ooh oui, this new Ste Milano track is delectable. a heady (but not too much) cocktail of drill bass, slowed down coupé décalé/biama beats and guitar licks plus trippy afrobeats production. cool visuals too. quite the 🇨🇮 Ivorian “Comeback”! youtu.be/nLA7I95s3HI?... (see below for more!)

Sly Dunbar (1952-2026)

it finally appears this song to bits I love 💕

wowzeez, it has been a good while since a new sound from Naija🇳🇬 excited me like this, but 2026 has blessed us with Danpapa GTA’s “Ikeja (No Go Thief)”. don’t know anything about the guy, who knows what I’ll find! pro tip: Ata Kak lovers might like this! youtu.be/FQN2koa8z80?...

also, this recent DJ Arana-(co)produced beauty (apologies for belated 🎅🏻Xmas content): youtu.be/aUQXG9PeXTs?... “14 Dias pra Natal” by DJ LZ Mtodiado & DJ Arana ft. Mc Galaxia & MC Rogê

speaking of, this is my favourite new 🇧🇷funk track: youtu.be/qdXSs7rLPGs?... “Pá Sentar Pra Tropa - Arrocha Funk” by RB NO BEAT ft. DM Digital & Mc Vittin PV

attention @peoples-pop-polls.bsky.social #PeoplesPop25 people, “結局シャリ” (‘Kekkoyu Shari’), the brand new 🇯🇵xiangyu single (with Gimgigam) is quite literally music for a 🍣🍣sushi restaurant (but with slight percussive 🇧🇷funk touches!) youtu.be/iiRlCoCFZzY?...

…but of course I wanted to post about the new, 🇳🇬Magicsticks-produced 🇳🇬Wizkid x Asake🇳🇬 EP, REAL, Vol. 1, which also has quite a 3Step sheen going along with the log drum thing. surprisingly, it’s not single “Jogodo” that gets the video, but opening track “Turbulence”: youtu.be/cv5chGtfVTg?...

lol not Harry Styles coming back with a 3Step track youtu.be/7sxVHYZ_PnA?... (Harry’s House indeed, it’s a sign of the times, as it were)

reunited with the most beautiful song in world history and it feels so good youtu.be/8wJTm0RoQBo?... “Asibe Happy” by 🇿🇦Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Ami Faku

to celebrate 🇸🇳Senegal’s victory in the 🌍Africa 🏆Cup of Nations, let me treat you to the two biggest songs in that country. the most watched video is “Ya Nob Bandit Bi” by Jahman X-Press… youtu.be/3zKbyyTfPkc?...

…how it ended 🇸🇳 #gainde

anyone who’s into football, go watch what is left of the AFCON final if you can. for what has happened so far the phrase ‘incredible scenes’ is woefully insufficient. we’re in extra time now,🇸🇳Senegal has just taken the lead against hosts 🇲🇦Morocco, and there will be many more scenes, guaranteed.

that would be “To Kosi Bana”

that would be “To Kosi Bana”

when Jeez Suave (see below) mentioned that there’s a 🇨🇩Congolese genre that has certain similarities to 🇩🇲Dominican bouyon, he >must< have been thinking of stuff like this, no? “Tosi Ko Bana” by Kosar & Flatt boy ft. Tété Ketch: youtu.be/xz4Ir7WVAx8?...

win or lose, c’est 🌍l’Afrique qui gagne but a vote for Kocee’s frankly magnificent “Pdg” would be nice

…and this brand-new track has a similar dubby vibe: “Uyangfuna Yini (Prukukukuku)” by Tk Small & Senzo02 ft. 🤎Royal MusiQ & 🐶Pcee: youtu.be/eUXjCyjfCKQ?...

had I already noted that that dry & dubby diskomo amapiano jazz (circa my m/l fav 2024 album, Musical Jazz’s eightEEn) has now gone mainstream? “ZEP” by Dj Smallz, ZinedinexSguche & 031CHOPPA ft. Uncool MC is a major hit in 🇿🇦SA, also doing well on the TikToks: youtu.be/yrhuu53-1Po?...

vote for “Isaka (6am)” in @peoples-pop-polls.bsky.social’s #PeoplesPop25 poll! and also check out the entire wonderland body of Jazzworx>Jazzwrld & Thukuthela’s 2025 3-Step work! see below for all the links you need!

wowzeez, it has been a good while since a new sound from Naija🇳🇬 excited me like this, but 2026 has blessed us with Danpapa GTA’s “Ikeja (No Go Thief)”. don’t know anything about the guy, who knows what I’ll find! pro tip: Ata Kak lovers might like this! youtu.be/FQN2koa8z80?...

to those who like “Isaka (6am)” and would like to hear more of where it comes from - Ciza is not really the one to focus on (sorry, my man), it’s all about producer Jazzwrld (or Jazzworx before the mid-year name change) and producer/singer Thukuthela… >>> theofficialsacharts.co.za/who-are-jazz...

come on, Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮!!! allez les Eléphants! 🐘🐘🐘 youtu.be/mfDiCJSBxFI?...

first became aware of🇧🇪Belgium-based 🇸🇷Surinamese artist Faya-Rico Jackpot thru some (Surin)amapiano tracks*, but it turns out he also does amazing stuff like ‘I Am Here Because You Folks Went There First’. brilliant lyrics (sometimes they do matter!), brilliantly performed: youtu.be/yH_0Ypu0V0g?...

also a blast: “دووري (Doori)” by 🇧🇭Bahraini rapper Flipperachi - who knew you could make a tacky Beethoven sample work in this day and age? all I can say is: Robin Thicke, eat your heart out! (one for the heads, iykyk) youtu.be/fwd7jcQzVgk?...

some good new additions: I’m a big fan of “Yama” by 🇲🇦 Moroccan by way of 🇧🇪Belgium Dystinct, which first caught my attention when it was played to hype up the crowd pre-match at the current Africa Cup Of Nations in… 🇲🇦Morocco youtu.be/QRHhWwdX59k?...

final update of Saeed Saeed’s list of musical highlights from the Arabic-speaking world for 2025, altho it’s a definite case of you say 50, to me it adds up to 51! www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture... (my Spxtxfx playlist is still below, but has been updated)

first became aware of🇧🇪Belgium-based 🇸🇷Surinamese artist Faya-Rico Jackpot thru some (Surin)amapiano tracks*, but it turns out he also does amazing stuff like ‘I Am Here Because You Folks Went There First’. brilliant lyrics (sometimes they do matter!), brilliantly performed: youtu.be/yH_0Ypu0V0g?...

Two matches. Two Youngs. (Sorry that’s awful but it’s done now)

“Passer à coté” by Taf La Référence, a hit from the 1st half of 2025, is back in the 🇨🇮Ivorian YT top 20. is it because of its festiveness? is there a ⚽️ link? (Côte d’Ivoire is defending its title at the African Cup of Nations). who cares, let’s just go dancing on the beach!🏝️ youtu.be/zrE82oXP4gI?...

exciting news! just found out the Tigress of the East arrived in our city earlier today! 🚙🚙🚙

one fun thing you all could do is partake and vote in the @peoples-pop-polls.bsky.social #PeoplesPop25 poll!

“Passer à coté” by Taf La Référence, a hit from the 1st half of 2025, is back in the 🇨🇮Ivorian YT top 20. is it because of its festiveness? is there a ⚽️ link? (Côte d’Ivoire is defending its title at the African Cup of Nations). who cares, let’s just go dancing on the beach!🏝️ youtu.be/zrE82oXP4gI?...

plenty of newness to come this year, but sometimes you just get enchanted by something you haven’t heard in years. case in point: “I Gat You” by 🇳🇬🇺🇸DJ Hol Up ft. 🇳🇬Deshinor, produced by 🇳🇬Que Beat. yep, 2018 does sound like a different era, but it’s just cool like dat: youtu.be/zabaL74Vqyw?...

given all this, how could it have slipped my mind that one of the best songs of this 🇷🇴Ro-mania-n wave was Elena (Gheorghe)’s… “Midnight Sun”🌞🌞🌞? youtu.be/97lZqdc1_2U?...

🌞🌞🌞notification: any results of the upcoming #PeoplesPop25 poll will be null and void since we collectively failed to nominate what I’ve come to realise is the best Pop (Girl) Song of the Year, 🇸🇪Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun”🌞🌞🌞: youtu.be/uvY8fdgezLQ?...

I know, it’s so 2024 (!) but I just came across this breakdown by Jeez Suave about how he produced “Kongolese sous BBL” for his sister. 🇧🇷funk is involved (as is hyperpop). he also addresses the bouyon appropriation issue. (it is in French so ymmv) youtu.be/CxXHIixYuM0?...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 2️⃣5️⃣/25 I mained experimental 🇿🇦Thakzin into #PeoplesPop25, but anthemic 🇿🇦Thakzin should have been in there too (side-eyeing the elves). “Sinatanale (Thakzin Remix)” by 🌍Lagos In Paris ft. 🇬🇭Tsie is such a cathartic celebration. happy new year all! youtu.be/KxmEDw3dvz4?...

bonus #2025FavSingles #top25of25 #Twenty5Stinkers because why indeed not

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 2️⃣5️⃣/25 I mained experimental 🇿🇦Thakzin into #PeoplesPop25, but anthemic 🇿🇦Thakzin should have been in there too (side-eyeing the elves). “Sinatanale (Thakzin Remix)” by 🌍Lagos In Paris ft. 🇬🇭Tsie is such a cathartic celebration. happy new year all! youtu.be/KxmEDw3dvz4?...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 #Twenty5Stinkers 2️⃣4️⃣/25 my fav discovery from #PeoplesPop25 challenge week: “MAKKA” by 🇬🇧fakemink, Ecco2k & Mechatok. does what it says on the tin (oh no, is this, cough, a drug reference?) now let’s take it on- and upwards in the actual poll! youtu.be/jC0pjkRpC6s?...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 #Twenty5Stinkers 2️⃣4️⃣/25 my fav discovery from #PeoplesPop25 challenge week: “MAKKA” by 🇬🇧fakemink, Ecco2k & Mechatok. does what it says on the tin (oh no, is this, cough, a drug reference?) now let’s take it on- and upwards in the actual poll! youtu.be/jC0pjkRpC6s?...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 #25SongsFrom2025 #Twenty5Stinkers 2️⃣3️⃣/25 “Bouwéy” by 1T1 and Theomaa from Guadeloupe🇬🇵 has a 50 Cent vibe to its verses, such as they are (complimentary). it’s a mean dog of a bouyon banger! youtu.be/tW8KrbpTXcI?...

I've now reworked the piece, thanks to tip from @lokpolokpo1.bsky.social. bsky.app/profile/koga...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 2️⃣2️⃣/25 “Shela” by Sam Deep with Nia Pearl, Boohle and Mano has maintained its number one status in South Africa for some two months to become the big festive end-of-year Desummer hit (you can find out Who Sam Is in just 27 tracks and 3 hours!) youtu.be/CKEK3pC7krg?...

when I saw this title pop up I thought quite excitedly it might be an adaptation of the 2015 West African smash of the same name by 🇨🇲Cameroonian Franko: youtu.be/LndrLOLJgrs?...

it took a little time (about a year!), but here’s 🇫🇷Theodora paying back 🇩🇲HollyG with interest on “Coller la petite” - bouyon to the world! youtu.be/UdSMOCyYgAg?...

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 #25SongsFrom2025 #Twenty5Stinkers 2️⃣1️⃣/25 one for the real heads! one of my afro-francophone YouTube travels led me to 🇧🇫Burkina Faso and an album by Ouendbénédo, with the log drum-enhanced “Christine” as a pop-adjacent highlight: youtu.be/bExoYr9KyIE?...

Babalwa M’s ACQUIESCE is still contending for album of 2025. it reminds me a lot of (then) Sun-El Musician protégé 🇿🇦Simmy’s 2018 debut TUGELA FAIRY*: a beautifully constructed just-concise-enough album of blissed-out soulful 🇿🇦afro house du jour (*but not her 2020 followup of almost the same name!)

#2025FavSingles #top25of25 2️⃣0️⃣/25 this is christmassy, right? Tman “X”press, CowBoii (even if it’s only one), “LastBorn”Diroba (oh wait) and Jesus was very Mellow &… Sleazy (double-checks notes). plus 🇿🇦”Ibhanoyi” wasn’t welcome in the PPP inn (as was ~any~ amapiano): youtu.be/UrvHSCd_kbQ?...