so Simi and Fave made a lovely single together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5qoTakVVAMSimi ft. Fave • Loyal
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 11 November 2022 23:01 (one year ago) link
…and this is Fave’s latest, “Scatta Scatta”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQe9ZezSQgYshe only had a choreo for half the track
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 11 November 2022 23:21 (one year ago) link
i forget where we talked about tyla from south africa who had that great song "getting late" last year... i thought she had superstar potential but she's barely put out music since and they lost the momentum, not sure what happened.
"getting late" was actually from 2019 but just got a big push last year with a video. the follow-up "overdue" was even better but i think didn't do as well commercially. idk what she's doing yeah, the "getting late" video got her an international deal with epic so it wouldn't surprise me if it's weird label shenanigans where "overdue" underperformed so they slowed way down.
"to last" is pretty nice though, hope there's more on the way
― ufo, Saturday, 12 November 2022 03:03 (one year ago) link
I made the naija poll: Best Naija Pop Album/EP in 2022
Apols to Ayra Starr, but I decided to be ruthless about the release year.
Ruger is not on that poll, though Girlfriend might end up my SOTY. His new one is really lovely (musically anyway):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_-R1JKCNrA
Ruger - Asiwaju
― rob, Wednesday, 16 November 2022 14:36 (one year ago) link
Yeah Girlfriend is currently my track of the year too!
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 15:40 (one year ago) link
I'm not really one to listen to whole Afro pop albums but I'll give these all a listen
I especially like it when Ruger sings "Baby, let me take a look / OHHH LORD!"
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 15:44 (one year ago) link
Three minutes of sweetness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7Gofo8j3E0Iyanya - One Side
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 16 November 2022 15:50 (one year ago) link
sweet like banana
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 19:43 (one year ago) link
alongside “Asiwaju” Ruger also twin-released Girlfriend - The Sequel, called “Red Flags”. spoiler alert: gf in question leaves him, Ruger gaslights her:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zEPGHPZCF8
another sweet jam from Iyanya’s new EP is “Sweet Argentina”, with Kuami Eugene providing the Ghanaian flavour - that’s three quarters of a World Cup group of… sweet there:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDpUG5cF1iY
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 19:57 (one year ago) link
Wizkid show in March 2023 in Washington DC is @ Capital One Arena that holds 18,000. Booked by Live Nation
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 November 2022 21:20 (one year ago) link
Just overheard Tyla - To Last in a store - mentioned upthread by j0rdan - and idk if it was the bass in there but it sounded really good.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 22:58 (one year ago) link
Also overheard “Guchi - I swear” next. Not as impressive but also sounded nice.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 23:01 (one year ago) link
Ok just heard Tyla on my cheapest headphones and have to reconfirm that bass is massive
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 19 November 2022 01:02 (one year ago) link
ooh, “I Swear” is very sweet!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQkSDnHXc20Guchi ft. Yemi Alade • I Swear
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 11:52 (one year ago) link
where is the store you’re hearing these songs in, Moka?
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 11:54 (one year ago) link
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 12:05 (one year ago) link
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl)
It’s a local sneakers store - different brands. I go from time to time, they always have great music.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:11 (one year ago) link
so in Mexico, right?
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:19 (one year ago) link
I want to highlight “Sete” by K.O with fellow SA rappers Young Stunna and Blxckie, a song Nabozo posted back in September. two months later it’s still sitting atop of the SA charts. it has slowly evolved into one of my favorites of the year - a beautiful breeze of a song. Nabozo called it an amapiano ballad, but I have to disagree: the interesting thing to me is that it sounds very much like a Mzansi version of an afrobeats song.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErB9HJU2vOk(btw the cross-pollination is real: I can’t remember a time when Naijapop was doing this well in SA (“Calm Down”, “Last Last”, “Ku Lo Sa”, “Rush”, all big hits). maybe they provide an African alternative to the homegrown amapiano dominance - although interestingly, the Naijapiano bastardizations are doing very well too: Kizz & Tekno’s “Buga (Lo Lo)” was huge and even Asake’s “Organise” is making waves)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:22 (one year ago) link
speaking of perfect blends of Naija and SA piano:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf7zrgeK_kULojay ft. DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small & Herc Cut The Lights • Canada
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:43 (one year ago) link
“Bad Boy”, Oxlade’s new song with Mayorkun, makes me a bit sad. yes, it’s produced by Magicsticks (a/k/a Mr. Providing Asake with the Vibes), but it’s a bit generic and is devoid of most everything that makes Oxy so unique as a vocalist and a songwriter:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcsYXN39_Rw(I can only imagine how hard it is to deal with an out-of-the-blue global smash hit when you haven’t even been able to establish yourself as a major star in your home market. the pressure (internal and external) to come up with the “right” follow-up must be enormous. CKay (a lesser talent), who was in a similar situation, might have handled it pretty wisely: come up with a copycat followup (“Emiliana”), but otherwise keep plotting your own course. hopefully it will pay off for him.)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 08:48 (one year ago) link
the new DJ Tunez joint, also a Magicsticks production, at least has a healthy dose of oomph and Wande Coal personality (plus killer organ licks!) - in short, “Flex”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0UJ32t3Us
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 08:49 (one year ago) link
Hey! Emiliana is a *jam*!
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 10:13 (one year ago) link
did I say it wasn’t?
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 10:16 (one year ago) link
that Lojay song is great and the Canadiana in the lyrics/video is p funny, interesting that Canada has become such a diasporic/emigrant signifier (Skeng put out a "Canada" this year too, though it's not great)
I'm kinda bored by both those Magicsticks songs—not sure if he needs Asake to make it work, or if I'm tiring of this sound
― rob, Wednesday, 23 November 2022 14:17 (one year ago) link
did someone say they wanted faster stuff?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd0aor9XcVMOyoki Onanayo • Maman Bololo(cheating of course, as this is Ivorian)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 25 November 2022 08:40 (one year ago) link
sounds like a hit - and not unlike “eMcimbini”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqus4a-mxIIRotimi ft. Nektunez • Make You Say
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 27 November 2022 18:09 (one year ago) link
timely, because yes, they did bring back the love today! - also quite subdued for a football anthem, and all the more appealing for it frankly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_zg693gBw4G.F.A. ft. King Promise • Black Stars (Bring Back The Love)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 28 November 2022 21:52 (one year ago) link
Ivorian faster-stuff provider Oyoki Onanayo coming thru again, this time with old thread friend Serge Beynaud:
"Mata Pkohou": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEgNZhdl_jM
absolute scenes at the local market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT3YFHLL1kE
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 29 November 2022 22:24 (one year ago) link
Loving the Ivorian stuff. My thing totally
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 29 November 2022 23:57 (one year ago) link
Have any of you listened to the Hagan album Textures? I checked it out after seeing this Resident Advisor review: https://ra.co/reviews/35161.
I'm not sure how to describe it as it's quite eclectic. There are some familiar guest vocalists on it (Bryte, Aymos), but my favorite track is "Royal Jama":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf9BAxsRaRQ
Lots of other beautiful stuff on there too, plus the one with Bryte gets pretty frenetic
― rob, Thursday, 1 December 2022 15:06 (one year ago) link
Love how that “royal hama” track sounds will check the rest. Didn’t expect it to be instrumental, there is a potential hit in the making with that one with a guest vocalist.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 1 December 2022 16:17 (one year ago) link
That one isn't really representative, but then no single track is.
"My Love" has vocals and shows the more UK dance side of things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcqJzi6Qkb4
"Sise Ntweni" w/ Aymos, naturally, is SA house:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HuZ6ZB8PJQ
That range might strike some people as unfocused, but the whole things *sounds* amazing and ultimately cohesive
― rob, Thursday, 1 December 2022 17:34 (one year ago) link
btw: https://hagan.bandcamp.com/album/textures
― rob, Thursday, 1 December 2022 17:35 (one year ago) link
really enjoying this album, the name Hagan didn’t ring a bell, but then I did remember that Aymos track from earlier this year. great *textures* indeed, love what he’s doing with gqom as well.don’t love the two UK r&b tracks tho, both of these singers are not good, wish these had been left off.all in all a very nice December surprise, rob!
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Thursday, 1 December 2022 22:21 (one year ago) link
my pleasure! and agreed on the gqom track, that's a standout
I do like those two rnb tracks (well, the one about praying kind of grates on me lyrically), but I doubt I would have listened to an entire album that sounded like that
― rob, Thursday, 1 December 2022 22:36 (one year ago) link
Ghana are in desperate need of help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cH8NP0lo_oKweku Flick ft. Smallgod • Blackstars (World Cup Anthem)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 2 December 2022 16:00 (one year ago) link
speaking of December surprises: Kwesta and Kabza De Small made a kwaito album for the piano era. it’s called Speak N Vrostaan and it slams. it’s 2022, so there’s log drums and other traces of piano, which helps create a fresh, updated version of an old-school vibe. guests include veterans like Professor and Sizwe Alakine (f/k/a Reason) and young piano rappers like Young Stunna and Toss - and Kabza raps as well, under his alias Papta Mancane.“Mrholo Wayizolo” (ft. Masterpiece YVK & Papta Mancane): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMnLCFoFt-0
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Saturday, 3 December 2022 18:37 (one year ago) link
…and there’s a Nigerian December surprise as well: a Mavins album, celebrating ten years of Don Jazzy’s label (but with music by the current roster only).highlights (besides the hits “Overloading (Overdose)” and “Won Da Mo”) are the two new tracks with Rema in the starring role: “Alle” and especially “Amina”, which also features Ayra Starr, Bayanni, Crayon & DJ Big N: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmhNup0IQ_0
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Saturday, 3 December 2022 18:49 (one year ago) link
Oh wow, I hadn't realized it was Kabza rapping on that one (there was an earlier music video called yvk-K’shubile).
Very intrigued by the Textures, fantastic soundscape, completely new on Sise Ntweni !! Sounds like the future more than the past to be honest. Chopped, still intricate but more direct-hitting brand of amapiano-House, I'm ready and I want more.
― Nabozo, Saturday, 3 December 2022 22:04 (one year ago) link
Oh it's a British DJ. I hope the South Africans are paying attention. So fresh and playful.
― Nabozo, Saturday, 3 December 2022 22:12 (one year ago) link
long post alert!
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 7 December 2022 19:11 (one year ago) link
used Sunday’s Senegal match in the World Cup to treat myself to some current Senegalese sounds (a deep dive, if you will. it’s such a lovely term, isn’t it?) had never realised before how much of a blind spot the Senegal scene was for me, although sure, I’ve listened to my share of Youssou N’Dour and there was that 2003 Dakar dem Dikk rap compilation.my francophone Africa listening, which has always been spotty to begin with, has been mainly limited to artists from Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, DRC and Mali. and duh, the Senegalese sounds turn out to be quite different (although there’s some kora-related overlap with neighboring Mali), as well as extremely rewarding.those drum patterns the Senegalese supporters kept serving up non-stop from the stands during their team’s matches? there’s hardly a song without them - ballads are no exception, as you will see.sadly, the Lions of Teranga were eliminated, but I made a line up of favourites just the same (all from this year or, in some cases, from 2021):Your starting Eleven:1️⃣Mia Guissé • Idda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x76ayjZpht0percussive prettiness, as promised. this is #1 on Senegal’s YouTube top 20 - most of the top 10 are songs by female singers btw.2️⃣One Lyrical & Leyna • Lune de miel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1QEi6RitCwthe only track here that feels (Naija) afropop-adjacent3️⃣One Lyrical & Leyna ft. Bass Thioung • Dozéko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZGhhkygAmAthis one has drill bass! (more on this duo below)two from the above-featured Bass Thioung. first one is a recent World Cup tie-in, the second one is from last year:4️⃣Bass Thioung • Na Flash Yi Takk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPxN2QkdFZM5️⃣Bass Thioung • Je m’en fous de ça: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSm-85A3fI4their video game is very tight too:6️⃣Samba Peuzzi • Mbaraj: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CekaUtYLggg7️⃣Samba Peuzzi • Lou Yakou Yawa (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYBWX4vtql0c’est vraiment trop lit 🔥: 8️⃣Bilou XIV ft. Zo Flame • Fatal ma fofou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKPE9ahsN8I9️⃣Bilou XIV • Touche du bois (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkm8FXY53PMloving the lushness:🔟Fantastic Beatz ft. Matadi • eMaturr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1TcK2zmOnsending with a mid-tempo ballad from last year, produced by that same Fantastic Beatz:1️⃣1️⃣Narah Diouf • Peundeul: on the bench: OMG Oumy Gueye, who comes across as a kind of local Rihanna, lots of dramatic ballads, but also rapper’s attitude and catchy jams.note: One Lyrical & Leyna (see 2️⃣ and 3️⃣) are a newly-wed celebrity couple, he a rapper, she a model. sounds corny as hell, but their Lune de miel (yes, it means ‘Honeymoon’) album is a pure delight. I might actually nominate it for the EOY poll.
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 7 December 2022 19:30 (one year ago) link
1️⃣1️⃣Narah Diouf • Peundeul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKcrjleCEOY
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 7 December 2022 19:32 (one year ago) link
and here’s your supersub!El Maestro le Kangham ft. Satou Niang • Moulay Thieuguine Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Sb4UJqKhI
― I did see Xhaka crotchgrab (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 7 December 2022 19:37 (one year ago) link
wow, this stuff is so nice!!! senegal!!
― sean gramophone, Thursday, 8 December 2022 15:10 (one year ago) link
yeah super interesting, bc, thanks!
― rob, Thursday, 8 December 2022 15:22 (one year ago) link
Yes, I like the supersub, El Maestro x Satou Niang, and have to still dig into more. Love how that Senegalese mbalax drumming style is there but it is melded with some afrobeats & r'n'b tinted melodies
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 8 December 2022 19:04 (one year ago) link