Afrobeats Head

Author: Chioma Ugo Nwachukwu

  • Alex Alidor blends Caribbean influences and Afrobeats on “artie”

    Alex Alidor blends Caribbean influences and Afrobeats on “artie”

    Alex Alidor has released “Artie,” a new single that brings together Afrobeats rhythms and Caribbean influences.

    According to Saint-Denis Records, “Artie” draws from the musical traditions of the Caribbean while incorporating contemporary Afrobeats elements. The release reflects Alidor’s interest in bringing the two sounds together without being confined to a single musical style.

    The track is described as a dance-oriented record, with its production centred on the rhythmic relationship between African and Caribbean music.

    “Artie” is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Ayra Starr Features Wizkid, Rema and Zayn Malik on Third Album “Starrgirl”

    Ayra Starr Features Wizkid, Rema and Zayn Malik on Third Album “Starrgirl”

    Ayra Starr has released her third studio album, “Starrgirl,” a 16-track project featuring collaborations with Wizkid, Rema, Zayn Malik, Leon Thomas, Danny Ocean, Theodora and Kwin.

    The album includes the previously released singles “Gimme Dat,” “Hot Body,” “Who’s Dat Girl” and “Tornado,” alongside 12 new tracks.

    https://x.com/afrobeatshead/status/2085022205583237565?s=46

    The release also introduces a visual identity built around the colour purple, with Ayra Starr adopting the purple gele as a signature element of the album era.

    On Friday morning, purple fireworks were set off around the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos as part of the album’s rollout.

    The album has also received a nod from Fenty Beauty, with Ayra Starr sharing an Instagram Story showing a bouquet of purple flowers from the brand.

    “Starrgirl” is Ayra Starr’s third studio album.

  • jcSubterfuge Blends Jungle Breakbeats and Atmospheric Sounds on “A Little Faith…”

    jcSubterfuge Blends Jungle Breakbeats and Atmospheric Sounds on “A Little Faith…”

    Detroit-based electronic producer jcSubterfuge has released “A Little Faith…,” a jungle track that combines fast breakbeats with deep bass and atmospheric textures.

    The production draws from the rhythmic patterns of 1990s jungle, alongside a vocal sample that introduces a more reflective element to the track. The song was described by jcSubterfuge as a late-summer festival track with a love story woven into it.

    “A Little Faith…” also incorporates analog hardware and digital production techniques, reflecting jcSubterfuge’s focus on breakbeat, jungle and drum & bass.

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Alex Alidor Blends Afrobeats and Caribbean Influences on “Bongo”

    Alex Alidor Blends Afrobeats and Caribbean Influences on “Bongo”

    Alex Alidor has released “Bongo,” a track that brings together Afrobeats with Caribbean musical influences.

    The Guadeloupe-based singer-songwriter draws from styles including Gwo Ka, reggae, bolero and chanson. Those influences inform “Bongo,” which combines African-rooted rhythms with elements of Caribbean music.

    The song reflects Alidor’s broader approach to working across genres rather than staying within a single musical style. He releases his music independently and is currently based in Guadeloupe.

    “Bongo” is the latest single in Alidor’s catalogue and follows his work exploring the relationship between African and Caribbean musical traditions.

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Lilwaboy Shares Afrobeats Single “File”

    Lilwaboy Shares Afrobeats Single “File”

    Lilwaboy has released “File,” an Afrobeats single built around a playful Nigerian expression about respecting what belongs to someone else.

    The song uses the phrase, “File, no touch am o, if no be you get am, make you no touch am o,” as its central hook. The expression essentially means that if something does not belong to you, you should not touch it.

    “File” combines Afrobeats rhythms with a street-influenced sound, with the repeated phrase giving the song its main lyrical refrain.

    Lilwaboy is an independent Afrobeats artist based in Spain with Nigerian roots.

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Aruhtra and Deeprule Share Afro House Remix of Steve Monite’s “Shake Your Booty”

    Aruhtra and Deeprule Share Afro House Remix of Steve Monite’s “Shake Your Booty”

    Aruhtra and Deeprule have released an Afro House remix of Steve Monite’s “Shake Your Booty,” reworking the Nigerian artist’s original with a contemporary electronic production.

    The remix retains Monite’s vocal performance while introducing rolling percussion, bass-heavy rhythms and warm synths. The production shifts the song toward Afro House, giving the original a more club-oriented arrangement.

    Monite is best known for “Only You,” his 1984 cult classic which has remained a reference point in Nigerian pop music and was later covered by Frank Ocean. “Shake Your Booty” comes from the same period of Monite’s catalogue.

    The new version, titled “Shake Your Booty (Aruhtra & Deeprule Remix),” brings together Monite with producers Aruhtra and Deeprule.

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Valerian Steel and Manufracture Music Fuse Industrial EBM and Darkwave on “Synthetic Species””

    Valerian Steel and Manufracture Music Fuse Industrial EBM and Darkwave on “Synthetic Species””

    Valerian Steel and Manufracture Music have released “Synthetic Species”, a track that combines industrial EBM and Darkwave with a narrative about technological dependence and system failure.

    The song’s concept developed after Steel experienced a power grid failure during a winter storm. The sudden loss of electricity and the resulting shutdown of digital infrastructure became the starting point for a fictional scenario in which synthetic entities created to replace humanity eventually experience a collapse of their own.

    “Synthetic Species” addresses system failure, cybernetic decay and the tension between human consciousness and machines. Its production combines EBM basslines and industrial percussion with Darkwave textures and gothic-influenced vocals.

    Steel, the electronic composer and producer behind Manufracture Music, describes the track as a reflection on the point at which reliance on synthetic systems breaks down.

    Manufracture Music is Steel’s main electronic project, drawing from EBM and Industrial while exploring the relationship between technology, sound and human experience.

    “Synthetic Species” is now available on streaming platforms.

  • LODIC Revisits 1990s and 2000s Dance Sounds on “DROWN”

    LODIC Revisits 1990s and 2000s Dance Sounds on “DROWN”

    Electronic artist LODIC has released “DROWN,” a melodic dance track built around a recurring “don’t let me drown” refrain.

    The song uses water as a metaphor for feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty, with its lyrics describing the tension between being pulled under and trying to keep moving forward.

    “DROWN” draws from late-1990s and early-2000s dance music while using contemporary electronic production. The track is structured around a melodic chorus, which arrives at 0:43, and features LODIC on vocals.

    “DROWN” is LODIC’s seventh release.

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Dizzy Cross Draws on Nigerian Dance Culture on “Komole”

    Dizzy Cross Draws on Nigerian Dance Culture on “Komole”

    Dizzy Cross has released “Komole,” an Afrobeats track from the artist’s debut EP, FIRST OF ALL.

    The song takes its title from “komole,” a Nigerian expression associated with dancing and moving the body. Its lyrics and production focus on letting go, enjoying the moment and using dance as a form of celebration.

    Musically, “Komole” is built around Afrobeats rhythms and melodic hooks, with a groove-led arrangement that keeps the focus on movement and enjoyment.

    The track joins “Nobody Knows” and “Money Come” on FIRST OF ALL, Dizzy Cross’ debut EP.

    “Komole” is now available on streaming platforms.

  • Dizzy Cross and Jerohn Smith Explore Ambition on “Money Come”

    Dizzy Cross and Jerohn Smith Explore Ambition on “Money Come”

    Dizzy Cross has released “Money Come,” an Afrobeats and Afropop track featuring international artist Jerohn Smith.

    The song focuses on ambition, perseverance and the desire for financial progress, while also acknowledging the work involved in pursuing those goals. Its lyrics frame money as part of a broader aspiration for a better life rather than an end in itself.

    Musically, “Money Come” combines Afrobeats rhythms with contemporary Afropop melodies, with Jerohn Smith contributing to the track’s vocal performance. The collaboration brings together African rhythmic elements and pop influences without moving too far from the song’s central theme.

    “Money Come” appears on FIRST OF ALL, Dizzy Cross’ debut EP, alongside “Nobody Knows.”

    The track is now available on streaming platforms.