Last May, Billboard launched its U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, highlighting some of the best music coming out of the African music scene and impacting listeners in the States. But we\u2019d been paying increasing attention to what\u2019s been going on there for several years now, and the heightened attention has only helped shine a light on a growing generation of performers and songwriters. These rising artists are not only pushing the genre forward, but expanding it beyond its traditional boundaries \u2014 incorporating hip-hop, amapiano, R&B, jazz, soul and just about everything else into a melting pot that, for lack of a better overarching term, we\u2019ll still refer to as Afrobeats.<\/p>\n
To help celebrate the growing influence and diversity of the music that\u2019s coming out with increasing frequency, Billboard is launching a new, monthly column to highlight 10 of the best new Afrobeats (and its relatives) songs in a given month. That doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t plenty more where these came from \u2014 and, for this first column, we\u2019ve pulled some of the best songs from the last few months of 2022 to help kick things off in 2023 \u2014 but here is the first collection of some of our recent favorites, with a Spotify playlist at the end to help you get into the vibe. So without further ado, here are 10 Afrobeats tracks that are catching our ears already this year.<\/p>\n
Libianca, \u201cPeople\u201d<\/p>\n
Libianca\u2019s breakout single \u201cPeople\u201d is a stirring cry for help that has been echoing throughout TikTok and reached No. 2 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs. She offers listeners raw insight into her mood disorder Cyclothymia by constantly questioning \u201cDid you check on me? Now, did you notice me?\u201d with soothing, supple vocals and tinkering bells that buoy Libianca from feeling low. From competing on season 22 of NBC\u2019s The Voice to signing with RCA Records and producer Jae5\u2019s 5K Records, the Cameroonian American singer-songwriter is giving Afro-soul music a global platform.<\/p>\n
Tiwa Savage and Asake, \u201cLoaded\u201d
\nTiwa Savage and Asake take shots at their haters on \u201cLoaded,\u201d one of the highlights from Empire\u2019s first-ever African compilation album Where We Come From, Vol. 1. The self-praising track blends theatrical string arrangements, amapiano\u2019s syncopated breakbeats, gospel choral melodies and rap\u2019s braggadocio, signature sonic ingredients from Asake\u2019s successful debut album Mr. Money With the Vibe. The African Bad Gyal complements his swagger and addresses a leaked sex tape from last year by deflecting her defamers and teasing, \u201cNa who never f\u2013k, hands in the air!\u201d<\/p>\n
Burna Boy, \u201cAlone\u201d<\/p>\n
The African Giant feels powerless and begs God not to abandon him in \u201cAlone,\u201d his standout contribution to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Burna Boy kicks off the track with his siren-like humming before sorrowful strings and his desolate vocals take over the verses. And while the chorus translates to a cry for help, empowering harmonies and triumphant percussion back Burna up and make him sound less alone.<\/p>\n
Aya Nakamura, \u201cBaby\u201d
\nMalian-French singer Aya Nakamura prides herself on being the apple of someone else\u2019s eye on her new single \u201cBaby,\u201d which was released ahead of her fourth album DNK. \u201cBecause I\u2019m his baby, wants to be my daddy,\u201d she flaunts in her robust, native French vocals. Nakamura also flaunts her prowess, coordinated gal pals and Y2K-inspired fashion in the accompanying music video.<\/p>\n
Ruger, \u201cAsiwaju\u201d
\nAfrobeats newcomer Ruger boldly crowns himself \u201casiwaju,\u201d or champion in Yoruba, in this guitar-driven, melodic offering. The 23-year-old Jonzing World signee rejects his Gen-Z label and promises to \u201cbring hell to anybody wey try test me\u201d in his sharp-tongued bars, deceptively coated with his syrupy vocals. Ruger also looks effortlessly cool while parading around the city with his namesake flag-waving crew and schoolkids in the accompanying visual.<\/p>\n
Kizz Daniel, \u201cRTID (Rich Till I Die)\u201d
\nA breezy, infectious melody; a confident, carefree hook; a major key pop feel: What\u2019s not to like? Kizz Daniel has been growing in popularity for a few years now, with his latest a perfect mood for a summertime afternoon \u2014 \u201cI live the life that I love\/ I love the life that I live\u201d \u2014 that has the type of staying power to last into those months. With the release of its music video two weeks ago, it makes its debut on U.S. Afrobeats Songs at No. 29 on the chart dated Jan. 21, with the promise of warmer days ahead.<\/p>\n
Teni, Mayorkun & Costa Titch feat. Ch\u2019cco, \u201cMAITAMA\u201d<\/p>\n
Teni had one of the best albums of the year in 2021 in her debut Wondaland, a lush collection of songs that established her as one of the brightest voices to emerge in the past few years. \u201cMAITAMA\u201d picks up right where that album left off, with an earworm of a melody and a propulsive beat that provides a platform for guests Mayorkun, Costa Titch and Ch\u2019cco to leave their stamp. If this is a precursor to a sophomore album, there may already be an early contender for the best of the year.<\/p>\n
Zinoleesky, \u201cPersonal\u201d<\/p>\n
Zinoleesky first caught our attention with his show-stopping verse on Lil Kesh\u2019s 2022 hit \u201cDon\u2019t Call Me,\u201d and his latest EP Grit & Lust, released just ahead of Christmas, is a welcome introduction to a new rising talent out of Nigeria. The whole project is worth checking out \u2014 a particular shout out to \u201cYan Yan Yan\u201d \u2014 but \u201cPersonal\u201d is another standout from the project, with a clean production leaving the singer\/rapper to establish a thesis statement of sorts, and a promising future of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n
Seyi Vibez, \u201cAlaska\u201d<\/p>\n
Seyi Vibez broke out last year with his Billion Dollar Baby album, introducing a fresh voice to the scene. But his five-song Memory Card EP is something else entirely: less produced, more insistent, with a raw feeling as if it simply spilled over from the street onto the record. \u201cAlaska\u201d is as good a representative of the project as any; its stripped-down instrumentation relies more on layered vocals and a stray flute than it does on anything traditional, as it bores its way into the memory almost involuntarily. An absolutely original voice.
\nVictony & Tempoe, \u201cSoweto\u201d<\/p>\n
This song has been around for a minute now, but the song\u2019s smooth, danceable beat, produced by Tempoe, is too infectious not to include here. The track peaked at No. 15 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs towards the end of last year, but its vibe has it leading playlists into 2023, while its playful lyrics and catchy melody have seen it stick around for months on the charts, with no signs of it going anywhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Listen to 10 new must-hear Afrobeats songs by Burna Boy, Libianca, Teni, Zinoleesky and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":25013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,2,31],"tags":[7,14,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-25016","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-featured","9":"category-music","10":"tag-apie-project","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-music"},"yoast_head":"\n