After the many wins forged by Afropop last year, the musical landscape has never looked more promising. As such the fast and furious pace of new music releases makes it hard to keep track of all the good music coming out of Africa. That’s where our Songs of the Day column comes in.

We’re doing the work to stay on pulse with all the music coming out from across the continent and beyond, bringing you exciting songs of tomorrow: today. Earlier this week, we brought you new releases from Shasimone, Adekunle Gold, Ycee & more. Now to ease you into your routines for the week, we are bringing you releases from CKay, AYLØ, Kawabanga, Somadina & more. Enjoy.

Ronehi & AYLØ – “Saudade” 

Since releasing his excellent sophomore project, “dnt’dlt,” AYLØ has maintained a causal aloofness within the music industry. Last year’s “Project 19” was a poignant tale of exiting a relationship on peaceful terms, using his ornate writing to capture his side in the difficult scenario. His latest single, “Saudade,” a collaborative single with Ronehi finds him recounting the high points of a relationship and all that bliss that it brought him over Ronehi’s buttery instrumental. 

Somadina ft. SGaWD – “Kno Me”

Back in 2020, Somadina and SGaWD served up a delicious slice of pop rap on “Kno Me” while solidifying themselves as part of a new lineage of rap women taking their position at the center of the genre. More than 12 months later, the Nollywood-themed video for the single has arrived and finds the singers luxuriating in the company of their female friends while bathed in red neon lights. 

SuperSmashBroz ft. Chrystel – “Whine For Your Life”

Boston DJ Duo, SuperSmashBroz, have built a reputation for pairing their R&B soundscape with experimentalist patterns that meander from emo-rock to soul-tinged Afropop. On their latest project, these influences collide across the 12 minutes runtime of ‘Miles Away,‘ as they intently bring the cadence and lingo into their work. On “Whine For Your Life,” Chrystel Bagrou melds afropop with Caribbean influences while urging people to throw it down on the dancefloor as she lustrously whispers the words of the song. 

Kawabanga – “Broke Niqqas Is Sick” 

Last year, Ghanaian drill ascended to global popularity thanks to a gritty series of singles that originated from the Santasi and Bantama areas of Kumasi led by Kawabanga’s “Akatafoc.” On his debut album, ‘God Bless Kawabanga,’ the rapper expands on the narrative that birthed his breakout single and nowhere does his energy and dynamism shine through like it does on “Broke Niqqas Is Sick,” a withering denunciation of lack and his urgent manifesto to make a success of his life regardless of the price or cost of success. 

Mwanjé ft. Sampha The Great – “Wildones”

Newcomer, Mwanjé’s, fluid sonic style spans alternative R&B, neo-soul, jazz and spoken word poetry and inspired by her elder sister, Sampa The Great, her debut single, “‘Wildones,”  speaks to freedom, innocence and the recklessness of blind youth. Ably assisted by Sampa here, Mwanjé’s flair for storytelling through music and symbolic visuals help her stamp her mark fresh out of the door while speaking with a wisdom that is not typically associated with youth. 

Amaarae ft Kali Uchis & Moliy – “Sad Girlz Luv Money Remix”

After delivering the hypnotic remix for the hit single “Sad Girlz Luv Money”, Amaarae, Kali Uchis & Moliy have teamed up to deliver the vibrant video for the track. The video finds all three artists showing off their dollar bills and stacking up their racks, letting listeners and viewers know they’re all about their money. The vibrant and colourful video is directed video by Remi Laudat.

Lil Kesh ft. Zinoleesky – Don’t Call Me

As 2021 winded up, it was undoubtedly clear that street pop had spent another year soundtracking some of the most euphoric moments in Nigerian music and no one contributed to that charge more than Zinoleesky. He caught another hit on his slow-burning collaboration with Lil Kesh, “Don’t Call Me,” which was originally released with a visualiser. The official video for the single is out now and sees the duo replicate the party-starting energy of the song across a series of shots that take them from deep in the streets to the bowels of an empty swimming pool.

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