Anticipating the growth of local talent, with some taking over international stages, has been something worth boasting about in South Africa.
This year alone has been jam-packed with intriguing announcements, as numerous musicians continue to garner international acclaim.
Among the major highlights of this year was when Barbadian singer Rihanna acknowledged she enjoyed listening to Tyler ICU’s ‘Mnike’ and Musa Keys ‘Unavailable’.
In an interview, the musician mentioned ‘Mnike’ and ‘Unavailable’ as songs of the year.
‘Unavailable’ is a smash hit song by Nigerian music artist Davido, who collaborated with local talent from Limpopo, Musa Keys.
The song has recently also earned the pair a nod at the Trace Awards.
Tyler ICU’s ‘Mnike’, on the other hand, has been dominating charts after Spotify identified the song as the most-streamed song in South Africa, in a list dominated by local tunes.
According to the report, nine out of 10 of the top streamed songs in South Africa are all South African, a significant change from the previous two years, when overseas music topped the list.
Similarly, the top streamed song, Tyler ICU’s ‘Mnike’ (feat. DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA, and Tyron Dee), also tops the most-added song to the user-generated playlists list.
In July, the music streaming giant explained that the energy levels shift as the day progresses, revealing that the song is the number one streamed track at dinner time.
“Music fits seamlessly with mealtimes, often elevating the experience, and we love that Gen Zs are making Spotify such an integral part of their habitual listening. This is essentially what the Greasy Tunes pop-up is about — connecting daily activities like eating lunch or dinner with music and sound to create a really fun experience,” said Spotify’s Lead, Music Strategy and Operations SSA, Warren Bokwe.
It is remarked that ‘Mnike’ is just another example of how producer Tyler ICU, who is renowned for infectious beats and melodies that embody the spirit of Amapiano music, crafts hits.
The growth of the genre and its continued prominence in the music industry can be attributed to his contributions to it.
Mnike, which translates to “give him/her”, is a combination of classic African songs that has lit up dance floors all over the country and displays the producer's skill.
The music icon has 61.2 million streams, 5.9 million listeners, 4.9 million hours, and 183 countries, according to Spotify Wrap.
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za