DRB tease upcoming album ‘Pioneers’ with new single, “Softly”

Early in her career, Amaarae largely stood out for her earworm melodies and whispery vocals, which often cooed over airy Afropop-inspired beats. Her 2020 debut album, ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ however, represented a shift in her approach, ambitiously fusing genres like Afropop, sultry R&B, Hip-Hop and Pop-Rock into something that gave an exciting glimpse into what the future of Pop could sound like. The album’s runaway hit single, “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY,” provided Amaarae with significant momentum and a bigger platform to push the envelope even further with her 2023 sophomore ‘Fountain Baby,’ an opulent and sonically diverse album, which positioned her as a new gravitational force in Pop.

On her latest studio album, ‘BLACK STAR,’ Amaarae shows how far out there she’s willing to go, exploring a wide range of dance genres like Jersey Club, Zouk, Detroit Techno, Baile Funk, Deep House, and Kpalongo with equal enthusiasm and reverence, while painting a fuller picture of herself as a Pop savant with no limits. There’s arguably no dull moment across the album’s 44-minute runtime, but the best Amaarae songs tend to be the ones where she sounds like she’s having an intimate conversation with her listener: lush, delicate, and most importantly, sensual. That’s exactly what “B2B” represents. 

“B2B, bi to bi / Fuck on me, fuck you back / I unleash, you attach /Fuck on me, fuck you back,” she sings softly in the opening seconds of “B2B,”  setting the tone for what is a deviously hypnotic and sexy record that marries the reverie of Deep House with the blissful melodies of South Africa’s Amapiano sub-genre. It’s the kind of song that immediately evokes strobing lights and the humid embrace of a crowded dancefloor, thanks in part to the genius of frequent collaborator Kyu Steed and Ape Drums, the newest member of Major Lazer.  

If the first half of the track’s pulsating rhythm is fit for the function, its second half, ushered in by elegant guitar strings, is fit for the wind down, the ride home, where you’re staring out the window, exhausted from the night’s activity. Amaarae’s helium vocals would be fit for company as she gently contemplates the complexities of a steamy affair. ‘Are you my virtue or vice?’ she sings with a dose of skepticism in her voice. 

On an intricate body of work where Amaarae manages to infuse most of the songs with a wealth of influences–from the expansive feature list to sampling and interpolating a couple of niche and popular records–“B2B” stands out as arguably the most straightforward track on ‘BLACK STAR.’ It’s breezy in the way a lot of earlier Amaarae tracks were, but also a little more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill Dance bop, highlighting just how unique the Ghanian-American star’s style has grown to become. 

Shortly after the release of ‘BLACK STAR,’ Amaarae took to her active X account to give her opinion on her new album. “icl BLACK STAR is my personal favorite amaarae album,” she stated in one tweet like an excited fan account. In another tweet, where she gave her initial thoughts on the album, she lists “B2B” as one of her personal favourites from the album, saying “I THINK B2B IS POSSIBLY THE BEST EXPRESSION OF THE SIGNATURE AMAARAE SOUND (OR ATLEAST MY FAV).” We’re inclined to agree, Amaarae.  

Listen to ‘Black Star‘ here.

Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’ 

Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later. 

His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career. 

Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche. 

While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.  

Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.

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.