New Music Friday | Friday Frequency #016

This week’s New Music Friday arrives with a particularly strong sense of movement. Nigeria provides the opening statement, South Africa supplies some of the week’s most compelling rhythmic turns, Ghana brings its own melodic and rap-driven energy, while East Africa enters the conversation without ever feeling like an obligation to tick a regional box.

That is what makes this edition of Friday Frequency interesting. The 15 records here are not simply the biggest names in the week’s release pool. They are records that create a journey — moving between Afrobeats, Amapiano, African pop, alternative sounds and cross-border collaborations while keeping discovery at the centre of the experience.

New Music Friday Finds Its Strongest Afrobeats This Week

FOLA and Davido’s “2am in toronto” gives this edition an immediate focal point. It is the kind of collaboration that naturally attracts attention, but its position at the top of Friday Frequency is about more than name recognition. It sets the tone for an edition that repeatedly brings established artists and emerging voices into the same conversation.

From there, the playlist moves quickly into South Africa with Khalil Harrison, Ceeka RSA, Tyler ICU and LeeMcKrazy’s “Weeknd”, before returning to Nigeria through KOHDEE and Oxlade’s “Uwese.” The movement is deliberate. Rather than spending the first half of the playlist in one sonic lane, Friday Frequency begins travelling almost immediately.

Ghana then enters through Flowking Stone and Kweku Darlington’s “Angelina,” followed by Yaw Tog’s “AKATAPIANO.” Both records help broaden the definition of what belongs in a contemporary African playlist. The point is not to force every sound into an Afrobeats mould, but to reflect the wider musical conversation happening across the continent.

Phyno’s “Beautiful” brings the sequence back toward Nigeria, while “What A Feeling” from Moonshine, Minz and Qing Madi introduces one of the week’s more intriguing combinations. TitoM and DT.MO’s “Thola” then push the playlist back toward South Africa, maintaining the rhythmic momentum.

The result is a first half that refuses to settle into one predictable formula.

Beyond Nigeria

Nigeria remains central to Friday Frequency, but this week makes a strong case for the playlist’s wider continental identity.

South Africa has a particularly visible presence. “Weeknd” and “Thola” bring Amapiano energy into the sequence, while Argento Dust, Section Five, Kususa, Blxckie and Zee Nxumalo’s “Ayxabene” takes the South African thread somewhere less expected.

Ghana’s contribution is similarly important. “Angelina” and “AKATAPIANO” sit naturally beside the Nigerian records rather than being inserted simply to represent Ghana.

Then comes “Santorini Greece” from BKO, Joshua Baraka and Smallgod. It is one of the clearest examples in this week’s selection of why a continental approach matters. The record brings different African scenes into the same space and gives Friday Frequency a genuine cross-border moment.

Bien’s “I’ll Be Okay” carries the sequence further into East Africa, followed later by Marioo’s “Mtu Mzima.” Together, they prevent the playlist from becoming a Nigeria-South Africa binary and reinforce the broader African identity of the series.

This is continental representation where the music itself does the work.

The Records That Came Close

The final 15 was not short on competition.

Kashcoming and Zaylevelten’s “CTRL” was one of the records that came closest to making the cut, particularly because of its place within the contemporary Nigerian sound. Itz Tiffany and Lalid’s “Hustler” also remained in contention, while Sampa the Great’s “Location” offered a strong alternative direction.

Usimamane and Blxckie’s “Press” brought another compelling South African/Nigerian-adjacent crossover into consideration, while Wendy Kimani and Zaituni’s “AIBU” represented another strong Kenyan possibility.

Kwaku Asante’s “Damage Control”, J.Derobie’s “Tonight,” Digital Maskandi, Menzi Music and Nkosazana Minnie’s “Darling,” Toxic Lyrikali’s “Mbebe” and Vector and Cynthia Ifie’s “Dad & Dot” all had enough going for them to remain serious contenders.

The difficult part was not finding 15 good records. It was deciding which 15 worked best together.

Editorial Highlights

🎵 Cover Story

FOLA, Davido — “2am in toronto”

The clearest opening statement of the week. FOLA and Davido give the edition its immediate identity while leaving enough space for the rest of the playlist to introduce less familiar names and sounds.

🤝 Collaboration of the Week

Khalil Harrison, Ceeka RSA, Tyler ICU, LeeMcKrazy — “Weeknd”

A packed South African collaboration that brings several distinct Amapiano identities together without derailing the playlist’s early momentum.

🔥 Breakthrough Pick

KOHDEE, Oxlade — “Uwese”

A strong meeting point between discovery and familiarity. Oxlade gives the record an accessible vocal presence, while KOHDEE keeps it firmly within the week’s newer discoveries.

🌍 Continental Moment

BKO, Joshua Baraka, Smallgod — “Santorini Greece”

Few records in the pool better represented Friday Frequency’s continental remit. Its place in the final sequence feels natural rather than manufactured.

🎶 Cultural Pick

Yaw Tog — “AKATAPIANO”

A Ghanaian selection that captures the continuing conversation around African rhythmic exchange while bringing its own identity to the playlist.

Friday Frequency Essential 15

1. FOLA, Davido — 2am in toronto
2. Khalil Harrison, Ceeka RSA, Tyler ICU, LeeMcKrazy — Weeknd (feat. Leemckrazy)
3. KOHDEE, Oxlade — Uwese (feat. Oxlade)
4. Flowking Stone, Kweku Darlington — Angelina
5. Yaw Tog — AKATAPIANO
6. Phyno — Beautiful
7. Moonshine, Minz, Qing Madi — What A Feeling
8. TitoM, DT.MO — Thola
9. Argento Dust, Section Five, Kususa, Blxckie, Zee Nxumalo — Ayxabene (feat. Zee Nxumalo)
10. BKO, Joshua Baraka, Smallgod — Santorini Greece
11. Bien — I’ll Be Okay
12. Marioo — Mtu Mzima
13. Khelsa — Adoley
14. Sir Trill, Okwanda, Udoti Udemedi, ZiiBeats — Cinderella
15. Deena G, Sun-El Musician — Stay

The best Friday Frequency editions do more than document what came out. They create a reason to listen from beginning to end. This week’s 15 move across Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and East Africa without treating geography as a checklist, balancing familiar names with genuine discovery and keeping the listening experience at the centre.

These are the records that made the cut. This is Friday Frequency.

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