Here’s what’s popping off the streets as of today and packaged in Hot Off The Press. Featuring some of the hottest tunes coming fresh out the forge and straight to your speakers.
1. Zenesoul – Brown Sugar
Canadian Nigerian R&B/soul artist and songwriter ZENESOUL (pronounced ‘Zen-Soul) is excited to unveil her brand new EP BROWN SUGAR, following her critically acclaimed sophomore project Coffee from last summer. Zenesoul’s new EP is juxtaposed against the backdrop of her previous record, which explored bitter and painful themes around love and relationships.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the Brown Sugar EP with the iMullar, Zenesoul says, “This is a special project for me. ‘Brown Sugar’ has been in the works since my last release ‘Coffee’, and I am so excited for the world to finally experience it. This project is the positive vibes I feel we all really needed this pandemic. ‘Brown Sugar’ is me not settling for anything less than the love I deserve, while being realistic in the energy I send out into the world. I hope the EP can help us all find this love and most importantly, help us win in the biggest relationship, with ourselves”.
Listen here.
2. Rebecca Winter – Somebody Else
Somebody Else combines Afrobeats and a soft Pop melody for a heartfelt, lyric-heavy track from Rebecca. This single has love and uncertainty at the forefront, and ultimately, depicts how she deserves to be treated better than what she has been receiving. As summertime is fast approaching; this song makes for a smooth transition into the sunny period, and a pop must-have on playlists and radios.
Listen here.
3. Turunesh – Cigarette
The Tanzanian/Ethiopian singer effortlessly blends neo-soul and R&B into her own distinct alternative style on her new single “Cigarette”. “Cigarette” is about the thrill of a first encounter; how it feels to give in and to pull away in a single instance. It explores the feeling of being overcome by desire yet overwhelmed with shyness.
Listen here.
4. KissBeatz and Tempo – Searching
Searching is that time in your life where you want to get serious and settle for your queen. This single was derived from the experiences of KissBeatz and Horace Tempo’s desires to find a home with someone who shares their passion and loves them the same as they do. This is tricky in all sense but their hopes keep them going.
Listen here.
5. A-Star featuring Sho Madjozi – Stepping Good
“Stepping Good” is an Afro Dance track that acts as an introduction to the next chapter of what A-Star has in store musically; he delivers an infectious chorus rounded off perfectly with verses from Sho Madjozi. This track serves its purpose as it provides the ultimate anthem for dancers but also music lovers in general; it will only be a matter of time before this track creates what every one of A-Star’s releases has created – viral dance challenges across social media.
“This single is one of my favorite songs I’ve written, it’s just such a vibe, a song that automatically puts me in a good mood and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it and feel exactly what I do when I listen to it. Collaborating with Sho Madjozi was a no-brainer, I am a fan of her artistry and her sound just worked incredibly well with this single.” – A-Star comments on the track.
Listen here.
6. Skaa – Dubai
Dubai is a feel-good song that showcases the incredible talent of a young man and his potential is scary. His stage name could be shortened and simplified. The Nigerian Rapper opened up a bit indicating that he’s intentional about revealing parts of himself on his new single Dubai. Skaa has the undeniable ability at curating catchy songs that play into new-age Afropop mixed with Rap conventions.
Listen here
“HOTP” is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Audiomack here. Our editors regularly update this playlist—if you hear something you like, add it to your library. Check here for more playlists.
