Many of the continent’s biggest stars are now bona fide global stars. And beyond that, there’s a crop of new talent showing potential to take it even further in the coming years.
For Africa Day, we look at some African artists who’ve made a mark globally over the past year:
Two years ago, Musa Keys’ joy and pride at touring the continent for the very first time was a façade.
While on social media it looked like he was living the life, the amapiano newcomer was in fact broke and uncertain of where his rent would be coming from.
Fast-forward to 2023 and Keys is arguably the hottest young act on the continent.
Over the past year alone, he’s been co-signed by F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, he was nominated for an MTV EMA, and he won the prestigious Record of the Year award for “Vula Mlomo” at last year’s SA Music Awards.
Davido’s career evolution has been a sight to behold over the past decade.
The son of a Nigerian billionaire business magnate, the Afrobeats star has forged a lane for himself and become one of the biggest artists in Africa through his unique musical style and his uncanny ability to create hype on social media.
While the past year has been incredibly challenging for him following the death of his son, the 30-year-old has bounced back in epic fashion with his record-breaking new album, “Timeless”.
He also recently announced that he’d extended his long-running multi-million dollar deal with Sony Music.
When Uncle Waffles first exploded onto the scene in 2021, many thought she was just the flavour of the month. But instead of fading over time, her star has just continued to rise and rise.
Not only has she toured the world showcasing her talents, she’s also become a brand magnet with deals with multinational companies like KFC and Sprite.
Recently, she played at the world famous Coachella festival and had the likes of Ciara and Dani Leigh dancing to her new TikTok challenge.