Discovery culture has developed a strange obsession with being first. With Custodian Gems, we find the artist before everyone else. Catch the song before it moves. Name the next star before consensus arrives. But discovery becomes far more useful when it stops behaving like prophecy. The more interesting question begins after an artist has our…
Afrobeats Heat Different returns with Victony at the centre of a 15-track New Music Friday edition that moves through Lagos street rap, contemporary Afropop, Afro-house, alternative experimentation and Francophone Africa. There is something particularly satisfying about watching an artist reach the point where experimentation no longer feels like risk. For Victony, STARLIFE appears to be…
Every generation of African music eventually reaches a moment where established stars begin creating not simply for their audiences, but alongside the artists who will inherit the future. This week’s edition of Afrobeats Heat Different captures that transition beautifully. Leading the playlist is Davido, whose latest single “Gimme Dat Ting” featuring rising Nigerian artist NO11…
How African Music Became One of the Defining Sounds of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Every FIFA World Cup leaves the world with two enduring memories. The first belongs to football. The second belongs to music. Long after the final whistle blows, long after medals have been lifted and trophies paraded through city streets, the…
This week’s edition of Nairobi Grooves is less a playlist and more a reflection of a region discovering itself in real time. Every city has a soundtrack. Every generation leaves behind a collection of songs that capture its ambitions, anxieties, celebrations, heartbreaks, and hopes. Every music scene experiences moments of transition. There are periods when…
Every week, Afrobeats Heat Different serves as a snapshot of where African music is, where it is heading, and which artists are helping shape the conversation in real time. For the latest edition, Music Custodian places Tiwa Savage at the centre of that conversation. The Nigerian superstar appears on two records featured in this week’s…
Africa’s Rock Goddess ClayRocksU Discusses New EP ‘Hate It Here’ and Navigating the Music Industry as an Alternative Rock Artist in West Africa.
Barack Obama’s 2024 Summer Playlist shines with a nod to both legends and rising stars among the 44 handpicked tracks, Bob Marley and The Wailers’ timeless anthem “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)” (1974) sits alongside Tyla’s infectious “Jump,” featuring Gunna and Skillibeng, this annual playlist, now a beloved tradition, dropped on August 12, creating a ripple across the music world.
