Victony, Blaqbonez, Yarden, Fireboy DML and More on New Music Friday
New Music Friday is here, and the speakers are doing what they do best: making room for new obsessions, unexpected collaborations, and a few records that might just soundtrack the rest of our year. Fireboy DML is stepping into a new chapter with ZUKO!, Blaqbonez is making another case for his place in Nigerian rap with NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME, and Victony is taking “SLICK” international with Don Toliver and Summer Walker joining the ride. Elsewhere, Cruel Santino teams up with Zaylevelten on “BIG DROP,” bringing more of that left-field energy that keeps Nigeria’s alternative scene interesting. From full-length projects to cross-continental link-ups and experimental cuts, this week’s releases offer plenty to get into. We’ve listened, sat with the music, and pulled apart the moments worth your attention. Here’s your Afromixx First Listen for the week.
VICTONY, DON TOLIVER, SUMMER WALKER — “SLICK” (REMIX)
Victony is taking one of the biggest records of his career across the Atlantic, and he has brought the right company along for the ride. Released on October 16, 2026, the official remix of “SLICK” features American rapper Don Toliver and R&B singer Summer Walker, giving the Nigerian singer two distinct voices to complement a record that had already found its footing at home and abroad. The original, released in July, spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Nigeria’s Official Top 100 and peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s US Afrobeats Songs chart. For Victony, the remix is a calculated attempt to extend that momentum, but it also feels like a natural progression for a song whose flirtatious, hip-hop-inflected Afrobeats sound already has crossover appeal.
The decision to bring Summer Walker into the mix makes particular sense. The Atlanta singer had already drawn attention for her own take on “SLICK” in August, with listeners calling for an official collaboration after clips circulated online. Her presence now gives the record a softer, more intimate R&B dimension, playing into the sensuality at the heart of Victony’s original. Don Toliver, meanwhile, is a familiar collaborator, having joined Victony, Rema and producer Tempoe on the 2022 remix of “Soweto.” His hazy, melodic approach to rap has always sat comfortably alongside Afrobeats, making his return feel less like a random international feature and more like a reunion built around an established musical chemistry.
What makes “SLICK” work in the first place is its uncomplicated understanding of desire. Built around a catchy, repetitive hook, playful Nigerian slang and a laid-back groove, the original lets Victony move between melodic singing and rap-leaning cadences without overcomplicating the arrangement. Ozedikus and Dëra, the producers behind the record, give the song enough bounce to keep it lively while preserving the smoothness that makes it suited to late-night playlists. The remix’s biggest challenge is maintaining that balance with two new personalities in the room. With Summer Walker bringing her intimate vocal style and Don Toliver offering his atmospheric melodic rap, the record has the ingredients for a compelling cross-continental exchange.
There is also a bigger picture here. Afrobeats collaborations with American artists are hardly new, and Victony himself has already experienced the international benefits of this approach with “Soweto.” But “SLICK” arrives with a different advantage: it is not trying to introduce an unfamiliar song to a new audience from scratch. The original has already established its identity, built a following and demonstrated its chart potential. Summer Walker’s existing connection to the song adds a story listeners can follow, while Don Toliver’s return gives the collaboration another layer of familiarity. The question is whether these additions can give the record a second life rather than simply capitalising on a successful first run.
“SLICK (Remix)” is a smart extension of Victony’s current momentum. Its appeal lies in the meeting of three artists who understand the softer, more seductive side of contemporary pop, R&B and rap. The international billing raises the stakes, but the foundation remains Victony’s: an easygoing, flirtatious record with enough personality to travel. Whether the remix can match the original’s commercial run remains to be seen, but as a move towards a wider audience, it makes sense. Victony already has the song; now he is testing just how far it can go.
FIREBOY DML — “ZUKO!” (ALBUM)
Fireboy DML is back with a new identity, and this time, he seems less interested in playing it safe. On ZUKO!, his fifth studio album, the Nigerian singer trades some of the intimate, lovestruck vulnerability that has defined much of his catalogue for a more restless mix of spiritual warfare, late-night indulgence, romantic obsession and the pressure of staying afloat. The 13-track project arrives through YBNL Nation and EMPIRE, two years after Adedamola, with appearances from Judah Earl, Lojay, Jamaican dancehall star Masicka, and South African collaborators JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela. The title draws inspiration from Prince Zuko of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a character whose journey through exile, identity and redemption gives this new era an interesting thematic backdrop.
The album’s most interesting moments arrive when Fireboy allows his influences to stretch beyond familiar Afrobeats territory. “CLAAT!” brings a rowdy dancehall energy, with Masicka a fitting addition to the record’s more uninhibited mood, while “IMALI” takes a different route, leaning into South African 3-step rhythms alongside JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela. On the other hand, “BY FIRE!” finds Fireboy turning spiritual declarations into a rallying cry, while “ONE MAN REGIMENT” captures the familiar ambition of an artiste determined to keep moving regardless of the odds. “GODDESS”, with Lojay, returns to the seductive songwriting both singers understand particularly well, while “KILOWI” revisits the desperation of a man trying to hold on to a love that may already be slipping away.
But beneath the bravado, the partying and the pursuit of pleasure, ZUKO! has a more vulnerable side. “DEAR FATHER” opens the album with a plea for guidance and the fear of falling after coming so far, while “FIGHTING” closes the tracklist on a more sobering note, exposing the exhaustion that can sit behind an artiste’s public confidence. That contrast gives the album some of its emotional weight: Fireboy wants the money, the beautiful women and the freedom to enjoy his success, but there is also a man trying to make sense of the cost of getting here. ZUKO! occasionally prioritises its energy over sharper songwriting, yet its willingness to move between spiritual reflection, dancehall, South African sounds and familiar romantic territory makes it a more adventurous listen than a straightforward return to the Adedamola formula. Fireboy may have arrived dressed for battle, but the more compelling story is what he is fighting within himself.
BLAQBONEZ — “NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME” (ALBUM)
Blaqbonez has spent years making a case for Nigerian rap without sacrificing the showmanship, humour and pop instincts that make him such an interesting character in the mainstream. On ‘NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME’, his fifth studio album, he sounds like a man enjoying the rewards of his persistence while remaining restless enough to chase the next level. Released on October 16 through Chocolate City Music, the 15-track project follows ‘No Excuses’ and arrives on the back of a particularly strong run with Asake, whose appearance on “CHANEL” helped deliver Blaqbonez his first No. 1 on the Official Nigeria Top 100.
The album gets moving with “I LOVE THIS,” featuring Igwe Aka, before “CA$H EVERYDAY” introduces the familiar tension between ambition and the exhaustion that comes with pursuing it. “BIG PERFORMER” carries the confidence of an artiste who knows he has earned his place, but the real commercial centrepiece arrives with “IKEBE 3000” and “CHANEL,” the back-to-back Asake collaborations that have helped define this album’s rollout. Where “CHANEL” leans into the infectious appeal of their chemistry, “IKEBE 3000” takes a darker, more textured approach, bringing shadowy drums and choral layers into a song still powered by flirtation and playful Nigerian pop-culture references. Together, they demonstrate why Blaqbonez and Asake make such an effective pairing: one brings the rap theatrics, the other knows how to turn a record into a communal sing-along.
Blaqbonez is at his most interesting when he lets the jokes and flexes share space with something more personal. “MAZZA” finds him reaching for escapism, while “CA$H OUT” shifts into relationship territory, with his multilingual delivery adding character to the story of a romance moving faster than expected. “YAHOOZE,” featuring Victony, offers another meeting point between rap and melodic Afrobeats, while “JUSTINA,” with Ruger, brings a different vocal personality into the mix. These collaborations are carefully spread across the album, giving Blaqbonez room to engage different corners of the Nigerian music scene without losing his own identity.
The more revealing moment, however, is “LIKE 2021.” Beneath the confidence of an artiste who has spent years making himself impossible to ignore is someone reflecting on disappointments and the experiences that shaped his current position. “SAMPLE EKWE” takes another route, drawing on Nigerian musical references, including a nod to incantation-style singer Egertton, while the closing “FINESSE YOU,” featuring Tml Vibez, brings the project back to the hunger and gratitude that come with making progress. It is a fitting end to an album preoccupied with what it takes to move forward.
‘NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME’ finds Blaqbonez balancing commercial instincts with the experimental streak that has kept his catalogue interesting. The Asake collaborations may attract the first wave of attention, but the album has more going on than its biggest features. Its strongest thread is the tension between wanting more and recognising how far you have come. Across 15 tracks and roughly 38 minutes, Blaqbonez moves between braggadocio, cultural references, romantic misadventures and introspection, occasionally favouring familiar formulas but rarely sounding short of personality. For an artiste who has made a career out of turning his own character into part of the entertainment, NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME feels like another calculated move from a rapper who understands the game and is still hungry to play it.
CRUEL SANTINO, ZAYLEVELTEN — “BIG DROP”
Cruel Santino is back in his element, and the new single sounds like a warning shot. “BIG DROP,” featuring Zaylevelten and OctobersRich, arrives as another piece of the rollout for ‘K.O.T.B – The Bomberman Chronicles’, Santino’s forthcoming third studio album, scheduled for November 6. Released on October 16 through Native and Warner Records, the record follows “International Collector” and “Oz,” the two-track release that began setting the tone for his return earlier this year. After four years between studio albums, Santino appears ready to remind listeners that his appeal has never rested on fitting neatly into one musical lane.
Built around a catchy, video-game-like synth loop and syncopated drums, “BIG DROP” finds Santino leaning into the abrasive, unpredictable side of his sound. The production, credited to Santino alongside Odunsi (The Engine), Genio Bambino and other collaborators, gives the record a restless pulse that sits somewhere between alternative hip-hop and the more experimental corners of Nigeria’s alté scene. Rather than smoothing out its edges for easy consumption, the track embraces its roughness, allowing the beat and the artists’ contrasting deliveries to create much of its appeal.
Santino is firmly in control here, moving with the cool assurance of an artist who understands how to build a world around a record. Zaylevelten provides a complementary presence, while OctobersRich introduces a more erratic, stream-of-consciousness delivery that disrupts the song’s rhythm in interesting ways. The three-way exchange keeps “BIG DROP” from becoming a straightforward showcase for its lead artist. Each appearance adds a different texture, and Santino is particularly effective at making those differences feel intentional rather than disjointed. Then comes the late beat switch, which pushes the record into more frantic territory and gives it the kind of closing stretch that rewards a full listen.
What makes this release exciting is what it suggests about the album ahead. Santino has always been at his best when his music feels like an invitation into a world of his own making, whether through the immersive production of Mandy & The Jungle or the genre-bending instincts of Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN. “BIG DROP” carries that same appetite for experimentation, but with a sharper, more confrontational energy. It is not necessarily chasing the immediate accessibility of mainstream Afrobeats, and that is precisely where its appeal lies. The record feels designed for listeners who enjoy discovering the strange corners of Nigerian music rather than waiting for everything to arrive neatly packaged.
“BIG DROP” is a promising addition to Santino’s return, balancing his familiar alternative sensibilities with a collaborative energy that keeps the song unpredictable. Its strongest asset is the production, particularly the way the synth loop, restless percussion and late beat switch work together to sustain its intensity. There are moments when the song’s abrasive character may keep casual listeners at arm’s length, but Santino has never been particularly interested in sanding down every edge. With K.O.T.B – The Bomberman Chronicles approaching, “BIG DROP” offers another reason to pay attention. If these singles are any indication, Santino is not returning simply to revisit his old sound; he is gearing up to stretch it further.
Yarden – “SO DAMN FINE”
After building an audience through millions of streams across his previous singles and EP, Yarden is ready to introduce the world to his most complete musical statement yet. Following Sunset In Paris, he shared So Damn Fine, the preceding singles from his debut album, ANGEL.
So Damn Fine immediately reveals one of the ideas at the heart of ANGEL; Yarden may be Gen Z, but his range didn’t ignite from modern music.
Opening with retro-pop textures reminiscent of an earlier era of pop and R&B, the record pairs nostalgic instrumentation with Yarden’s distinctly contemporary Afropop delivery. Layered male and female backing vocals surround the production, while chants of “sexy” and “Yarden baby” give the record the feeling of a performance unfolding around him.
At its centre is a woman who knows exactly who she is. Yarden describes her as “sexy, special, smart and highly intellectual” before turning the record’s central question back on himself: “You get plenty money, can you spend it on me?”
It is playful, confident and intentionally cheeky, but beneath that is Yarden’s admiration for a woman whose attraction goes beyond appearance.
Sonically, So Damn Fine offers the first glimpse into the wider world of ANGEL. Across the forthcoming 13-track album, Yarden moves through Afropop, Afrosoul and Alternative R&B, drawing from the warmth and musicianship of earlier generations while interpreting those influences through the perspective of a young contemporary artist.
That contrast runs throughout the project: old and new, romance and sensuality, intimacy and movement, nostalgia and Gen-Z immediacy.
More importantly, ANGEL demonstrates Yarden’s growth without abandoning the choices audiences already associate with him. Even after listeners repeatedly asked him to make his songs longer, Yarden largely retains his signature concise, approximately two-minute approach across the album; allowing each record to make its point without overstaying its welcome.
So Damn Fine is therefore more than the album’s preceding single. It is the first clue to understanding what Yarden has built with ANGEL.
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