We’re more than halfway through 2022, and it’s been an eventful year for Afropop. There’s been a torrent of great new music, spawning a massive stack of inventive smash hit songs. From Highlife-infused Ghanaian pop, to the unrelenting force that is Nigerian street-pop, to South Africa’s indomitable Dance scene, to tantalising Drill explorations in East and Central Africa, and much, much more, we’re living through abundant and musically expansive times.

Every week, tonnes of songs from African artists make their way to digital streaming platforms, and wading through them can be intense. That’s where The NATIVE’s Songs of the Day column comes in to help. We go through as many new releases as possible, spotlighting them here, two to three times every week. This Friday, enjoy new releases from Chike, Ogranya, DJ Tunez and more. Dig in!

Olamide – “We Outside”

Following the success of the Wande Coal-assisted hit single “Hate Me,” veteran rapper Olamide has arrived with his most recent offering “We Outside.” The Magicstix produced record sees the rapper speaking on his accomplishments so far as he sees his dues paying off. He opens the record chanting “Hustle for the money, till early morning/hustle don dey pay me, I wanna jaiye ni temi,” letting listeners know how far he has come. 

Gabzy – “Set Nice”

The best word to describe Gabzy is consistent. After recently featuring on the ‘NATIVEWORLD’ album on the record “TGIF,” Gabzy is now here with the mid tempo romantic number titled “Set Nice.” On the track, he describes his love interest and the hold she has over him. He sings moving lyrics such as, “From afar I see this pretty girl chocolate caramel, she’s not the usual this girl is not typical/Body phenomenal, the way she move you know In feeling her.”

Joe Kingston – “MAPESSA”

Joe Kingston is back at the right time for the summer with a new track called “MAPESSA.” “Mapessa” roughly translates as “money,” and Kingston draws parallels between the summertime and splurging cash. He delivers a summery track to cheer listeners up at times when you need to have some fun and splurge some cash after a stressful week. This is the perfect track to add to your summer playlist.

DJ Neptune – “Grinding” ft. S1mba

On the new record “Grinding,” Nigerian DJ and producer DJ Neptune teams up with British Zimbabwean rapper and singer S1mba. The Magicstix-produced track sees the artist focusing on working hard and stacking his cash. On the chorus of the record, he sings catchy lyrics such as “Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday, now they see I’m shining, I’m gon keep on grinding.”

Backroad Gee – “Blessed”

Congolese-British drill rapper Backroad Gee is dominating Drill conversations coming out of the UK. Earlier this year, he teamed up with Apex village rappers, Psycho YP and Zilla Oaks for a catchy drill anthem titled “IC3,” and has now arrived with his latest offering “Blessed.” The infectious new record sees the artist at his reflective state, as he expresses his gratitude for how far he has come in his career.

Young AI – “Permit Me” ft. Zinoleesky

Newcomer Young AI teams up with Zinoleesky for the upbeat record “Permit Me.” The song sees both artists chanting lyrics to their respective muses, lyrics such as “baby don’t reason me local, i’m not joker/I don’t want to hear it’s over”

Featured Image Credits/The NATIVE