In the hyperproductive and inventive Amapiano scene, songs are churned out rapidly. On the average, an artist can release about three to five songs or  projects and appear as a guest on countless others. However, only a select few songs get to become bonafide hits that resonate beyond their primary audience. Their cross-market breakthroughs can be attributed to several factors, such as the quality of the song, contributors, release planning, roll-out strategy, promo, and sometimes just pure luck. In 2024, TitoM and Yuppe’s “Tshwala Bam” is the latest to have joined the premium list of Amapiano records that have traversed borders.

Casual Amapiano listeners might not be familiar with TitoM, but dedicated and attentive fans know that this is not an overnight success. The Pretoria-born producer/DJ has worked with multiple established ‘Piano acts and famously appears as a feature on Mellow & Sleazy’s hit tracks “Imnandi Lento,” “Amasango,” and “Thesha.” While Yuppe is on Toby Franco’s “Umona” and Major Keys’ “Cina,” which were both relatively trend-worthy and prominent. 

Following its release on February 23rd, “Tshwala Bam” soared to the top of streaming charts in its home country of South Africa. Armed with a shoulder-throbbing challenge, the viral track has seen seismic growth. It is now well on its way to becoming a global phenomenon with the likes of Kai Cenat, Saucy Santana, Shenseea, Jason Derulo and the Beyoncé famed Les Twins trying their hand at the rhythmic dance challenge. 

The upward trajectory of “Tshwala Bam” mirrors that of Tyler ICU’s “Mnike” — which was the second most exported SA track, according to Spotify 2023 Wrapped data. Over the past few years, a couple of other Amapiano songs have significantly impacted the global pop framework. For instance, three of the five songs nominated for the Best African Music Performance category at this year’s Grammys were steeped in Amapiano elements; the Asake and Olamide hit record is even named after the genre. These fusions have also spawned compelling cross-continental collaborations, one of the latest being the Pheelz-assisted and produced Usher single “Ruin,” which concurrently has a standalone EP featuring Amapiano remixes from Soa Mattrix, Junior Taurus and Major League DJz.

The Making of the Song 

The story of how the now career-defining “Tshwala Bam” came together is one of fate and chance. “I met S.N.E at a social [event], and we did a track,” shares TitoM. Impressed by S.N.E’s natural singing talent, Tito told Yuppe about his desire to work with him more. “We tried to organise a [studio] session with him, but he couldn’t make it. We then decided to create a new beat and use the vocals from the previous track and that’s how “Tshwala Bam” was born,” the Mamelodi township-hailing producer continues. 

“The whole thing was unplanned,” adds Yuppe, who also comes from the same township. “We did the beat in my bedroom studio, but the first version [of the song] is not the one you know. We didn’t finish it, actually. The following morning, we sent [the initial version] to S.N.E.” 

However, it was not as simple and straightforward as they put it. Though he corroborates the story, S.N.E (the lead vocalist on the track) speaks about his disappointment when the initial track he did with Tito was released as an instrumental only, without any explanation or communication. In his head, he thought the vocals were not good enough. So he was pleasantly surprised when Tito and Yuppe used those same vocals as the hook of another song.

After a handful of touch-ups and versions of “Tshwala Bam,” the pair added EeQue to the track. The vocalist-rapper, who has previously collaborated with the globetrotting Uncle Waffles (“Yahyuppiyah”) and Focalistic (“Khekheleza”), brought his dashing melodies and dizzying flow to the table, adding another pocket to an already exhilarating record.

The Song’s Meaning and Messaging 

While the dance has been the driving force, the song’s lyrics and meaning have also sparked conversation online. There have been varying interpretations of the lyrics and their meaning, even among South Africans. Although the song’s lyrics are sung in isiZulu—the country’s most widely spoken (and understood) indigenous language, S.N.E jokingly says he is now also unsure about what he hears when he listens back despite being the one who wrote the words. “People just started saying “mzala” (cousin) instead of “tshwala” (alcohol),” S.N.E clarifies the first line of the hook. “To a point where now I even hear myself saying “mzala” when I know what I said when we recorded.” 

Though underpinned by a thumping, floor-inviting beat, the song carries a weighty message and tackles a heavy societal issue. “I wrote it from the perspective of someone who abuses alcohol,” S.N.E reflects. “I highlight and try to relate to someone who has a drinking problem. I stay in the township so I see so many of them. And I see how much they themselves realise that alcohol is wrong for them, but they still drink it.”

Lyrics and English translation of the hook

“Ngixolele tshwala (mzala)[forgive me alcohol (my cousin)]/ Ungay’qed’ imali yami [don’t finish my money]/ Uyang’sind’ umthwalo wami [my burdens are heavy]/ Ngal’theth’icala [I spoke about this before]/ Wetshwal’udlala ngami [you are playing with me alcohol]/ Endlini bakhala ngami [they are complaining about me at home]/ Wadlala ngami wetshwala bami [you played with me, my alcohol].”

The song’s subtext highlights the complicated relationship between people and liquor. “It’s more like having a conversation with alcohol,” the Soweto-raised vocalist clarifies of the original lyrics. “This is for someone who acknowledges that they are an alcoholic and realise how bad their situation is so much that they result in talking to the actual problem so as to plead with [the alcohol] to leave them alone.” 

TikTok Challenge and Streaming Success

In the last few years, TikTok has bolstered the popularity of many songs. In the post-COVID-19 social media and streaming era, a number of songs first surface as teasers on the short-form video platform, and then some sort of challenge or use of the sound carries the snippet to notable virality. Similarly, the “Tshwala Bam” trend begins with a clip of three guys (dressed in black) doing the now-famous dance at what seems to be a house party. The only catch is that they had been dancing to a different song when the original video was first shared. “I started uploading the sound onto TikTok around December, but people didn’t pay much attention to it,” Yuppe shares.

“We were about to drop another song [“Aklaleki”], but I also wanted to push “Tshwala Bam” because it had so much potential. Then this guy I met through TikTok combined the video [of the three guys dancing] with the sound and, boom, it was magic.”

Thereafter, social media users started discovering and resharing the updated video. The song stuck and grew enormously as the clip became famous, and people started using the sound to participate in the challenge. Since going viral on TikTok, the sound (both original and official) has amassed 7 billion views and 5 million creations on the platform. On streaming platforms alike, the club banger has reached unprecedented milestones. In just over one month since its release, the infectious song has amassed 14 million combined views on the audio on YouTube. It has surpassed 15 million global streams on Spotify—making it the fastest Amapiano song in history to achieve this feat. The mega-hit track remained at the top of the streaming giant’s daily and viral charts for over 45 days consecutively. With over 5 million streams on Apple Music, it has reached the apex on the DSP’s all-genres charts in South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, eSwatini, and Nigeria—becoming the first South African song in three years to reach the peak of the highly competitive chart, the last song being Focalistic & Davido’s “Ke Star (Remix).” 

There have been momentous uptakes in charts outside the continent as well; the U.S., the U.K., and Germany are in the top five streaming countries for the monstrous track after SA and Nigeria on Spotify. It has also landed some impressive Spotify’s Viral and Shazam charts positioning in countries such as France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Canada. The anthemic song debuted on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs charts at #26 and joined Tyla’s “Water” as the only South African song to land on the renowned charts in its first week. It went on to peak in the top ten. On the other side of the Atlantic, “Tshwala Bam” debuted at #3 on the UK Official Afrobeats Chart. “It’s so surprising what the song has done,”  Yuppe admits of its success. S.N.E concurs:

“I didn’t expect this to happen because of how the song was created. The vocals were initially rejected, so naturally, I didn’t expect any good or much from them. I had given up on those lyrics and vocals.” 

The track’s universal appeal continues daily as global stars and internet sensations attempt to do the challenge. Its massive triumph adds to the steady growth of Amapiano globally. It solidifies the genre as not just a seasonal, one-mega-hit-song fad in other markets outside of South Africa.

[Featured Image Credits/The NATIVE]

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