Watch Lojay & Ayra Starr in the video for “Runaway”, the lead single off the coming NATIVE Sound System album
The SOUND is here...with way more coming soon.
The Native Sound System (NSS) began three years ago among a collective of DJs who wanted to introduce the sprawling sounds of Lagos to the world. As they played around the city, communities were united through a shared love of art. A group under the NATIVE Networks, they’ve played iconic sets at our parties and have been involved in events that transverse fashion, international radio and many intersecting pockets of African youth culture worldwide.
In early 2020, NSS organised recording camps in Lagos and London, inviting established and rising artists to put their unique spin on production inspired by alternative music. The sessions from those camps form the backbone for a NATIVE Sound System album that’s been speculation for the better part of the last year. As confirmed earlier this week, the rumours are true, and the trudge towards that album is now more tangible than ever. Today sees the release of “Runaway,” the lead single which features 2021 breakout stars, Lojay and Ayra Starr.
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These days, Lojay’s “Monalisa” and his work across the Sarz-produced LV N ATTN have impressed his brilliance on Afropop audiences worldwide, but months earlier he was hungry for sounds, shredding beats in that NSS London camp. “I was going to the different rooms to hear what they were cooking and every room I enter I am hearing Lojay and I am like “who is this Lojay guy?”, recounts Seni Saraki, A&R and Executive Producer of the album.
On his part, Lojay remembers hearing the beat and being so moved by it that he laid his verse down in about fifteen minutes. “Immediately I heard the melody, I just started recording because it felt right” he says. “I usually do not write on paper. I hear a beat and when it hits, I express myself. If I feel like I am having to put in effort I take a pause and come back to it. They sent me a new version months later and told me Ayra Starr had jumped on it.”
Ayra Starr was in Lagos when the foundation of “Runaway” was sent to her. While it wasn’t initially clear where the song was going, she introduced her typical brilliance, exciting with her vocals and direction. Together they become a convincing but conflicted pair of lovers, impressing their power vocals on the distinct, shimmering production.
On the song, Ayra Starr plays the distant one, the subject of her collaborator’s persistent croonings. “I’m sending kisses through my FaceTime, cos I’m a little lonely,” Lojay sings early in the song, probing further into the mass of their conflict: “I can’t say if you’re happy, or anxiety is coursing through your veins/ tell me if you looking for some closure.”
In her scintillating verse, Ayra is defiant, singing, “I don’t know what you want from me/ I’ll run away, no stopping, you can’t tell me nothing ’bout the deeper calling.”
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“I think Lojay has this great Nigerian hustle spirit in him and Ayra is kind of the opposite,” says DJ Sholz, the song’s co-producer and one of the album’s executive producers. “She is like this pop princess, so it is this marriage between this up-and-coming hustler, and this anointed princess. Like beauty and the beast. The turning point was getting Ayra on the record; it felt like they were singing to each other. We knew then it had to be a ballad.”
“Runaway” effectively sets up the self-titled debut album from the NATIVE Sound System, a concept affair that sonically mirrors the emotions associated with the several seasons in Nigeria—this particular single was created with the current rainy season in mind. Expected to be released sometime this year, the album aligns mainstream and alternative music in ways that haven’t been explored previously, uniting the most promising creatives for that purpose. With Monster Boyz as its executive producers, there will surely be no shortage of community-defining, fire work.
The stirring visual of “Runaway” was directed by Dafe Oburo, who wanted to explore “the fear of self and how we often run away from our true identity.” Shot in multiple locations around Lagos, it channels the poignant moods of the song, its characters expressing loneliness in scenes that possess the intensity of a feature film.
“I want NATIVE Sound System to always be a safe creative space where artists can come and try new things and take the risks to express themselves,” says Seni, “and that doesn’t mean being experimental just for the sake of it. We want to tour the album and connect with people everywhere and on a wider level we want to bring in all our products and services together.”
Listen to “Runaway” here.
ICYMI: AMAARAE, QUACKTAILS & MORE UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS FROM NATIV5
Asake Links With Tiakola On Gritty “BADMAN GANSTA”
Another step towards ‘Money,’ his fourth
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 arrive before 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.
Listen to “BADMAN GANSTA” here.
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Ayra Starr Releases Her Sizzling Anthem, “Hot Body”
An 11th-hour summer anthem for the
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.
Listen to “Hot Body” here.
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Zulo Details His Evolution On New ‘Z’ EP
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 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).”
Listen to ‘Z’ here.
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