Longer reads on the scenes, deals and shifts shaping African music — the context behind the charts, across the continent and the diaspora.
Six years of grinding produced a modest following. Thirty minutes of prompts produced a chart hit in four countries. Elvin Cena’s ‘Let Me Be’ is the biggest song of his career, and the one he is least sure he gets to keep.
Before ‘Sade’, Adekunle Gold was YBNL’s in-house graphic designer — the man who drew the logo the label still uses. Nearly ten years after Olamide signed him, the two finally have a song, and it carries all of that history.
Where “Where Do We Go” asked questions, “Tornado” delivers answers. Ayra Starr sounds like an artist who has stopped waiting for permission — and Starr Girl now looks like the album that defines exactly who she wants to be.
The Plutomania aftermovie from Iconiq Fest 2025 is here. Shallipopi, Zerry DL, Famous Pluto, a surprise Burna Boy appearance, and a TurnTable Charts No. 1 award — all captured in one film.
Burundian artist Shim in the Cut surpasses one million views with his amapiano record ‘Pina Colada,’ proving the genre’s reach now stretches deep into East Africa and the diaspora.
Zee Nxumalo releases the ‘Awe Mah’ visualiser ft. Dlala Thukzin, Funky QLA, Shakes & Les, and MK Productions — a stacked amapiano lineup.
Nigerian-American artist AQT and Swedish-Japanese singer Leonardo Yukawa release ‘Dagger,’ an Afro-fusion record that merges Afrobeats percussion with Scandinavian pop precision.
Moroccan singer Saida Charaf releases ‘Bismillah’ for Ramadan — a self-written, self-composed song with an AI-generated music video that fans are calling the most beautiful Moroccan Ramadan song.
Ez Maestro, Ch’cco and Eeque release the ‘Betha Sghubu 2.0’ visualiser — a VHS-infused amapiano visual produced by Airy Collective.
French R&B star RnBoi teams up with Nigeria’s Ayra Starr for ‘Mon Bébé,’ a Franco-Afrobeats crossover with a sleek visual directed by Zaven.
Four questions, answered in plain text, marked up as FAQPage.
Longer analysis and reporting: scene reports, deal breakdowns and interviews that do not fit the release cycle.
Yes. Signings, streaming economics, touring and festival programming across Europe and Africa.
Typically eight to fifteen minutes. Reading time shows on every card.
Staff writers and contributors based in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Paris and London.
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