Best New Artists (June 2024)

If the first half of 2024 is anything to go by, there is so much to look forward to in African music for the rest of the year. Now more than ever, the world is connected to the sounds from this side, and every now and then a new crop of talents emerges ready to claim their place in the industry. From bangers like “Tschala Bam” – The song of Johannes Brahma From staying atop global music charts for months to our self-proclaimed African giant selling out his second tour at the London Stadium in front of 80,000 people, Afropop acts are now accustomed to notable cultural moments.

With a content-driven landscape and the never-ending pool of content on streaming platforms, the list of artists vying to capture our attention keeps growing. For this month’s edition of uNder, we bring you four acts that deserve a place at the top of your radar. From Nigerian R&B prodigy Amaeya, who confidently puts a youthful view of love to music, to Konyikeh, whose rich vocal tapestry transports listeners to a world of emotion, here’s our roundup of the best new talent from across the continent.

Read below to learn more about this month’s special jewels. Listen to our uNder playlist And Find your new favorite artist(s).

LLONA

For fans of: Omah Lay and Victony

While party music and celebratory themes are undoubtedly embedded in Afropop’s DNA, the genre has undergone a structural evolution in recent years thanks to a class of emerging singers and performers whose soulful portrayals of hard times and mental struggles help expand the genre’s emotional range. Kogi-born singer Llona (real name Micheal Ajuma Attah) is at the forefront of this movement, elevating mental health and past trauma to high art through a soulful twist on Afropop that is so deceptively delicate that it almost obscures the depth of its message.

Before evolving into his current form as a brooding, thoughtful archivist, the singer was formerly known as Tooclasiq; he released a series of sugary-sweet songs about his life as a young person navigating the nuances of life in Lagos and seeking social advancement. An EP, “4 o’clock,’ features his most distinctive work as Tooclasiq, combining pidgin-heavy lyrics with the roughness of hip-hop in tracks like “Someone”, “Wave”, And “4 am.” Even then there was enough evidence of what would become of the painfully emotional singer “Eco”, a song in which the singer is both confused and in awe of the famous organized chaos of Lagos.

After a brief break from music, the singer found his way to the dark instrumentation, hauntingly piercing lyrics and gentle soundscape he has become known for. Renaming Tooclassiq to Llona, ​​he foregoes the pop-heavy lyrics and production style of ‘4 o’clock‘ to 2022 “No one,” He chose a medium tempo instrumental, his muted anger at life and a wounded narrative of being an outsider as his new direction. When “No one” pointed to the courage of his new approach, “Comforter” showed how effortlessly he was able to introduce the audience to his world by identifying God, weed, his mother, and a weed dealer as the only things that brought him peace in a world full of conflict.

In many ways, 2023 was the year his powerful sound merged with the Nigerian mainstream sound. “HBP”, an August 2023 release, was an instant hit due to its commentary on fear, betrayal, rehashing past trauma, and finding a way through the things that hurt. A remix of the song featuring street-pop star Bella Shmurda, two months later, expanded the song’s reach even further, setting it up for further success in 2024. The scope of the singer’s music has only become more focused in 2024: “How I live” is effectively music as therapy as he talks about his shame about the state of his relationship with his family and the price of maintaining his connection to reality beyond illusion; while a recent collaboration with Fave, “Cold War,” delivers more of the narrow-minded thoughts that quickly make him an icon for the next generation. – WHERE

ANAIS CARDOT

For fans of: Asa & Nneka

Anais Cardot’s ability to sing in multiple languages ​​makes her a borderless, global artist. Full of pure soul and evoking a whole range of emotions, her music instantly draws even the most naive listener into Cardot’s all-encompassing rollercoaster of emotions. Moving through themes of self-discovery and passion, embedded in unadulterated vulnerability, Cardot’s delicate, enchanting melodies invite audiences into her colorful world of romance, lust and fantasies.

Her debut EP from 2023 was recently released, ‘Pink Magnolia’received a deluxe treatment. This new version includes three additions that shine a light on Cardot’s art never seen before, with the Canada-based French-Gabonese artist succinctly capturing fractured emotions and stepping into their light as a modern mouthpiece of longing and tenderness.

Anais Cardot first released her music on Soundcloud and started her professional music career with the release of “Can’t explain it”, and since then, the multilingual soul singer has slowly made her way into homes around the world with localized declarations of love in different languages. – JF

KONYIKEH

For fans of: Asa, Tems and Ruby Gyang

Konyikeh’s work is multifaceted. Her background is noticeably classical, but the themes she tackles – love, femininity and romantic anxieties – have a strong modern resonance. The singer’s first exposure to music came from her mother and what she played at home. Songs by Jenifer Hudson and Destiny’s Child were regularly played throughout her childhood. She wanted to expand her understanding of music and sharpen her skills. Konyikeh received a music scholarship at a prestigious school in West London and simultaneously attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied piano and violin as well as music theory.

This all set the stage for her debut single 2023’s “Sorrow,” where she artfully explores the dynamics of a relationship where expectations don’t align. While other songs about romantic quarrels usually favor an outsized protest or scathing rebuke to drive the plot, the genius of “Grief” is how precise Konyikeh is with her approach, using a third person narrative style to add more flourishes to the song. Another song, “Teenage Dream,” offers a gentle look into her experiences with teen drama and a romance that didn’t quite work out due to differing desires. It’s a simple story that Konyikeh is able to expand on thanks to her talent for storytelling and the way she finds contexts to frame her feelings.

The release of “Grief” And “Teenage Dream” set the stage for their debut project, ‘LITANY,’ will be released in July 2023. True to its form, the five-track album features rather amorphous vocals over beautiful piano accompaniment with tensions from past relationships as its central theme. Nevertheless, the songs are viewed from interesting perspectives that position Konyikeh as someone who reflects deeply on the state of human existence: “I cry” is about letting go of a hurtful relationship that no longer serves a purpose, despite the pain that comes with leaving, while “Joy and pride” is deeply relatable in the way it portrays the longing for an ended relationship. With all the complexities that ‘LITANY,’ The project ends positively with “Girls like us” where she advocates for the risks that come with love. – WHERE

AMAEYA

For fans of: Qing Madi & Tems

In the current Nigerian music landscape, it is hard to find R&B talents that truly connect with the modern interpretation of love like Amaeya. Amaeya, born Peace Amaefula, began her career as a backing vocalist for artists such as Terms, Bnxn, And ShowDemCamp. Armed with a strong knowledge of musical art and the nuances of the industry, Amaeya launched her solo career in full swing with her viral song. “On your own”, will be released in September 2023.

Slowly but surely, Amaeya is finding her place in an oversaturated music industry. Since the turn of the year, her releases have become more frequent, but the intersection of her various songs is her story. The Delta-Delta-born soul singer aptly reflects the elastic emotions that characterize modern dating.

With four singles to her credit, Amaeya is slowly creating an unbridled avalanche in the music industry – both locally and globally – and is making a clear impression with her candid lyricism and storytelling that is guaranteed to position her at the forefront as a Gen Z R&B prodigy. – JF

Photo credit/The NATIVE

Text by Wale Oloworekende and Jim Falola

ICYMI: UNDER: BEST NEW ARTISTS (MAY 2024)