00:00Pull up and earn me. Push the star.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the most talented solo artists from across the continent of Africa
00:11who are slowly but steadily making their mark on the global stage.
00:20Number 10. Bien.
00:22As a solo artist, Kenyan singer Bien is relatively new to the scene.
00:26But his velvety voice has been charming fans for years.
00:29He first rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the beloved Afro-pop group Saudi Soul, with whom he released five albums.
00:43While he is still a member of the band, Bien branched out as a solo artist in 2021 with the release of his debut EP, Bald Men Love Better.
00:51Everything they do, we do it better.
00:54You need a bomb one to love you better, baby.
00:57The Nairobi-based musician blends Saudi Soul's signature Afro-pop sound with elements of rumba and amapiano
01:03to create a unique sound that's as heartfelt as it is dance floor ready.
01:07Beyond just entertainment, Bien also uses his music to spotlight pressing social issues in Kenya
01:12and is an outspoken advocate for artists' rights.
01:15Number 9. Diamond Platinums
01:24Before he hit superstardom,
01:26Tanzanian musician Diamond Platinums faced a difficult upbringing
01:29and worked several odd jobs to fund his studio sessions.
01:33Those efforts eventually paid off in 2010 with Come One B.A.,
01:36the hit single that shot him to fame.
01:38Since then, he has been unstoppable.
01:48He has transformed bongo flavor, Tanzania's native genre,
01:52into a pan-African sensation by infusing it with a more upbeat tempo
01:56and blending Swahili and English.
01:59That crossover appeal has shown in the numbers,
02:06as he became the first sub-Saharan artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.
02:11And while he shared the mic with the likes of Rick Ross, Neo, and Jason Derulo,
02:15Diamond Platinums still flies a bit too far under the international radar.
02:23Number 8. Black Sharif
02:24There's a lot to learn from the music of Black Sharif.
02:34The Ghanaian artist fashions himself a philosopher and storyteller,
02:38and his lyrics, which are written entirely by him, clearly reflect that.
02:42After making his debut in 2019,
02:45Black Sharif's breakthrough came three years later with Kweku the Traveler,
02:48a powerful single that showcased his ability to tell raw, emotional stories
02:52in both English and his native Tchwee.
03:01That song catapulted him to international stardom,
03:04but the fame never dulled his edge.
03:07If anything, it made it even sharper.
03:09Black Sharif has since released two full-length albums,
03:12The Villain I Never Was and Iron Boy,
03:14the latter of which broke Spotify's record
03:16for the most streams in a single day by a Ghanaian album.
03:19Number 7. Black Coffee
03:27Greatness often takes time to materialize,
03:29and few stories prove that better than Black Coffee's.
03:32Your eyes, they sparkle in the light
03:36But in the dark, I see that you're coming
03:39Born and raised in Durban, South Africa,
03:41this DJ began his career in 1994 as a backup singer,
03:45and later joined an Afro pop group.
03:47But it wasn't until the early 2000s
03:49that he started making real waves on his own.
03:57His 2005 self-titled debut album,
04:00which featured remixes of South African classics,
04:03put him on the map at home.
04:05But Black Coffee always had his sights set on the global stage,
04:08and his unique blend of Afro beats,
04:10house, and dance music carried him right onto it.
04:13In 2022, his album subconsciously took home the Grammy
04:16for Best Dance Electronic Album,
04:19making him the first African to win in that category.
04:27Number 6. Amare
04:28Try putting Amare in a box.
04:31We dare you.
04:32The Ghanaian-American genre bender is pop,
04:34R&B, Afro beats, and Alte,
04:36all rolled into one brilliant package.
04:38She first caught ears with her dreamy 2017 EP,
04:42Passion Fruit Summers.
04:43But it was her 2020 debut album,
04:45The Angel You Don't Know,
04:46that made critics and fans alike sit up and really listen.
04:57While those projects were rooted in Afro beats,
05:00her sophomore album, Fountain Baby,
05:02took a slight detour into the glitzy world
05:03of electronic and dance pop music to great success.
05:06The self-proclaimed warrior princess brings a voice
05:16that is otherworldly,
05:17a sound that is eclectic,
05:19and a fashion sense that refuses to follow the rules.
05:22If that doesn't deserve your attention,
05:24we don't know what does.
05:32Number 5. Davido
05:34When it comes to steadily churning out hits,
05:44only a few African artists can keep up with Davido.
05:47Ever since he broke out with Damiduro in 2011,
05:50Davido has kept his foot firmly on the gas.
05:53His signature mix of Afro beats,
05:55dance hall, and R&B
05:56lights up dance floors across the continent,
05:58and can take any party from zero to a hundred in a second.
06:01Don't believe us?
06:10Just play tracks like If, Fall, and Femme,
06:13and watch the high-energy vibe instantly lift your mood.
06:21At the risk of being accused of talking too much,
06:27we'll just say that while Davido comes from a privileged background,
06:30that doesn't mean he hasn't put in the relentless hard work
06:33to get where he is today.
06:34Number 4. Wizkid
06:42You've most likely heard Drake's chart-topping hit One Dance,
06:54but you may not be familiar with Wizkid,
06:56the voice behind its groovy post-chorus.
06:58Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun,
07:07Wizkid is one of Africa's most influential musical exports.
07:11He started making music at just 11 years old,
07:14but it was his 2010 hit Hala At Your Boy
07:16that launched him into the spotlight
07:17and set the stage for a career
07:19that would help take Afro beats global.
07:21If you sing with Drake, bye, I like your boy
07:24I got my stride, I like your boy
07:27I pop my body
07:28Over the years, Wizkid has consistently raised the bar,
07:32collaborating with other international A-listers
07:34like Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, and Beyonce.
07:37But his own work has been just as impactful,
07:40most notably 2020's Essence,
07:41which became the first Nigerian song
07:43to crack the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
07:45You don't need no other body
07:48You don't need no other body
07:53Number 3. Thames
07:54It was Wizkid's Essence that gave Thames
08:02her first international hit.
08:04Before that, she first made waves in Nigeria
08:06with 2018's Try Me,
08:08which landed her on multiple artists-to-watch lists.
08:11So why you wanna try me?
08:13Can't try me
08:14You're out to destroy me
08:16Destroy me
08:17After breaking onto the global stage,
08:19Thames built strong collaborations,
08:21helping to craft hits for heavyweights like Drake,
08:23Beyonce, and Rihanna.
08:25In fact, she co-wrote Rihanna's Lift Me Up,
08:27which made her the first Nigerian singer
08:29to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song.
08:32Despite these impressive accomplishments,
08:34Thames remained somewhat in the background
08:36until 2024,
08:38when she took center stage
08:39with her debut album, Born in the Wild.
08:41It produced the critically acclaimed singles
08:44Burning and Love Me Jeje,
08:45the latter of which won a Grammy
08:47for Best African Music Performance.
08:57Number 2.
08:58Tyla
08:58Although she only launched her career in 2019,
09:02Tyla has already become
09:03one of Africa's biggest music stars.
09:05The South African singer
09:06got her big break in 2023 with Water,
09:08which became an international hit
09:10after it sparked a viral dance challenge
09:12that flooded social media.
09:21But anyone thinking that she would be
09:23a one-hit wonder was quickly proven wrong.
09:26Tyla kept the momentum going
09:27with a string of successful singles,
09:29including Truth or Dare and Push to Start.
09:32Her status as a rising star
09:41was solidified when she won
09:43the inaugural Grammy Award
09:44for Best African Music Performance,
09:46becoming the youngest African artist
09:48to win a Grammy.
09:49Tyla always dreamed of being
09:50the biggest pop star out of Africa,
09:52and judging by her meteoric rise,
09:55she is well on her way.
09:56Before we unveil our top pick,
10:06here are some honorable mentions.
10:08Asha K.
10:08Mr. Money has taken Fuji music
10:10from the streets to the world stage.
10:18Ira Star.
10:19Nigeria's Sabi girl sure knows
10:21how to craft incredibly catchy tunes.
10:22energy don't dialogue
10:25for a friendly and conscious
10:27I'm allergic to so-co-so
10:30Fatumata Diawara.
10:31This Malian singer draws from her experiences
10:34to make deeply resonant music.
10:44Nasty C.
10:45South Africa's rap prodigy
10:46forged his own path
10:47with sharp lyrics
10:48and a versatile flow.
10:49I used to have tech
10:50in the fridge in the bank
10:52I'm not going back
10:53I had bad bugs
10:54I had roaches and rats
10:56I'm not going back
10:57He is bold,
10:59he is unapologetic,
11:00he is an Afrobeats icon
11:02in the making.
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11:25Number 1.
11:26Burnaboy
11:26Calling yourself
11:34the African giant
11:35takes a lot of confidence
11:36but Burnaboy
11:37has the talent
11:38to justify it.
11:39Raised in Port Harkot, Nigeria,
11:41he was surrounded
11:41by music from an early age.
11:43His grandfather
11:44even managed
11:44the legendary musician
11:45and activist
11:46Fela Kuti
11:47whose influence
11:47still echoes
11:48through his work today.
11:49Burnaboy
11:58infuses everything
11:59from hip-hop
12:00to reggae
12:00into Afrobeats
12:01to create a sound
12:02that is unmistakably
12:03his own
12:03and impossible
12:04to ignore.
12:05His music
12:06is wildly entertaining
12:07and just like Kuti,
12:09he also uses it
12:10to speak out
12:10on the issues
12:11facing Nigeria's youth.
12:12With a Grammy
12:13on his shelf,
12:14BET awards
12:15to his name
12:15and millions
12:16of records sold,
12:17Burnaboy
12:18has more than
12:18earned the right
12:19to call himself
12:20the African giant.
12:28Which of these artists
12:29do you already have
12:30in your playlist?
12:31Show them some love
12:32in the comments below.
12:33I really like to party
12:34I really like to party
12:37I really like to party
12:39I cannot control my body
12:41In n
12:51You
12:51can really see
12:52on the workforce
12:53in thevoor
12:54I just want to
12:55use
12:56that
12:57where
12:58your
12:59what
13:01you
13:02would not
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