We are officially halfway through 2023 and the reign of amapiano isn’t showing any signs of losing steam. Seeing amapiano acts billed at esteemed international concerts and festivals has become less of a shocker. From Coachella to Tomorrowland, amapiano artists are making impactful strides in exporting the genre and its accompanying culture.
Check out our picks for The Best Amapiano Songs of 2023 So Far featuring Tyler ICU, Lady Amar, ShaunMusiq x Ftears, Mellow & Sleazy, Uncle Waffles and more.
Mnike hit
6 million streams on Spotify
3.5 million on Apple Music
3.2 on YouTube
Hit number 18 on the BBC 1extra making the first amapiano/Afrobeat song to to ever be in the top 20
in 56 days from the release— Government (@TylerICU) June 14, 2023
Tyler ICU’s “Mnike” has been inescapable since dropping in late April. With millions of combined streams across all services, the highly-infectious track is already on pace to become one of the biggest amapiano songs ever. Many people have dubbed it the song of the summer; it’s a strong contender for song of the year if we stretch it further.
Mas Musiq followed up with a new LP titled NINI na NINI. The Daliwonga-assisted lead single “Gangnam Style” is a definite standout from the project, which hosts 13 soulful-drenched tracks with features from the superstars such as DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, Kelvin Momo, Ami Faku, Aymos, Boohle, MaWhoo, and others.
Uncle Waffles’ “Yahyuppiyah” had social media in a chokehold for most of the first quarter of the year. The globally-recognized DJ finally unleashed the song and her sophomore EP Asylum in March to great acclaim. Waffles’ star power continues to shine as she was recently nominated for a BET award and has played at Coachella and other international festivals.
Revered producer De Mthuda teamed up with his frequent collaborator, Da Muziqal Chef, for their joint EP, Sgudi Snyc. The lead track is a nostalgia-inducing masterpiece that is an ode to the 80s comedy sitcom of the same name, which starred the legendary Joe Mafela as Sdumo.
“NGIMOJA” which features sensation Khanyisa, Tumelo.za and Tyron Dee. In the song, Khanyisa and Tumelo express their disappointment after they gave love to an unappreciative, cheating partner.
The charismatic producer/DJ put out the aptly-titled “Myztro Ah Ah” alongside frequent collaborators Xduppy, ShaunMusiQ and Ftears.
After catching one with “Zotata” towards the tail end of last year, Black Is Brown signee Pcee returned with another viral single, “Kilimanjaro.” Much like most of his songs, he brought a host of producers and other producers with him in S’gija Disciples, Zan’Ten, Justin99, Mema_Percent, and his label boss Mr JazziQ.
Flipping viral clips to make a song is a recurring trend in amapiano. For his breakthrough single “Forever Yena 2.0”, rising producer Major Keys borrowed from a popular TikTok video and used the vocals to churn out an absolute banger. The snippet of the track quickly spread on the platform, partly due to a dance challenge, and has become the producer’s biggest track to date.
Nkosazana Daughter dropped a new single alongside the Scorpion Kings, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa. On “Uzongenzani,” the esteemed vocalistic opens up about how no one can do anything to her because her ancestors protect her. The song was a precursor and lead single to her debut album, Uthingo LeNkosazana.
