Amaarae, Fola, Kwesi Arthur and Nonso Amadi on New Music Friday
This week’s New Music Friday is a cross-continental ride through daring reinventions, heartfelt slow-burners, and unexpected collaborations that bridge generations. From Amaarae’s kaleidoscopic BLACK STAR to Victony’s charged link-up with Terry G, here’s what’s worth pressing play on.
Amaarae – BLACK STAR (Album)
Amaarae’s third studio album, BLACK STAR, is the sound of an artist in full bloom; playful, liberated, and fearless with her craft. Where 2023’s Fountain Baby carried a sharper, more brooding edge, BLACK STAR feels like a mischievous wink to the listener, drawing deeply from Ghanaian heritage while galloping through the bright, chaotic worlds of hyperpop, baile funk, and highlife.
Recorded partly in Brazil with local baile funk producers and guided by Amaarae’s long-time collaborator Kyu Steed, the album’s 44 minutes are a genre blender of polished pop hooks tumbling into electronic rushes, while flourishes of Ghanaian rhythms keep the centre grounded. The features are equally audacious: PinkPantheress slips into the mix with pastel-tinted vocals, Bree Runway brings her charged swagger, Charlie Wilson adds timeless R&B richness, and—because why not—Naomi Campbell turns up for a cultural curveball that somehow fits.
Lead single “S.M.O.” distils the album’s ethos, rooted in highlife textures but dressed in futuristic pop clothing. It’s the perfect handshake into a project that thrives on contradiction: intimate yet expansive, familiar yet alien. ‘BLACK STAR’ is Amaarae’s declaration that pop can be anything she says it is.
FOLA – You
On “You”, FOLA slows everything down and lets vulnerability take the front seat. Produced by Kel-P, the track borrows the silky glide of classic Afro-R&B with undertones of The Weeknd’s pop single ‘I Feel It Coming’, adding just enough modern shine to keep it fresh. ‘You’ sits on a minimal production but deliberate delivery from FOLA. Every kick, chord, and pause was designed to let FOLA’s voice carry the emotional weight.
Lyrically, “You” plays like a whispered love note; simple in structure but resonant in feeling. The restraint is refreshing; there’s no overproduction, no vocal grandstanding. Instead, the song moves with an understated confidence, the kind that comes from knowing the story is strong enough to stand on its own.
Serving as the second single from his upcoming debut album ‘Catharsis’, “You” suggests the project will be a deeply personal excavation. If this is the tone-setter, we’re in for a work with many emotional layers from FOLA’s world.
Victony ft. Terry G – Tanko
Victony’s “Tanko” is the sort of collaboration you didn’t know you needed until it landed. By pairing with Terry G—one of the most unpredictable and electrifying figures from Afrobeats’ late-2000s era—Victony creates a high-voltage bridge between generations.
The production, courtesy of The Elements, Bantu, and Blaise Beatz, is pure adrenaline: pulsating basslines, hypnotic log drums, and just enough sonic chaos to give Terry G room to unleash his manic charisma. Victony plays the cool foil here, weaving catchy melodies through the chaos, showing exactly how new-school polish and old-school grit can coexist.
“Tanko” doubles as nostalgia bait and proof that the genre’s past and present can collide in a way that inspires not just listeners but other creatives.
Nonso Amadi – Pillow
Nonso Amadi’s “Pillow” is an exercise in atmosphere—warm, spacious, and heavy with late-night intimacy. Built on mellow percussion and airy synths, the production folds around Amadi’s glossy, feather-light delivery, giving the whole track a dreamlike quality.
Lyrically, it’s all about closeness and unguarded moments, and Nonso Amadi leans into that emotional core with a balance of poetic phrasing and conversational ease. The record is soulful without being syrupy, lingering long after the final note fades.
“Pillow” is quintessential Nonso Amadi—delivering songs that feel less like performances and more like spaces you step into.
Kwesi Arthur ft. King Promise – Real Thing
Ghanaian rapper Kwesi Arthur and crooner King Promise have found the sweet spot between grounded storytelling and romantic sweep on “Real Thing”. Over Hylander’s warm, percussion-heavy production, Arthur delivers verses with unhurried sincerity while King Promise smooths out the edges with a chorus that glides.
It’s a love song, yes, but one that feels lived-in, more quiet devotion than grand spectacle. The production’s organic warmth makes it easy to imagine this track being played at sunset gatherings or in solitary headphone moments.
“Real Thing” marks Kwesi Arthur’s first drop of the year, and if it’s any indicator, his upcoming project will lean into music that feels both personal and timeless.
