Welcome to For Your Ears Only, our monthly playlist put together by team FEMME MAG!
Each month, we’re bringing you a special selection of recently released tracks from female artists across the continent. From slick rap bars to soulful RnB melodies, we’ve got a bit of something for everybody!
September was a lot: BBN-filled toxic drama, Queen Elizabeth II Death and subsequent online bullying of Uju Anya, Mercury in Retrograde, Iranian women-led protests and the ongoing ASUU strike (it’s now been 7 months since it started) were just some of the things that popped off to round off Q3.
If that list doesn’t make you catch your breath and worry slightly about wtf is going on, then we don’t know what to tell you.
What we can tell you, however, is that September brought some of the most delicious soul-filling music we’ve heard in a while and the girls did not take their feet off our necks.
In Ayra Starr’s first single of the year, ‘Rush’, she brings the heat once again with her powerful vocals and a stunning music video to match. The Celestial Being has also already snagged the no.1 spot on TurnTables Nigeria’s Top 100 chart with the song. As we wait for her second album release (October 14th) with more chart-topping hits, we’ll keep this song on rotation ’til then.
Other firsts that made their debut in September include 28-year-old Zimbabwean-born Sha Sha’s highly anticipated album, I’m Alive, which shows the ‘Queen of Amapiano’ floating through the percussion-laden beats with her silky vocals. On our second instalment of For Your Ears Only, we selected ‘Fast Car’ for the playlist and the nearly 6-minute track slowly builds to give room to the smooth sound she’s become known for. Men usually lead the charge when it comes to putting out Amapiano projects (think Kabza De Small’s KOA II Part 1, Heavy-K’s Khusta and Major League Djz Outside to name a few) and women often take a backseat. When we do hear women, they’re usually featured on the hooks or backing vocals. It’s exciting to watch this shift with more women like Sha Sha putting out projects like I’m Alive.
September was also a month that saw RnB tracks like Karun’s ‘Clout Chaser’ and Elaine’s ‘Deja Vu’ waft into our soundwaves. On the tracks, both artists call out love interests for toxic romantic tropes and games.
Listen to the full For Your Ears Only here on Spotify and see below for the tracklist! See ya at the end of October!
