You can swim in the ocean of fresh sounds from Africa but in order not to drown in it, here’s a list of beautiful tracks to add to your playlist this Valentine to charge up your love life and help you navigate the music streaming sites with ease.
10. Sarkodie’s Stir it Up – a remake of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ classic. The Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has been gushing over the privilege of doing this remix on social media. It means a lot to his oeuvre of songs but more to his fans who believe that he is yet to make a bad song.
9. Ku Lo Sa by Oxlade with Camila Cabello
With or with Cabello, this song itself is magical and arousing. Oxlade gives a freshness to Afrobeats that defines the sound of the next generation of chart toppers.
8. Baby by Aya Nakamura
The 27-year old Bamako born pop singer from Mali has shown us that French is the language of love. Written in French, this is a danceable track from 2019’s Most Streamed French Female artist on Spotify.
7. Personal Baby by Mr Eazi
Released on August 3, 2022, this single is slow tempo but heightened by the well-paced piano sound. With this track, you’d either sleep or grind.
6. Xtra Cool by Young Jonn
Absolutely jiggy, this beatmaker turned singer makes love sound so sweet with this track made of a powerful baseline.
5. Bad to Me- Wizkid
This mid-tempo sounds good whatwith its danceable beat and something remotely African. With heavy influence from R&B, dancehall and Afropop, this track is cool, matching the singer’s cool persona.
4. Bien Venue- Ruger
Ruger sure knows how to turn dancehall into a serenade. Whether you drop this track in a club or in your car playlist or in the kitchen (cook dat thang!), it’s your getaway from negative vibes.
3. True Love- 2baba (Innocent Idibia)
If you need the perfect throwback song from one of the pioneers of Afropop and Afrobeats, try this one from the ‘African Queen’ singer. From Idoma ethnic group, Benue state, this Nigerian singer is the first winner of MTV EMA Best African Act in 2005 thus paving way for global recognition of new music from Nigeria.
2. Higher- Tems
The latest Grammy winner from Nigeria, Tems dropped this original track long before Drake and Future jumped on it and spun it around to global acclaim. You might want to soak yourself in a lathered bathtub as this soulful song echoes against your bathroom walls.
- Yatapita- Diamond Platnumz
The Tanzanian bongo flava artist drops a song with a title that sounds like something cropped out of a seaside restaurant’s menu. Performed in Swahili, this song bears a message of hope with meaning such as “This shall pass, everything has an end. A day will come, we will forget all this. Those who despise us will respect us; And I’ll buy you (everything).”
Enjoy your playlist.
