New Music Friday | Friday Frequency #018

This week on New Music Friday, Friday Frequency #018 brings together 15 records that reflect the breadth of contemporary African music. Led by Mavo’s “Goyard,” the selection moves through Nigerian street-pop and collaborations, Ghanaian voices, South African dance music and East African representation, with discovery remaining part of the playlist’s identity.

The aim is not simply to gather familiar names or reproduce a list of the week’s most visible artists. Friday Frequency is built around the records that make an editorially compelling listening experience: a recognisable opening, collaborative moments, different regional perspectives and selections that give listeners a reason to look beyond their usual rotation.

For edition #018, that means a Nigerian-led opening, a strong Ghanaian contribution, a deliberate turn towards South Africa, and a Kenyan entry that helps widen the picture. The result is a playlist with a clear centre but room to move.

New Music Friday Finds Its Strongest Afrobeats This Week

Mavo’s “Goyard” takes the lead position, setting the direction for this edition. Its presence across the supplied regional playlists made it a natural candidate for the cover story, while the selection that follows keeps the focus on a wider collection of artists and collaborations.

Olamide’s “Burukutu” and Shallipopi’s “.com” keep the opening centred on Nigerian music. They are followed by “Salt,” the collaboration between 6uff and ODUMODUBLVCK. Together, these first four records establish a direct entry point before the playlist begins to expand its focus.

The early run also reflects an important principle behind Friday Frequency: an artist’s name should not be the only reason a record makes the list. Familiarity can help listeners find their way in, but the final selection needs variety and a coherent sense of movement. The playlist is intended to feel like a considered journey rather than a collection assembled around visibility alone.

That movement becomes clearer with “ABILITY,” credited to KOJO BLAK, Medikal and beatzvampire, followed by King Promise’s “Melody.” The two records bring Ghana into the foreground in different ways: one through a multi-contributor collaboration, the other through a solo release. Juls, Projexx and Minz then enter the sequence with “POSITION,” continuing the collaborative thread.

“Pray,” by R. City and Ayra Starr, extends that thread further. The pairing gives the playlist another cross-artist moment before “Im’mangaliso,” credited to JaySynths, MaWhoo, Ayo Maff, TICOZET and Sami’Kay, expands the contributor list considerably.

These collaborations are central to the shape of #018. Rather than treating features as incidental credits, the sequence uses different artist combinations to connect its sections and broaden the range of voices represented.

Beyond Nigeria

Nigeria remains an important anchor for Friday Frequency, but the playlist’s identity depends on looking beyond one market.

Ghana has a substantial presence in this edition through KOJO BLAK, King Promise, Juls and the closing stretch’s Kweku Flick and Shatta Wale collaboration, “Sweet.” Their placement throughout the playlist helps the Ghanaian contribution feel integrated rather than confined to a separate section.

South Africa enters through “Confidence,” by Njelic, Sam Deep and De Mthuda, followed by “Shumi,” from K.O and Blue Pappi. Placing these two records together creates a dedicated passage for South African music and gives the sequence a clear regional shift. It also allows the playlist to move beyond a narrow understanding of African popular music as synonymous with Afrobeats alone.

Savara’s “Sele” brings Kenya into the main sequence. Its inclusion is part of a broader editorial commitment: East African music should be heard within the continent-wide conversation, not introduced only to satisfy a numerical representation target.

The closing stretch returns to Ghana with “Sweet,” then moves to Mūmbi’s “Everything” and “Away,” the collaboration between REPLIXXA and Wizard Chan. These final selections keep discovery in view, ending the playlist with artists and pairings that extend beyond its opening run of familiar names.

The regional picture is not intended to be exhaustive. Fifteen tracks cannot represent the full breadth of African music in a single week. What they can do is offer a focused selection that moves across markets while retaining a recognisable editorial identity.

The Records That Came Close

The final 15 emerged from a much wider pool of regional releases. Several alternatives offered credible reasons for inclusion, even though they did not make this edition.

“Lock It In,” by Rukmani and Ema Onigah, was a strong contender for the collaborative side of the playlist. Cina Soul’s “Nobody Know Me” offered another Ghanaian solo option, while “Cry On You,” by Mannywellz and Odeal, could have strengthened the selection’s crossover dimension.

Larry Gaaga and Peruzzi’s “OFF WHITE” was another contender, appearing across the supplied regional lists. AratheJay’s “Wings” offered a further Ghanaian alternative, while Musta4a and Tim Lyre’s “Grind” could have maintained the playlist’s collaborative Nigerian strand.

For a more alternative direction, LUCID LUI, djprodluigi and Wahenga’s “Soft Launch – Midnight Edition” remained under consideration. KABEAUSHÉ’s “MIND YER BIZNIZ” offered another option from outside the most familiar Afrobeats lane. Mwanaa, Gogo Ashley and Dodo’s “Furaha” could have extended the East African presence, while GLOBALBOY COLLIN and Kwaku DMC’s “Room 6” offered another Ghanaian contender.

These omissions are a consequence of the format, not a declaration that the records lack merit. The final playlist has room for only 15 tracks, and the sequence has to work as a whole. Different listening priorities could produce a different shortlist; the editorial task here was to settle on one coherent edition.

Editorial Highlights

🎵 Cover Story — Mavo, “Goyard”

Mavo leads Friday Frequency #018. “Goyard” provides the edition with its central track and a clear Nigerian starting point, while the rest of the playlist broadens the story beyond the lead artist.

🤝 Collaboration of the Week — KOJO BLAK, Medikal and beatzvampire, “ABILITY”

The Ghanaian collaboration stands out in a playlist with several multi-artist records. Its credited contributors give it a clear place in the edition’s collaborative narrative.

🔥 Breakthrough Pick — Mūmbi, “Everything”

“Everything” is this week’s discovery-minded pick. The designation reflects its editorial role in bringing a less familiar name into the final sequence; it is not a prediction of commercial performance.

🌍 Continental Moment — Njelic, Sam Deep and De Mthuda, “Confidence”

The South African collaboration marks a deliberate shift in the playlist’s regional and sonic focus. Alongside “Shumi,” it gives South African music a meaningful presence in the listening order.

🎶 Cultural Pick — Savara, “Sele”

Savara’s inclusion brings a Kenyan release into the central sequence and reinforces Friday Frequency’s continental outlook. The selection is about widening the listening perspective, not assigning a track the responsibility of representing an entire country.

Friday Frequency Essential 15

The definitive tracklist for edition #018, in listening order:

1. Mavo — Goyard
2. Olamide — Burukutu
3. Shallipopi — .com
4. 6uff, ODUMODUBLVCK — Salt
5. KOJO BLAK, Medikal, beatzvampire — ABILITY (feat. Medikal & beatzvampire)
6. King Promise — Melody
7. Juls, Projexx, Minz — POSITION
8. R. City, Ayra Starr — Pray
9. JaySynths, MaWhoo, Ayo Maff, TICOZET, Sami’Kay — Im’mangaliso (feat. Sami’Kay)
10. Njelic, Sam Deep, De Mthuda — Confidence
11. K.O, Blue Pappi — Shumi
12. Savara — Sele
13. Kweku Flick, Shatta Wale — Sweet
14. Mūmbi — Everything
15. REPLIXXA, Wizard Chan — Away

Friday Frequency #018 is ultimately about perspective: a Nigerian-led opening, collaborative records that connect artists, and a wider African frame that includes Ghana, South Africa and Kenya. The selection makes room for familiar names without allowing familiarity to become the only measure of value, and for discovery without turning representation into a quota.

Fifteen records cannot tell the whole story of African music in a week. They can, however, give listeners a considered place to begin—and a reason to keep exploring after the final track.

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

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