Victony is really the revelation of the year for me, though I guess the potential was clear from his first EP. After the tasty production of Juls on My Darling, his latest is produced by Kzito. Adding Babylon because it's also on the playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdWlB1A4Ye8Victony feat. Babyboy AV - Jaga Jaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cPaiU31AtAPatoranking feat. Victony - Babylon
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 10 October 2023 13:52 (eight months ago) link
Jaga Jaga is gorgeous. These subtle percussions are the future.
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 10 October 2023 13:59 (eight months ago) link
Water has a video btwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoiOOiuH8iITyla - Water
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 10 October 2023 14:19 (eight months ago) link
I think Asake is only afropop artist on Pitchfork’s best of albums list 2023 so far
― curmudgeon, Monday, 16 October 2023 15:39 (seven months ago) link
Amaarae? I don't know what I would add to those two. I can't stop listening to the Burna Boy album, but it's not his best, and who else has really delivered a consistent album?
― Frederik B, Monday, 16 October 2023 17:08 (seven months ago) link
Those Victony tracks are fire
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 16 October 2023 19:03 (seven months ago) link
Rema guested with Ice Spice on Saturday Night Live on her second song
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 04:51 (seven months ago) link
one of my friends is obsessed with "water" so i pointed him to some of her other songs ("getting late" esp.) to make sure he knows she's, you know, developing a catalog and isn't just amounting to one hit song. he seems legit excited abt her. international star tyla incoming!
― dyl, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 14:23 (seven months ago) link
From every video and performance I’ve seen of her, Tyla definitely has that IT factor to make it big with the right push.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 15:39 (seven months ago) link
I did a "which afropop song will break through next" poll with my students a while back and they all agreed water was irritatingly catchy to the point of being boring. They did vote for it though.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 09:38 (seven months ago) link
It’s number one now on Billboard US afrobeats chart
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 19:12 (seven months ago) link
Water doesn't do half as much for me as some of her prior stuff. Not sure I'd describe it as "irritatingly catchy", I'm not hearing much hook here
― ...eh you get the gist of it (dog latin), Thursday, 19 October 2023 13:20 (seven months ago) link
It's kind of all hook to me. Just a bit low on fun.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 19 October 2023 16:41 (seven months ago) link
This song from November 2022 just popped up in the YT channel and that definitely should be posted and maybe also on the r&b thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I9ufTCxQ20Adanna Duru - Pop!
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 24 October 2023 09:01 (seven months ago) link
Listening to Lady Donli “Pan African Rockstar “ album. Some of it sounds good
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 26 October 2023 14:55 (seven months ago) link
Loving this jazzy SA sensation:
Oscar Mbo & - KG Smallz - Yes God (feat. Dearson) (Mörda, Thakzin, Mhaw Keys Remix):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bFIkEDffuk
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, 12 November 2023 11:48 (seven months ago) link
Grammys nominees for Feb 2024 awards
Best African Music Performance
AmapianoASAKE & Olamide
City BoysBurna Boy
UNAVAILABLEDavido Featuring Musa Keys
RushAyra Starr
WaterTyla
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 November 2023 03:37 (seven months ago) link
Good choices.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Tuesday, 14 November 2023 14:38 (seven months ago) link
critic and substacker Brad Luen nitpicking Asake--
Asake: Work of ArtPopularizing amapiano with Afrobeat(s) characteristics, he’s become the hottest hitmaker on the Nigerian charts. At album length, it becomes more apparent that the songwriting per se barely exists (poor Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork’s best critic this year, was reduced to making claims about Asake’s “intimate storytelling” to justify an 8.0; should’ve reserved that for NewJeans), though his pidgin can sound Biblical to speakers of other dialects: “heavily, we are getting lit”. But he’s a skilled vocalist, handling varied rhythms and code-switching at will, and he has no shortage of newish-to-pop sonics. Standout “2:30” is the start of a run that tunes the donk into funk almost as avant as DJ Black Low’s, a trick hard to overuse, like the all-too-brief snippets of store-brand highlife and unlike the massed chorales. The closing “Yoga” samples Mauritian(-Australian) singer-percussionist Jason Heerah and suggests a way forward for Asake that involves more engagement with African traditions. Honestly, though, there’s still much room, if little incentive, for him to improve on what he does now. Grade: B (“2:30”, “Yoga”, “Great Guy”)
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 26 November 2023 23:46 (six months ago) link
i don’t care what this guy thinks
― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Monday, 27 November 2023 00:32 (six months ago) link
wtfffffff
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HuZH0P1mL/
i'm gutted. one of the best shows i've seen in years.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Monday, 27 November 2023 00:39 (six months ago) link
Thakzin 3-step music bridges afro-tech house and amapiano
https://x.com/misterminsoo/status/1728997781254336783?s=46&t=u2ZSlsY3trRV36IPP6jNDQ
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 November 2023 04:56 (six months ago) link
https://www.snl24.com/drum/celebs/news/have-you-heard-of-a-new-genre-called-three-step-this-dj-tells-us-where-this-sound-comes-from-20230921
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 November 2023 04:57 (six months ago) link
Felo Le Tee/Mellow & Sleazy: The III Wise Men (New Money Gang)South African amapiano trio, affiliated somehow with DJ Maphorisa (Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe), although the producer names that appear here areTshelofelo Mokhine, Phemelo Sefanyetse, and Olebogeng Kwanaite (plus Mlotlasi Phoshoko on one track). Beats are inscrutable enough they take quite a while to settle in, and will be hard to distinguish from future efforts. But pretty good for now. *- Writer Tom Hull from his year end list
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 21:52 (six months ago) link
Jon Pareles , one of The NY Times music critics, has Nkosazana Daughter “Uthingo Le Nkosazana” album in his additional top 20 albums of 2023 he also likes
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 30 November 2023 16:37 (six months ago) link
Jon Caramanica of NY Times has Asake “Work of Art” as his number 1 album
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 30 November 2023 16:41 (six months ago) link
take that brad luen!
― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Thursday, 30 November 2023 17:18 (six months ago) link
ah fuck does this mean that asake is not going to take brad luen's advice to engage more deeply w/ african traditions......
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 30 November 2023 17:30 (six months ago) link
Lol!
Omah Lay’s Holy Ghost is positively gorgeous:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBjHEkLlrEY
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 30 November 2023 20:20 (six months ago) link
And ODUMODUBLVCK’s Blood On The Dancefloor is something too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr5YwkazQbw
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 30 November 2023 20:24 (six months ago) link
what albums/tracks have been favourites this year, i've done a terrible job at keeping on top of this thread
Tyla (amapiano crossover)
made a thread for tyla since the album's on its way
― ufo, Saturday, 2 December 2023 03:25 (six months ago) link
Apart from the usual suspects (Co-star, Pretty Girl, the Asake and Burna Boy albums etc) I still listen to Adekunle Gold - Chasing Peace of Mind and Davido - In The Garden. I don't get why Unavailable became the big hit, I love that other song to bits.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 08:44 (six months ago) link
At this stage, a lot of the less poppy, more instrumental, and dare i say it 'donk-flavoured', amapiano reminds me of the experimentalism of vintage dub
Vibekulture Sa & Mcdeez Fboy - Duck Vibes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CySpcmCx6o
― ...eh you get the gist of it (dog latin), Tuesday, 5 December 2023 10:17 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ7zd5A6lQIOxlade - Katigori
From the year I'd say:- Anything Victony is on- Ditto Buju / BXNX- Crayon & Ayra Starr - Ngozi- Byron Messia - Talibans- Fireboy DML - Yawa- Omah Lay - Reason- Reekado Banks - Feel Different- Leigh-Anne - My Love- Adanna Duru - Pop!- 2Point1 - Stimela- Abigail Chams & Marioo - Nani?- Sho Madjozi - Chale
That's a start.
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 11:57 (six months ago) link
I'm enjoying seeing this girl grow, she's a raw talent, gives off Gyakie/Tems vibes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqdyB5k1sJIQing Madi - Vision
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 13:34 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj9mwag091U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJXW0uwHrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-PkIzv-Qt8
i really need to keep up with senegalese music properly because it has the best drums in the world
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 13:57 (six months ago) link
me too, i always have the same reaction! thank you for posting these.
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 14:04 (six months ago) link
Couple other things that caught my ear from Senegalese charts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haBMfY0z5M8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKboYK87ROg
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 14:16 (six months ago) link
ooh "ni la deh" is lovely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9e3AogOOz0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5RChlIETwA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_YRqIGzztA
i really love "surprise"
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 14:21 (six months ago) link
Tangal might be the first one I'm really connecting to. But yeah striking how their style is at the crossroads of so many things.
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 14:30 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hALNVDRN4_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmioOXClM2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg81-Iv_guU
ok that's exhausted my youtube digging of the last few days
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 December 2023 15:02 (six months ago) link
Really feeling the 3-Step stuff today
― ...eh you get the gist of it (dog latin), Tuesday, 5 December 2023 16:51 (six months ago) link
Wow, that list of Senegalese music kinda just got better and better. Might vote for Tégguil sa Tank when EOY listmaking begins.
If dog latin or anyone else wants to do a posting spree of 3-step videos it would be must appreciated. What little I've heard, I've liked.
Also, new Teni album out last month, for the people who enjoyed Wondaland! It's not as good, unfortunately :(
― Frederik B, Monday, 11 December 2023 13:46 (six months ago) link
Narah Diouf I see was mentioned last year for a track , and I like that 2023 track “Teguil sa Tank” with Bilou XIV also.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 11 December 2023 17:24 (six months ago) link
https://sondela-recordings.bandcamp.com/album/rising-strong
I have no idea what to call this, it's afrohouse and Thakzin is involved.
Honestly, there's a lot more going on here, kind of big room-ish electrohouse? But it doesn't suck?
Also it's weird to see the old UK Funky people involved in this, Dubplate Malice releases afrohouse on his label and Perempay and Davinche just released something on Sondela a couple months ago.
― pattern loader, Monday, 11 December 2023 19:12 (six months ago) link
Asake and Amaare made Fader best 2023 albums list
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 13 December 2023 16:01 (six months ago) link
last month's cruel santino ep is wonderful, especially "ftr" which combines mbalax drums (finally that sound is moving beyond senegal/gambia!) with rage synths which is an incredible combo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGhEzL3e72o
― ufo, Thursday, 14 December 2023 10:26 (six months ago) link
Oooh, new Cruel Santino music! Thanks :)
― Frederik B, Thursday, 14 December 2023 13:45 (six months ago) link
Flavour's Big Baller is a banger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf40zo26TIE
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Saturday, 16 December 2023 00:09 (five months ago) link
Tyla “water” was 17th on the Uproxx music critic poll for songs.
Amaarae 14th on Uproxx critics poll for albums
― curmudgeon, Monday, 18 December 2023 23:20 (five months ago) link