It’s only a few weeks into 2020, and we’ve already seen some very strong collaborations that could set the pace for African music for the rest of the year and decade. Just this weekend, Rema kept eyes on him globally, at his half-time performance at the NBA All-Star game last night alongside 2 Chains.

On the music side, he’s also just dropped a remix to his magnum opus, “Dumebi” with Becky G, and it looks like the catchy song will be making it way further out than President Obama’s playlist after this. Continent wide, Ckay’s new collaboration with Joeboy and Kwame Eugene solidifies the great synergy between Nigerian and Ghanaian musicians, while within the country, L.A.X and 2baba make a fantastic pair we didn’t know we needed.

In the NATIVE’s new daily column, Songs of the day, the team will be curating a list of the best new releases every day from across the continent, so get ready to update your playlists today.

Rema – “Dumebi (Remix)” ft. Becky G

Rema’s 2019 breakout campaign was characterised by a consistent slew of hit songs, “Dumebi” arguably being the biggest of the bunch. No to take his agenda even further, his first release of the year leaves a stronger mark on afropop’s global footprint, with the Becky G-assisted remix to the Ozedikus-produced banger. While the catchy beat remains the same, Becky G adds a verse in Spanish, as well as a bridge which the pair harmonise.

CKay – “love nwantiti (ah ah ah)” ft. Joeboy & Kuami Eugene

Last August, CKay finally released his long-awaited debut EP, ‘CKay the First’. Still in promotion of the 8-track project, dropped an extended version of one of the project’s standouts, “love nwantiti (ah ah ah)”, featuring Joeboy and Ghanaian singer Kuami Eugene, just in time for Valentine’s day.

The song was released with a music video which plays into the track’s flirty narrative, and we see each artist being amorous with their love interest.

Shaykeh – “Joro”

Although Shaykeh has only three songs in her discography so far, her music presents her formidable abilities, which we see again on her latest single, “Joro”. Elegantly written and sung,  she details the flirty advances of a man who is enamoured by her beauty and considers himself a suitable love interest due to his affluence.

“Stop, don’t touch it/I know you want to touch it”, Shaykeh sings over the catchy mid-tempo beat, staying in control of the situation at all time.

L.A.X – “Gobe” ft. 2Baba

After giving us sparce hits throughout the last decade, L.A.X has come into the new decade with a bang. His first release of the year is “Gobe”, featuring 2Baba is already set to be a hit we will be hearing on radios and at parties all year. Over the mid-tempo production by Clemzy, both singers confess their unfaithfulness to their love interests, detailing the women they cheated with and how they went about their creeping.

AYLØ – “Project 19”

After two years of relative silence, AYLØ re-emerged last August with his excellent sophomore mixtape, ‘dnt’dlt’. Now, to show us that he’s back in the flow of things, the rapper/singer is currently working on his debut album, and he’s just dropped a new loose single, “Project 19” to prove it.

Over Benny Que’s submerged piano and plodding 808 drums, AYLØ sings about exiting a relationship on peaceful terms, using his ornate writing to capture his side in the difficult scenario.

Scarlet – “Ulipo”

After a four-year hiatus, Zambian singer-songwriter recently made a return with “Ulipo”, a new romantic single released just in time for Valentine’s Day. On her new track, she celebrates reconnecting with an old flame over a gorgeous bed of piano harmonies, colourful guitar riffs and groovy percussions. While she doesn’t perform any of her lyrics, her radiant voice and appealing melodies aptly convey her blue-eyed intentions.

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Dennis is not an interesting person. Tweet Your Favourite Playboi Carti Songs at him @dennisadepeter

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