Press Play: New Music From Nonso Amadi, Asa, Poco lee and more
Your weekly dose of the best new sounds around the continent!
“Nike” - Asa
With the release of her highly anticipated fifth studio album V, Asa steps further into the sultriest iteration of her persona her audience hasn’t always been privy to in her decade and a half long career. On Nike, she describes a vibrant but short-lived romance in brilliant detail. “Fine boy in the Nike, look good speak good” is as descriptive as she is willing the grant her subject, yet more vulnerable bars like “so good when we make love” attest to her romantic disparity.
“Hate Me” - Olamide ft Wande Coal
Invoking Thrilleresque inspiration and aesthetic, Wande Coal eclipses Olamide on his latest single, “Hate Me”. Doing his best Michael Jackson impression, Wande Coal’s flow elevates what could have otherwise been another Olamide placeholder into potentially one of the biggest songs of the year. Produced by P.Prime, Hate Me’s three-minute runtime seems insufficient for the fervent energy in the record.
“Hustle” - Reminisce ft Buju & D Smoke
Maintaining momentum with his latest single, Reminisce enlists both Buju and D Smoke for a thoughtful hustler’s anthem aptly titled “Hustle”. With Buju delivering another trademark emotive hook, Reminisce and D.Smoke trade bars across two verses in Yoruba and English respectively. While the American rapper might have delivered the more potent verse, Reminisce’s subject matter does not stray much from his preferred bevy, intertwining stories about the come up with the reality of success.
“Mad” - SuperJazzClub
Ghanaian super collective, SuperJazzClub break their silence this year with the release of a recent single titled Mad. The band’s signature mellow style is on full display throughout the record and highlights the collective’s strongest weapons. Front lady, Gloria Dennis’ vocal texture as well as the sparse production make for very compelling bedroom pop but point towards other possibilities for their sound.
“Yard” - Poco lee ft Bella Shmurda, Black Sherif & Alpha P
Nigerian posse cuts are slowly becoming a big part of our musical history and on “Yard”, it is none other than the Nigerian music industry’s consigliere, Poco Lee, enforcing the collaboration. Featuring Ghanaian driller, Black Sherif, street prophet Bella Shmurda and Afropop star Alpha P, “Yard” feels like the result of multiple nights at a recording camp geared towards fun more than anything else. At many points, it sounds all over the place but the underlying themes of marijuana appreciation and superstar comforts manage to keep things cohesive.
“Hold Me” - Dice Ailes ft Tiwa Savage
Dice Ailes’ habit of delivering strong Afropop sleepers rears its head again on “Hold Me”. This time enlisting Tiwa Savage, the earworm of a hook does all the heavy lifting on this record. The first single of his impending Ladies First EP offers a strong serving of what we can expect from the tape. Firmly a traditional Afropop record in its composition, arrangement and performance, perhaps doubling down on this approach can finally help Dice cement himself as one of Nigeria’s best.
“Foreigner” - Nonso Amadi
Nonso Amadi’s return to the scene after a brief hiatus is heralded by the single, “Foreigner”. Back to stake his claim as one of the best Afrofusion/R&B acts on the continent, the record is a great example of the things that make him one of the most convoluted artists in this generation. His penmanship and immaculate delivery are evident with lyrics like “I’ll be your wildfire when it snows, got to keep my feelings in control, I know you’ll run to tell my secrets, soon as we’re done and that’s wicked”. The forlorn theme of the record is one he has experimented with repeatedly and on his return, Nonso is taking it to another level.
