Afrobeats Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Since covering The FADER in 2019, Rema has developed his talents with remarkable style and brought his "Afrorave" sound from Nigeria to the global pop charts. He secured a massive hit this year with "Calm Down" and its Selena Gomez-featuring remix, and he'll head out on a 17-date tour of North America this summer.

Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema has announced a summer 2023 North American tour, kick off just two days after his previously announced European tour ends. Starting on July 15 at Washington, D.C.’s Broccoli City festival and ending in Los Angeles the following month, the 17-date run crosses the United States and Canada.

Afrobeats star Davido is coming to North America for a brief tour behind his fourth album Timeless, released in March. The arena shows begin in Washington, DC on July 1 and conclude in Toronto, Canada on the city's Budweiser Stage.

Baaba Maal has been appointed a new Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations.Maal will become an honorary spokesperson representing the UN’s interests, raising awareness and mobilising support.“Being made a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador opens up new possibilities for me,” the musician and Mumford & Sons collaborator said of the role. “I’ll use my music and influence to fight desertification, land degradation, and gender inequality.

Asake is a Nigerian artist with a talent for fusing music from the African continent and beyond, creating tracks that frequently entertain Western notions of pop while sounding totally fresh. "2:30," his second single of the year after the Songs You Need-playlisted "Yoga," is another winner.

Burna Boy has added another North American tour date on his ongoing trek behind his 2022 project Love, Damini. The new show will take place at Citi Field in New York City on July 8, 2023.

Kamala Harris has released a Spotify playlist to document her travels across Africa.The playlist, My Travels: Ghana, Tanzania, & Zambia was released in tandem of Harris’ tour around the continent. She included some of the biggest musical names in the diaspora –  including Ghana’s Amaarae, Tanzania’s Harmonize, and Zambia’s Chef 187.The 25-track-long playlist comes simultaneously with the announcement of Harris pledging to support “African Innovation” in Ghana.She said: “Together, we will address the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead. America will be guided not by what we can do for our African partners, but what we can do with our African partners.”The playlist is available on Spotify now.

Baaba Maal has spoken to NME about his new record, making music all over the world, and his legacy whilst hoping “the whales singing in the background aren’t too loud”.He is set to release his 14th studio album ‘Being’ on March 31 – featuring the singles ‘Freak Out’, ‘Agreements’, and ‘Yerimayo Celebration’.His first album release since 2016’s ‘The Traveller’, ’Being’ was created during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. With the world on lockdown “whilst this album was becoming itself”, the Senegal legend found that the key to surviving life’s ups and downs was discovering that “the most important thing is just to be”.“Music shouldn’t be about the struggle,” he told NME.

Davido has confirmed details of a new studio album. Timeless will be released next Friday, March 31 via Columbia Records.

Amaarae has shared the new sultry single ‘Reckless & Sweet’, accompanied by a sensual music video. Check it out below.The single marks Amaarae’s long-awaited return after her global breakthrough track ‘SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY’ featuring Moliy, and its remix featuring R&B singer Kali Uchis, and sees the artist infuse different world flavours to her typical Afrobeats sound.After having “a lot of time to think and reflect on what [she] wanted [her] message to be”, the Ghanaian singer said, “Last time [my message] was about confidence, this time it’s about love and faith.”“‘Reckless and Sweet’ is a sexy song,” Amaarae said.

Amaarae has shared details of a new studio album and dropped the first single. "Reckless & Sweet" will appear on Fountain Baby, which is due later this year. An official release date for the album, the follow-up to 2020’s The Angel You Don’t Know, is unconfirmed at the time of writing.

Burna Boy has been announced to co-headline this year’s UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi.The Nigerian Afrobeats star will perform at the sporting final on June 10 at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, alongside another soon-to-be-announced “global sensation”, according to a press release.“As a huge football fan myself, I know it doesn’t get any bigger than the UEFA Champions League!” Burna Boy said in a statement.“That’s why I’m so excited to be performing on the Pepsi MAX stage at this year’s final. Music and football are the ultimate combination, so you already know I’ll be bringing the vibes and making magic in Istanbul.

Baaba Maal has released ‘Freak Out’ featuring the Malawian duo The Very Best, ahead of his 14th studio album, ‘Being’.The new worldbeat track is mysterious as the Senegalese musician draws on the idea of privacy.“There are things you should keep to yourself,” he said. “Mystery is important in life; you don’t need to shine a light on every little thing you do.

Asake gig on December 15, 2022 tried and were able to force their way in to the show, leading to overcrowding and the gig being cancelled half way through. Rebecca Ikumelo, aged 33 and Gaby Hutchinson, 23 died in the following days.Now, insiders at the venue’s medical provider – Collingwood Services Ltd – have approached BBC Radio 4’s File On 4 programme to reveal that only half of the recommended medical presence at a gig of that size were present on the night, as BBC News reports.Claiming that the medical cover at the gig had been “inadequate,” one whistleblower said: “[They] had two student paramedics, so they’re basically unqualified.

The NBA All-Star Game arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on Sunday evening, and alongside a basketball game featuring the NBA's best players, viewers were treated to performances from some similarly talented artists, as well as Post Malone. Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems each took the stage for the evening's musical showcase, with Post Malone performing at the pre-game tip-off event with some help from 21 Savage.

On Monday (February 6), Nigerian Afrobeats artist and music exec Mr Eazi called out Bad Bunny on Twitter, claiming the Puerto Rican emcee ripped off a track by two artists on Eazi’s label, emPawa Africa. “Yo [Bad Bunny] you need to tell your lawyers to stop messing around and clear that Joeboy rip off on your album,” he wrote.

Ghanaian afrofusionist Black Sherif has shared a new visual treatment for “45” — a track from his debut album, The Villain I Never Was, released on October 6 via Blacko Management with global support from EMPIRE. The video comes courtesy of “Boy Director” TG Omori, a leading force in the visual landscape of contemporary African pop.

Ghanian artist Black Sherif has shared his debut album. The Villain I Never Was features recent single "Kwaku The Traveller" plus the Burna Boy remix of his breakout hit "Second Sermon." Mixing afrobeats with asakaa (Ghanian drill) "Second Sermon" was No.

A new music festival from Davido called Are We African Yet? is on its way stateside. On November 18 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Davido will perform a headlining set with music from Kizz Daniel, Wande Coal, Lojay, Pheelz, Oxlade, BNXN, Focalistic, and Victony.

In late August, Selena Gomez blessed “Calm Down,” a standout from Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema’s March debut LP, Rave & Roses, with a remix. And today, a new visual treatment for the track’s Gomez redux has arrived. While not a direct remake, the new video stays close to the color palette and general aesthetic of the original song’s accompanying clip, with Rema and Selena gliding through a series of stylish outfit changes in an array of tastefully decorated rooms.

Asake’s debut album has arrived. Mr. Money With The Vibe, out today via YBNL Nation with with global support from EMPIRE, is a 12-track, 30-minute tour de force from the rising Afrobeats star.

"Calm Down," the feelgood smash hit from afrobeats singer Rema has received an official remix featuring Selena Gomez. An official video for the remix will be released next week but the song can be streamed below, now.

Afrobeats and indie rock might not seem like musical neighbors, but for artist Duncan Daniels—who straddles between both genres in his repertoire—they make for perfect bedfellows. Born in Boston and raised between the UK and Nigeria, Daniels’ musical palette speaks to his diverse upbringing; working as a producer and engineer alongside pre-breakout WizKid and Burna Boy while also pulling songwriting inspirations from unlikely sources.

Burna Boy has announced his touring plans for summer 2022, revealing a short nine-date run in the second half of July. The tour will support the Nigerian superstar's sixth studio LP, Love, Damini, set to drop at 7 p.m. EDT on June 30 in celebration of his 31st birthday, which falls on a Saturday (July 2).

Burna Boy has announced that he’ll be heading out on a tour of North America this summer – get tickets here.Hitting the road in support of his forthcoming album ‘Love, Damini’, the Nigerian Afrobeats star has added a string of US and Canadian dates to his previously announced tour, which includes dates in Europe and the UK.Kicking off on July 17, Burna Boy’s North American tour leg will kick off in Bridgetown, Barbados. It will continue through the summer with stops in Chicago, Houston and more before the finale in Atlanta, GA on July 31.The tour announcement follows Burna Boy’s appearance at last weekend’s Billboard Music Awards, where he performed new single ‘Last Last’ and ‘Kilometre’, both taken from the forthcoming ‘Love Damini’,due for release on July 1.Tickets for Burna Boy’s North American tour go on sale Friday (May 20) at 12pm local time – get them here.

Burna Boy has shared new song, “Last Last.” The song samples Toni Braxton's 2000 single "He Wasn't Man Enough" and will appear on Burna Boy's forthcoming album Love, Damini. The album will be released on the Nigerian artist's 31st birthday with press materials confirming the precise time of 7p.m.

Davido has shared a new track titled "Stand Strong," the first single from his fourth studio album, due out later this year, title and release date TBA. It's an upbeat, inspirational jam about persevering in the face of adversity — a soundtrack for pushing past your quotidian troubles.

In addition to being the first Nigerian artist ever to headline Madison Square Garden, Burna Boy managed to sell out the April 28 concert. Perhaps that's not such a surprise after he won the Best Global Music Album award for 2021's Twice As Tall (2022 saw three nominations), but if you're one of the disappointed fans who didn't secure a ticket, Burna Boy will livestream the entire concert on YouTube.

Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido is heading to North America for a handful of tour dates. The “We Rise By Lifting Others” tour will stop in Brooklyn, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles this June.

Congotronics International will release their long-awaited debut LP Where's the One on April 29. Today, after sharing the album's first three offerings — "Banza Banza," "Beyond the 7th Bend," and the title cut — over the course of the past two months, they're premiering the album's fourth and fifth singles, "Mulume/Change" and “Bombo & Stifflets” with The FADER. Listen to the new songs, and read our interview with six of the international super group's 19 musicians and the project's curator Marc Hollander below.

Black Sherif, the 20-year-old Ghanaian artist that broke out last year with the first and second instalments in his "Sermon" freestyle series, has dropped a new single. "Kwaku The Traveller" finds Sherif in full grind mode but able to acknowledge the bumps in the road he encounters on his way to making the money in his sights.

Four albums and a full decade into his recording career, Wizkid produced a bona fide opus with 2020's Made In Lagos. The record landed on The FADER's 50 best albums list that year, and this past August, he released a deluxe edition featuring four new tracks.

Nigerian artist Rema has shared details of his upcoming debut album and shared a song taken from it. Rave & Roses is out on March 25 and includes "Calm Down," which can be streamed below.

Last September, Ghanaian-American singer/songwriter Amaarae shared a remix of her enchanting single "SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY" that brought in Kali Uchis for a new verse. Today, she's sharing a futuristic Remi Laudat-directed video for the remix that features a cyberspace cameo from Moliy and men being tossed into a pool from a skyscraper.

Nigerian Afropop star WizKid has shared a video for "Mood," a collaboration with Buju from the deluxe edition of Made in Lagos. The video was directed by Kuukua Eshun, who also directed the Made in Lagos short film which provided visuals for three tracks from the album's deluxe ("Anoti," "Mood," and "Steady").

Rising Nigerian Afropop singer Ayra Starr has shared a video for "Beggie Beggie," a standout from 19 & Dangerous that features "Love Nwantiti" singer CKay. The Nollywood-inspired video was directed by Director K (Burna Boy, WizKid) and takes place at a house party.