With eyes on the continent more than ever before, we wanted to share a few albums you should check out from the hottest rising talents on the Continent.
Ayra Starr - 19 & Dangerous
After an impressive, self-titled 2021 EP that placed her among the vanguard of rising Nigerian pop stars, Ayra Starr delivers her official debut album. Exploring relationships, betrayal and self-assurance on 19 & Dangerous, the artist chronicles the transition from adolescence to adulthood. “One day, it just struck me that I’m not scared of failing, I’m not scared of mistakes—I’m ready to work hard to get to where I want to,” she tells Apple Music. “No matter how much I fall, I’m prepared for it. When you know that you’re not scared of mistakes, you become dangerous, because you have nothing to lose, really. I’m 19 and I’m dangerous. I’m ready for everything.”
- Extract taken from apple.com
Nikita Kering - A Side of Me
While Nikita Kering was born and raised in Kenya, her earliest musical influences come from a bit further afield. “My music is not very ‘Kenyan’,” she tells Apple Music. “We are still figuring out what our identity is with regards to music, because within Kenya, there's so many tribes, and the music from every tribe sounds so different. Hair salons, the supermarkets—they were always just playing R&B. Listening to Nelly, Destiny’s Child—I was already experiencing heartbreak at four years old. All those things just came together and, I think, made me who I am.”
Who she is now is an R&B singer-songwriter whose string of singles have turned her into a multi-award-winning artist, all before she turned 19. And with her debut EP, A Side of Me, she sets forth her intentions for greater heights. “I knew in my heart that I just wanted it to be a part of my learning process, and to learn from every single thing that comes out of it,” she explains. “The goal isn't just to be the best in Kenya—it’s to be the best everywhere else.”
- Extract taken from apple.com
Karun - Catch A Vibe
The Kenyan singer explores love, heartbreak, and hope—even when things get rough.
- Extract taken from apple.com
Turunesh - Satin Casstte
This album is a collection of teachings, experiences, and poetry about the musicality of sex and the sensuality of music in the most literal and metaphorical sense. It is my expression of what that synonomity means to me. The language of this album is fluid - the subject matter floats to and from my passion for making art and for making love, indeed, they are one in the same.
- Extract taken from turunesh.com
SGaWD - Basic Bitch Juice
On a mission to redefine Nigerian hip-hop, SGaWD uses her ferocious rap and rich singing voice to create feel-good tracks that aim to empower as she shares personal, relatable stories. Her debut EP is as real as it gets, as she holds nothing back on “Are You Dumb (WMF)”, rejects unnecessary vibes on the self-assured “Rude” and kicks off the party on. the Somadina-assisted “POPSHIT”.
- Extract taken from apple.com
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