent, even.
In the era of globalisation, where music travels seamlessly across borders through streaming, narrative is important to ensure the actual origins of a sound aren’t obscured. It’s also important in the quest for increased international recognition. While Drake mainly fixated on house music with his South African connections, it could very well be a viable gateway to the curiosity about, and increased global acceptance of, the multiplicity of dance music from a powerhouse country in African music.
ICYMI: HOW LEAKS ARE HELPING TO POWER SOUTH AFRICA’S DANCE MUSIC SCENE
Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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Tems Partners With Hennessy For Leading Vibe Initiative
Launching in Lagos, Nigeria, this event pioneered by Tems marks the beginning of a continent-wide movement to...
In July, Tems announced the Leading Vibe Initiative (LVI) to support women in music and the creative space on their journey to make a mark in their fields and create space for other women in those industries. Born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist with a focus on driving change, the initiative offers training, mentorship, industry access, and community for women in music in Africa.
After a rigorous selection process for its inaugural cohort, Hennessy will join the two-time Grammy Award-winning star to celebrate the launch of the Leading Vibe (LVI) Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. Held from August 8 to 9, 2025, the two-day event is the beginning of a bold new chapter in Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to music and culture in Africa.
“I’m excited to partner with Hennessy in bringing this initiative to life, supporting talented young women in music as they find their voices, embrace their power, and shape the future of the industry across Africa and beyond,” Tems said about the partnership.
The Leading Vibe Initiative aims to champion the next generation of female artists, producers, songwriters, and music professionals, increasing representation within all areas of music across the continent and beyond.
With Hennessy as lead partner, this ambitious program kicks off with an immersive event in Lagos featuring curated workshops, networking moments, and panel discussions led by top-tier talent from across the global and African music industries.
“Her vision, talent, and purpose align deeply with Hennessy’s legacy of championing those who push boundaries and redefine the world around them. We’re honored to support the Leading Vibe Initiative and to continue empowering African communities and cultures,” said Vincent Montalescot, Hennessy Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Hennessy’s partnership with Tems builds on the brand’s decades-long history of supporting music and artistic expression globally and on the continent. From Hip-Hop to Afrobeats, Hennessy continues to stand beside the artists and communities that shape culture.
In Africa, the Maison has deepened its commitment through meaningful initiatives like In the Paint and now, with the Leading Vibe Initiative, is taking a focused step toward amplifying women’s voices in music. With the Lagos launch as a powerful first step, the Leading Vibe Initiative will expand across Africa and globally, creating a cross-continental network of empowered women ready to shape the future of African music.
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