The past few months have been difficult to go through. An ongoing pandemic has forced us to significantly curtail movements and social interactions, and at the same time, we’re fighting injustices on multiple fronts. Luckily, the one palliative we can rely on is the continued and diverse stream of music that has continued to grace ears from all over the continent. In a bid to highlight the best songs, we’ve looked around to bring you the songs you absolutely need to hear.

Our weekend selections included pre-album singles from Adekunle Gold, Cuppy and Niniola, new singles Jidenna, AKA, and more. To start the week, we’re bringing you an enjoyable selection from Ycee, The Cavemen, Missaei, Psycho YP, Jay10Szn, Mike World, and more. Enjoy.

The Cavemen – “Anita”

The Cavemen season is in full effect. While we wait for the release of their debut project ‘ROOTS’, we have two singles from the group this year, the latest of which is “Anita”, a highlife-inspired soothing and sumptuous romantic cut.

‘Pay me my salary/I want to marry’ they sing in-sync over the chorus, as an array of jaunty guitars, rattles, drums, and horns set the angelic soundscape allowing the Cavemen to lay down their established ministry; delivering the best love songs from these parts through the charged spirit of the highlife genre.

Missaei – “Killa”

For her second single of the year “Killa”, LA-based singer/songwriter Missaei leans further into romantic tropes atop melodies that swell and shimmer with each word she sings. Over her self-produced single, she sings ‘Why you gon’ fight when you killa/Looking so right on sight yea ya killa’ questioning a love interest about their intentions. Missaei always made the kind of music that might support you in dancing through your issues, as she sensually sings about an attractive lover who may be bad for her, but makes her feel right.

PopBoys x Hvrry – “Done Did It” featuring Psycho YP

If there’s one thing we’ve noticed about Psycho YP, it’s his tenacious work ethic. Just this year alone, he’s racked up pretty impressive features with everyone from Sypho the Gift, Alpha Ojini, Malik Bawa, and many more. For his latest, he’s teamed up with producer, Hvrry on new single “Done Did It” from the musical collective, PopBoys.

Psycho YP exchanges bars about getting his shit popping and having a hold on your girl, which he does with ease. ‘Everyday I thank God I’m alive/But to the niggas that be living a lie/You ain’t really got shit in the safe’ he raps in melancholic vocals over a frenzy of strings, echoing synths and drums.

SGaWD – “Feel Right” featuring Mafeni & DOZ

After talking her shit on the anthemic number, “Whorephobia”, singer/rapper SGaWD is back with a new single “Feel Right” featuring Mafeni and produced by DOZ. For “Feel Right”, she drops the slick-tongued kiss-offs for a more soothing and melodious vocals where she shows off more of her romantic side.

Over the infectious beat, she sings  ‘I just want to love you every day, every night/ I just want to show you that I’m down’, expressing that although she’s been wronged in the past, she’s ready to commit to a new partner. She’s joined on the second verse by Mafeni who raps ‘hardly let people in/I ghost on folks unprovoked/of course I do not commit’ as he accepts his past shortcomings in relationships that held him back from finding the one. This is a really good one to help you unwind this new week.

Mike World – “What You Want”

For his first single of the year, newcomer, Mike World is airing out his romantic frustrations on “What You Want”. We’ve all had romantic entanglements with love interests who give us mixed signals, and Mike World is no stranger to such relationships as they are the primary focus of his latest single. ‘You need to tell me what you want/You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone’ he sings, over a catchy drum-led beat as he pleads with a love interest to make up her mind about their connection before it’s too late.

Jay10 – “WATCH the THRONE” featuring Marv OTM

For his fourth single of the year, Ibadan-raised rapper Jay10 delivers a 3-pack single titled ‘Deleted Memories’ with the undeniable standout being “WATCH the THRONE” featuring producer, Marv OTM. Over … beat, he raps about being the underdog and his mission to get to the top at all costs.

In a year of seismic change where we have seen so many systems and structures fail, we’re all hoping that the underdogs, who are gatekept from attaining their full potential, break the chains and form their own table. ‘Bottom of the league, I’m tryna make it to the top/I’m coming for the throne can they save me a spot’ Jay10 clapbacks, as he untilises vocals that fall somewhere between rapping and singing while stating his intention to come for the throne that is rightfully his.

Featured image credits/Instagram

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