Kuami Eugene

Hometown: Akim Oda, Ghana

Ghanaian Highlife and Afrobeats singer Kuami Eugene was a teenage minister in the church who took his first steps as a gospel singer at 16 years old. After participating in a nationally televised music competition, he attracted a record deal from Lynx Entertainment. So far, he has released two albums: the star-studded Son of Africa (2020) and the solo effort Afro Highlife (2021). On “Single,” he talks about moving on from a sour relationship and learning to embrace a newfound sense of peace as a single man.

Ibraah

Hometown: Mtwara, Tanzania

Tanzania’s Ibraah has been on the grind since the age of eight when he started hawking goods on the streets of Mtwara. On his way home one day, his uncle, and current manager heard him sing and advised him to pursue a career in music. Now 22 years old, Ibraah is signed to Tanzanian star Harmonize’s Konde Gang label. His debut album The King of The New School combines Bongo Flava with Afropop to make a statement on his status in the future of Tanzanian music. On “Sitosema,” which loosely translates to “I won’t say,” he sings about the struggles he’s had to endure in silence because of love.

Nikita Kering

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

Nikita Kering won the hearts of Kenyans as a five-year-old on national TV singing a version of Kenyan gospel singer Emmy Kosgei’s “Ololo.” Kosgei stepped up to take Nikita on as a mentee, and in 2012, Kering signed a record deal with EmPawa Africa. “Tragedy,” released in 2019, addressed domestic abuse and established her as a recording artist. Effortlessly gliding through R&B, she sings about finally taking responsibility for her part in a failed relationship on “On Yah.”

Khaid

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Seventeen-year-old Khaid grew up in the Ojo neighborhood in Lagos where he worked as a mechanic to make ends meet. Opportunities were few and far between for the singer who blends R&B, trap, and Afrobeats, but Neville Records believed in his sound and officially signed him in January 2022. His R&B debut “With You” immediately caught on, and in May, he followed up with his DIVERSITY EP which introduced listeners to his trap leanings. In November, he took a turn to make an infectious street-pop song with Nigerian street-hop star Zlatan titled “Amala.” The song is a double entendre for a popular Nigerian meal and innuendo to the thrill of the romantic chase.

Wally B. Seck

Hometown: Dakar, Senegal

In his early years, Wally B. Seck watched his father and mbalax icon, Thione Ballago, make music for a Senegalese audience. He chose to follow in his father’s footsteps after pursuing a professional football career. Wally B. Seck’s brand of mbalax is charming in the way it fuses pop elements with traditional mbalax dance rhythms. His last two projects Afromix and Afromix 2 aimed to widen the international reach of the genre. He tapped in fellow Senegalese mbalax star Viviane Chidid on his singular 2022 effort “Reguine Tass.”

Soundz

Hometown: Ogun, Nigeria

Ogun native Soundz experienced viral acclaim when his cover of Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” went viral during his gap year from school in 2019. The possibility of success inspired him to record and release his own songs, like his well-received 2020 single “Darasimi.” Navigating a mix of Afropop and R&B, “Attention” describes a constant desire to be at the top of his lover’s mind. It comes from Soundz’s six-track 2022 EP, In The Rough.

Mbuzi Gang

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

Mbuzi Gang is a three-man team of Joface, Father Moh, and Iphoolish. Rappers Joface and Iphoolish connected through music in high school and were later joined in 2019 by Father Moh, who sings the hooks. They’re one of the most recognized artists in the Kenyan Gengetone space, though their music sometimes shuffles genres. They broke out with their 2020 Gengetone hit “Shamra Shamra,” where the group deftly uses Nairobi Sheng slang in the adulation of a particular woman. Their September drop “Ndasu” is dancehall-infused Gengetone that shows off the group’s synergy.

Phina

Hometown: Kampala, Uganda

Rising Bongo Flava singer Phina broke out with the release of her single, “Upo Nyonyo” in June. Winning the emerging artist award at the TZ Music Awards in 2022, Phina's greatest strength is her confidence. Her most recent release “Hayaa” is a Bongo Flava song sprinkled with sweet words from one long-term lover to another.

Elaine

Hometown: Pretoria, South Africa

South African R&B artist Elaine started singing when she was six in the school choir. Her debut EP Elements chronicled young love and caught South Africa by surprise, quickly positioning her as one of the country’s exciting young music prospects. Her music softly coalesces alternative R&B, neo-soul, and trap-soul. “Shine” encourages loved ones to channel self-confidence and not be afraid to show themselves in full bloom.

Yo Maps

Hometown: Kasama, Zambia

Yo Maps’ entry into music came by virtue of his father, Muyunda Mundia, a gospel singer who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. He began recording under the guise of becoming a gospel artist, but eventually transitioned to the Afropop music he wanted to make all along. “Finally” released in 2018 was a breakthrough, followed by “Kaleza” in 2019, which sealed the deal. His most recent hit in Zambia, “Aweah” is about the controversy he faced in the public eye, maintaining that there are multiple sides to every story.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the work of Tanzanian artist Phina to Ugandan singer Phina Mugerwa.

Elaine

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