A new year, more often than not, presents an opportunity for fresh opportunities and starts across the board, and music is not an exception to the rule. While we experienced a thrilling renaissance of rising acts in 2025, eyes are already turned towards what’s coming next in our music, and uNder remains the perfect medium to acquaint oneself with the musicians who are set to have a definitive impact on African music in the coming months and years.

Whether it’s Ayjay bobo who’s already turning heads with his work on “HOW FAR,” or Sandro, who’s rebooting his career, the central promise of this column remains to provide visibility for our next creative class of musicians. We hope you enjoy discovering their music and continue to root for them as they figure out their paths. Welcome back to uNder. 

Ayjay bobo

For Fans of Nonso Amadi, Victony, and Ruger

The Nigerian music scene moves at breakneck speed, and few have caught the wind quite like Ayjay bobo. Emerging from Abuja’s underground circuit, where a new strain of sound often referred to as Nepopiano has been taking shape, he has grown into one of the most talked-about names in the country’s new wave. It is a space filled with young tastemakers and self-starters, and Ayjay fits right in.

He began by releasing his own songs and small projects, building a following online and across streaming platforms. The groundwork paid off. His breakthrough came with “HOW FAR,” a collaboration with NO11 and Monochrome that travelled swiftly across TikTok before spilling into the wider streaming world. Driven by tight percussion and a sticky hook, the track invited replay after replay and placed Ayjay at the centre of the Nepopiano conversation.

The 19-year-old  moves between rapping and singing with ease, a fluidity he credits to the influence of Wizkid. That range runs through his growing catalogue. Time spent in the United Kingdom has shaped his cadence, giving his delivery a crisp, cross-continental swing. His records double as a showcase of vocal control; there is an airy tone to his voice that easily glides with the soul reminiscent of the golden era of Alté, calling to mind artists such as Gabzy, Nonso Amadi and BOJ.

A defining thread in Ayjay bobo’s come-up has been his fierce optimism about where he is headed. The young star has long predicted his own superstardom, and that conviction is clear on ‘Lost Files.’ Across the EP, he speaks about his rise with certainty on tracks like “Superstar” and “Feels,” settling into melodic pockets that have become his hallmark. He strengthens that stance on last year’s ‘Bobo Dey Hot,’ a project that zones in on him at his most self-assured.  He coolly delivers jams like the Zaylevelten-assisted “Kwanta” and “Aktiv” featuring Khameel, but he stays true to form, manifesting on the cocksure “Lystyle,” “Cause I know it’s gone come and my time is near.”

So far, that faith has held firm. With talent this great and an artistic skill this sharp, Ayjay bobo is standing at the precipice of something bigger, and the timing feels aligned. – M.A.

Sandro

For Fans of: Fireboy DML, Justin Bieber, and Wizkid.

Sandro might only be at the start of his career but the Paris-based singer has a overarching vision of what he’s working his way towards, delivering soul-inflected interrogations on live filtered through a Pop framework. He was born in Clamart, France with Beninese origins, and is blessed with the sort of textured, honeyed delivery that’s quickly making him a voice for the moment amongst Francophone audience, taking inspiration from American acts like Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber as well as major figures from the French music scene such as Ronisia, RSKO, Aya Nakamura, and Ninho.

Like many rising artists, Sandro took his first steps on the internet, finding an audience through freestyles and tracks shared on Snapchat that helped build his profile during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouraged by his friend Fatou Manda and his younger brother Sema, he released a series of singles that marked the beginning of his career. Some of those songs like the buttery “Donne-moi Tout” and “In Fine” bear the mark of a precocious talent finding his voice in real time as he explored the depth of attraction and duty with a high level of precision. 

Sandro’s initial foray into music, marked by experimentation, led him to make a decision to take a three-and-a-half-year break. This period was dedicated to a deep search for his voice, his artistic identity, and the building of a strong new team to service his music. He made a return in January 2026 with “FAMOUS,” a sensual R&B cut that finds him emoting about romance like he never stepped away. As always, his dulcet vocals are a highlight, rising above the minimalist instrumental to express his interest in showing his love interest the best things of life. Close to six years after he initially started his musical journey, Sandro is back in the mix of things and he’s hunkered down for the long haul. – W.O.

jaykatana

For fans of: BrotherKupa, Nasty C, and Lil Wayne

jaykatana has assembled one of the most interesting catalogues in South Africa’s underground rap scene, wittingly fusing indigenous South African elements with Trap music.  His name is the first clue to who he is. Not borrowed from a street alias or a childhood nickname as most artists would, but pulled straight from the world of anime, he imbues the same sensibility of distinct storytelling into his music.  He was shaped by the music his uncles played, mirroring artists like Lil Wayne and Young Thug before ingeniously expanding his tone and delivery.  

When his debut single, “Pain,” arrived a decade ago,  he already had a clear sense of direction. But it all didn’t come together until he scored his first viral hit, “Eish!,”  inviting listeners to the multiverse of a rapper who understood that the underground rewards authenticity above everything else. From there, hiscatalogue began to take shape. His 2024 debut album, ‘The world is yours: reloaded,’  was an audacious statement of ambition. 

However, his sophomore album, ‘Mad Max,’ was a more natural extension of everything jaykatana had been building towards. Themes of survival, self-reliance, and moving through the world with a certain grit have always been present in his music, and the project solidified it. What makes jaykatana’s growth compelling is that it has never felt forced. Each project unfurled a new layer while retaining the core of his story, and it is the reason why, when jaykatana does break through to a wider audience, it will feel completely earned. – M.E.

Lali X Lola

For fans of: Ayra Starr, Chloe x Halle, Oiza & Meyi

Over the past few years, identical sisters Lali X Lola, who hail from Cape Coast, have been steadily working to redefine Ghana’s Pop and R&B music scene on their own terms. Initially starting as dancers, the sisters arrived on the scene with a wealth of entertainment experience that has been instrumental in their transition to recording artists and continues to stand them in good stead as they build their reputation as one of Ghana’s most promising musical acts. Their official debut single, “Not The Same,” a self-assured duet that served as a decent introduction to their style, arrived in late 2021. 

A succession of singles, most notably the playful dance bop “Johnny,” which is reminiscent of Yemi Alade’s 2014 hit, and the slinky “Picture Us,” followed, culminating in their debut EP ‘From Words to Magic.’ Produced largely by Rapidd, the sisters stack intricate vocal arrangements and showcase their decent songwriting skills over their close collaborator’s lush instrumentation. They accelerated their output from that point on, refining and expanding the scope of their music over the course of two additional 6-track EPs released within a year, a run that helped them secure the Emerging Woman of the Year award at the 2024 3Music Awards. 

One of their biggest singles yet, “Pepper Demm,” a groovy affair that excels thanks to the sisters’ sultry delivery and Rapidd’s rhythmic drums, arrived in early 2025, giving them sufficient momentum to release their debut album ‘Pepper Soup’ a few months later. Across highlights like the warm R&B-inspired opener “Could It Be,” “What It Was,” the steamy high-octane banger “Soso,” and “Pepper Demm” remix, which features Kojo Manuel and a standout verse from rapper Elestee, who injects new energy into the track,  Lali X Lola show a much more mature and varied artistic vision. 

The sisters continue to be relentless in their output, following up their album with recent singles like “I See You” and “Don Do.” Their latest “Kamikaze,” another groovy number fit for the dancefloor, has already started gaining some traction online, underscoring their growing influence as one of Ghana’s most promising rising stars and their unwavering dedication to their craft. – B.A.