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Amapiano continues to grow its footprint globally crossing borders and cultural barriers reaching as far as Japan.
Several Amapiano artists have released songs this year that have been capturing the attention of music lovers from all corners of the world.
The Africa Report journalist Shingai Darangwa has compiled a list of South-African artists that have produced songs that have gone viral.
1. Konke and Musa Keys: ‘Kancane’
Musa Keys is fast becoming one of the most in-demand amapiano artists around. Not only has he been performing all around the world, but he also recently drew the attention of Lewis Hamilton last week when the F1 star shared a reel that featured last year’s massive single, Selema (Pop Po).
His most recent single, Kancane with vocalist Konke is primed to surpass Selema and become one of the year’s biggest hits.
2. Felo Le Tee: ‘Manca’ (ft. Toss)
Producer and DJ Felo Le Tee have the aura of a rap star. He’s flamboyant, dresses like an ATL trapper, and loves himself some good weed (as he made clear with his smash hit ‘Dipatje Tsa Felo’). On Manca, Felo calls on husky-voiced newcomer Toss to deliver the catchy vocals on here. Toss delivers one of the best performances of his fast-rising career on here. The lingo, the vibe, the energy. It’s amapiano at its absolute best.
3. Kabza De Small: Eningi (ft. Mhaw Keys, Simmy, and Njelic)
In typical amapiano style, ‘Eningi’ has been a mega-hit since way before amapiano pioneer Kabza De Small released it as part of his stellar new album, KOA II Pt. 1, thanks to a social media leak. The relatability of Njelic’s refrain throughout: “weSomandla ngiceli ungiphi mali eningi” (God please give me a lot of money), makes this feel like a worship song with a logdrum.
Afropop star Simmy’s haunting vocals elevate this into a truly ethereal listening experience before Kabza closes the song off with a mesmerizing log drum progression.
4. Kamo Mphela: ‘Ghost’ (ft. Daliwonga and Felo Le Tee)
Kamo Mphela needed a hit single when she dropped ‘Ghost’. Sure, she was consistently touring and performing across the continent and Europe, but her fans had been starved of new music with the star not having released any music all year.
She duly delivered with ‘Ghost’, her most creative and inventive release to date. The flawless, ‘Thriller’-inspired video for the single, which was directed by Nape Phasha, adds to its overall appeal.
5. Daliwonga: ‘Abo Mvelo’ (ft. Mellow & Sleazy and MJ)
‘Abo Mvelo’ came in like a wrecking ball. By the time it was officially released, the teaser snippet South African vocalist Daliwonga had shared on his social media was viral and had already become a fixture in amapiano club DJs’ club sets. Mellow & Sleazy, the amapiano DJ duo that’s been on a roll all year, came through swinging with this intoxicating rhythm and a typically thumping log drum. Their recent hit ‘Chipi Ke Chipi‘ could easily have made this list too.