In 2021, Nigerian singer Jess ETA emerged victorious as the winner of the sophomore edition of Audiomack’s Rising Star Challenge, beating out 299 other artists from around Africa who wished to lay claim to the prize. Following that euphoric high, he’s followed up with a smattering of snazzy Pop singles including“Skata,” and“Body On Fire” featuring BNXN and Inci. Now the singer has shared his sophomore EP titled ‘Playing With Fire,’ an 11-track offering that finds him old in Afropop, RnB and splotches of Dancehall and Soul Music into a unique concoction of escapist sounds.
Over the 11-track offering, Jess ETA offers a coming-of-age body of work that showcases his growth since his 2020 debut EP ‘Balance.’ Through the songs, you can almost trace the arc of a musician shedding his past sound, finding his voice and making more resonant dynamic music. While Jess’ voice on this project is more refined and sturdy, he’s still experimenting — shuffling primarily between the thrumming percussion of Afrobeats and the syrupy melodies of R&B. The project’s mood spans themes such as love, loss and longing, and is moonlighted by the typical jovial themes that are characteristic of archetypal Afropop records.
From the opening track “Neon”, it’s immediately obvious that Jess ETA has grown since his last project in 2020. Over the song’s catchy production, he lays out his syrupy vocals against a backdrop of Classical and Soul influences. Frya’s effort on the track is electrifying and palpable, her powerful vocals percolate through the track imbuing it with a poignant essence. From a musical standpoint, the record is a laudable work of art, but upon close inspection, his lyrics are out of depth.
The disparity between his sonic ingenuity and his lyrical prowess on this track is almost comparable to North and South. The whole track is set up for Jess to deliver a heartfelt story or message, instead, he remains closed off and relies on ambiguous phrases to tell his story. This precedent becomes a recurring motif that hides in the shadows and pops up in select times. Like on “Raging” where he populates the infectious House beat with foggy lyrics that narrowly convey the depth of his emotions.
His songwriting in general however, is dazzling across the project. His strongest points both lyrically and sonically occur on the R&B records on the record. “Pick Me Apart” is one of those almost-flawless tracks. Over erupting bass riffs, his voice contorts as he traverses a range of emotions expressing heartbreak. His tone matches his words, the longing in his voice is palpable as he sings “Pick me apart, tear me to pieces, pain is the price to pay for falling for you”.On “Easy”, another R&B track, he shines dazzlingly bright. It’s hard to spotlight the standout feature on this record as every single element aligns to form a majestic romantic ode. His message on this song is both concise and vivid: it’s hard loving you, but I do. On “Lay It Down” he follows a similar arc, delivering a breathtaking performance.
The project is replete with guest artists, from Abuja’s Psycho YP to BNXN, but his brightest collaborative efforts are his tracks with Azanti and Psycho YP. The ease with which they bounce off each other’s energy is almost unbelievable. On “Dangerous”, he taps Azanti for a mid tempo number which finds the pair firing off lines about an untrustworthy lover. Their synergy is so sleek with each one picking up where the other leaves off.
On the Psycho YP-assisted “Paralyzed”, the rapper steals the spotlight with ease, as he flecks the beat with his gritty delivery. However, the pair still make a fared match as they bounce off each other’s palpable energy. While Jess’ finest points occur on the R&B tracks on the project, with the Afropop numbers, he shows that he’s capable to play to different tunes, regardless of the challenge. The Afropop records see him take respites from grappling with the weighty topics of heartbreak and uncertainty, and instead delivers archetypal impressionistic Afropop motifs.
On “Below”, he displays this in earnest. The record does not aim for anything ambitious, he simply lets loose and lances the beat with jovial carefree lines. With “Below”, Jess shows that he has Afrobeats in his DNA. His flows, adlibs and syncopations all lend themselves to this premise. The highlight of the track occurs over the hook when he coolly sings “As we dey konko below, e dey freak my choco milo”.
‘Playing With Fire’ may seem dynamic but it never feels restless. As Jess traverses a convoluted arc, experimenting with an assortment of sounds, he remains collected, anchoring the eclectic project with the familiar themes of love, attraction and heartbreak. While the singer never gets too deep or vulnerable, he’s able to balance this out with irresistibly compelling music and a mutating sound that ensures that there’s no dull moment through the project’s 30-minute run time.
Street-pop star, Asake, has released a surprise new single titled “BADMAN GANSTA.” Produced by super...
Street-pop star, Asake, has released a surprise new single titled “BADMAN GANSTA.” Produced by super producer, P.Priime, the single, Asake’s second of the year, arrives with a crisp black and white feature and a stellar guest verse from French rapper and singer Tiakola.
The singer posted the full music video–a monochromatic montage of dazzling shots and scenes of his opulent lifestyle–across his different social media handles on Thursday evening, July 24, with a caption that read, ‘The World Of Money.’
Earlier in June, the ex-YBNL star announced a new album titled ‘Money.’ A few months before that, he released a loosie titled “Military” and then “WHY LOVE,” his first official single under his new imprint Giran Republic. “Military” served as a bookend to the first arc of his impressive career as much as an announcement of a new era, while “WHY LOVE” officially kicked off season two.
Following the release of “WHY LOVE,” Asake has also featured on songs like Olamide’s “99,” J Hus’ “Gold”, and Young Jonn’s “Che Che,” delivering standout verses that favour a melodious, laid-back approach as opposed to the spirited, fast-paced style that earned him success early on. “BADMAN GANSTA” also excels with this approach, as Asake’s melodious musings about his current lifestyle dovetail nicely with Tiakola’s equally sturdy verse over a plush beat that samples Amerie’s 2005 classic “1 Thing.”
With Asake releasing three albums in as many years, it’s not unreasonable to assume ‘Money’ might arrivebefore the end of the year. There’s also the possibility that he might be willing to take his time a little more now, seeing as he his under his imprint now.
Whatever the case may be, ‘Money’ is likely to arrive sooner rather than later, and it will be fascinating to see what other aces Asake has up his sleeves.
Ayra Starr has released her highly anticipated single “Hot Body.” The Mavin popstar has been teasing...
Ayra Starr has released her highly anticipated single “Hot Body.”
The Mavin popstar has been teasing the new single for a few weeks now, posting multiple promotional videos across social media that built up significant excitement for her third official release of the year. The release of “Hot Body” comes on the heels of recent reports that confirmed the Grammy-nominated singer had officially joined Roc Nation’s roster, the American music label, entertainment, and sports services company founded by rapper and business mogul JAY-Z.
Earlier in February, Ayra Starr shared “All The Love,” a sumptuous Afropop ballad produced by labelmate Johnny Drille and Teemode, before releasing the sleek and sensual Wizkid-assisted “Gimmie Dat” about months later. In that time period, the singer picked up two awards at the 2025 MOBO Awards for Best African Music Act and Best International Act before also clinching her first BET award for Best International Act in June.
It was recently announced that the pop singer would be joining Coldplay on the UK leg of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour between August to September, and her impressive year continues with the release of “Hot Body.” Once again, teaming up with close collaborator Ragee and UK production duo The Elements, Ayra Starr manages to deliver a sweetly erotic summer jam that’s sure to elicit plenty lip-biting, hip gyrating, and flirty winks. “Look what a hot body can do,” she sings repeatedly, almost like an enchantress performing a magic trick.
With her current deal with Mavin and Universal Music still running and the recent confirmation of her management deal with Roc Nation, it’s safe to assume that “Hot Body” might garner significant momentum both at home and abroad. Outside of her music, the singer recently wrapped up the shooting of the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone which is reportedly set for release in early 2027.
Packed with his reflections on faith, love, and cultural pride, ‘Z’ distills ZULO’s thoughts into a...
ZULO is no stranger to reinvention. Formerly known as Lil Trix, the rapper rose through the ranks with a...
ZULO is no stranger to reinvention. Formerly known as Lil Trix, the rapper rose through the ranks with a series of gritty mixtapes that chronicled his upbringing, thrills, and connection to the community. Since his rebrand, he’s steadily grown into a renowned voice in South African Hip-Hop, regarded for his storytelling, cultural homage, and genre fusion.
Three years after the release of ‘Talk To Me Naace,’ his reintroduction to the scene, ZULO has returned with ‘Z,’ a three-track EP that shows a glimpse of his evolution as an artist and human. Packed with his reflections on faith, love, and cultural pride, ‘Z’ distills ZULO’s thoughts into a refined sound that’s bold, emotional, and distinctly South African.
The three-tracker opens with “God’s Armour,” a gospel-inflected protest anthem layered with brass and trap drums. It is followed by “Sweeter Success,” an infectious Afropop-inspired groove built around a nostalgic sample of UPZ’s iconic “Pure Surprise”. Beneath its shine lies a darker message: the emotional cost of ambition, the toll of always pushing for more. ZULO produced the track himself, with additional production from Miglow and SpiceDrums.
‘Z’ closes with “Spaan”, a gritty street anthem that samples Kamazu and confronts addiction, poverty, and the lingering scars of apartheid through the lens of coloured identity. “These songs are battle cries and war journals,” ZULO says. “‘Z’ is everything I’ve fought through to stand where I am. The EP follows a strong run of 2024 singles, including “Adawise,” “JOL,” “Garden,” and “Smaak To Love (Lamza).”