🎧 03 — for dancing, for head-bobbing

WAH GWAN, <<First Name>>!

If you're new here, welcome to NEXXTING ⁠- a monthly round-up of new music from around the globe, with African and diasporan music at its core; curated by Jamila Isoke.

•

I dunno if it's a sign that I'm just coping better with 2020, and therefore enjoying more music, or if July just had way more releases than previous months, but I collected double my usual amount of new music in July. With that said, this issue's playlist is longer than originally planned. 😬 Needless to say, narrowing down the selections for this issue was no easy task. I went from 52 tracks, down to 35, only to go back up to 43—I tried, I really did. To make listening easier, I've organized the tracks into 2 main vibes: tracks for dancing make up the first ~20, while songs for chilling make up the second half and bulk of this issue.

Scroll for the "NEXXTING⁠ 03" Spotify playlist link (sorry, Apple/Tidal users), track commentary, music video links, and album/EP plugs. And, as always, let me know what you think—I love hearing from y'all.

PS - Shoutout to Steph for sponsoring this issue with a donation after listening to and loving N EXXTING 02. If you're in a position to support di ting, buy me a "coffee" - Mailchimp's not cheap.

from Chronixx's "COOL AS THE BREEZE/FRIDAY"

1 — 🇳🇬 — Niniola kicks off this electro section with her infectious AmaPiano bop "Addicted".

2 — 🇭🇹 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 — KAYTRANADA and Lucky Daye's "Look Easy".

3 — 🇿🇦 — OG South African House trio Mi Casa's melodic "Eve", off of their latest album 'We Made It'. You hear these lyrics!? MESSAGE.

4 — 🇳🇬 🇺🇸 — DJ Tunez, D3AN, and Onosz's "Lullaby", from the 'Love Language Vol. 1' EP. All of the AmaPiano tracks I've heard so far have been solid, and this one's no exception.

from Disclosure and Fatoumata Diawara's "Douha/Mali Mali"

5 — 🇬🇧 🇿🇼 🇺🇸 — KUU and Shungudzo's "How Could I Ever". For my House lovers: KUU is actually Riton and Alex Metric! For my "rooting for everybody Black" folks: Shungudzo is a badass and... das it.

6 — 🇲🇱 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 — Disclosure and Fatoumata Diawara's "Douha/Mali Mali" (MV) is pure good vibes. This is the duo's second collab with the Malian legend after 2018's "Ultimatum".

7 — 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇹🇿 — Idris Elba, The Knocks, and Tiggs Da Author's "One Fine Day". I still can't get over the fact that Idrissa Akuna Elba is a legit musician. What does the man not do?

8 — 🇸🇪 🇬🇧 🇪🇸 — AJ Tracey and Mabel's West London homage "West Ten" (MV) triggers serious UK Garage nostalgia for me.

from Adekunle Gold and Nailah Blackman's "AG Baby"

9 — 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇮🇳 — Jay Sean and Sickick's "Changing" (MV).

10 — 🇬🇧 🇳🇬 — My favorite gender-nonconformist Darkoo's latest hit "Kryptonite" (MV).

11 — 🇳🇬 — Tiwa Savage's smooth "Dangerous Love" (MV). Catch Tiwa in the Black is King film, performing her track "Keys to the Kingdom" during Nala's wedding.

12 — 🇳🇬 🇹🇹 — Adekunle Gold and Nailah Blackman's "AG Baby" (MV). I legit did a double-take when I spotted Soca princess Nailah on the track. Issa motherland-Caribbean collabo!

from Vegedream's "Marchand de sable Part.6 (Gestuelle)"

13 — 🇲🇦 — Tawsen, Manal, and ElGrandeToto's "Safe Salina (Moroccan Remix)". If this sounds familiar, it's because Issue 02 featured the Nigerian remix of this bop. This remix dropped at the end of June, so I'm cheating a bit by including it, but I couldn't resist having some of Morroco's biggest artists on my most diverse issue yet.

14 — 🇫🇷 🇨🇮 — Vegedream's "Marchand de sable Part.6 (Gestuelle)" (MV). The track is already a vibe but the music video took it to a WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL for me; I lost count of how many times I've watched. *adds "when in Paris, find Ivorians for the vibes" to notes*

15 — 🇫🇷 🇨🇩 🇨🇬 🇳🇬 — Hiro and Davido's "Jolie Nana (Remix)". Side note: I think I knew this growing up, but at some point of living in Babylon, I forgot that there were 2 Congos. I was so confused during the research for this track. 🤦🏾

16 — 🇯🇲 — Koffee somehow strikes a balance between summer and quarantine vibes with "Lockdown" (MV). It's the ingenuity in the songwriting for me.

from Sevana's "If You Only Knew"

17 — 🇯🇲 — Another Reggae/Dancehall summer anthem! One of the things I'm using NEXXTING to explore is the role context/reference points play in music discovery; it's why I make a point to include commentary and music video links. I wasn't sure if Chronixx's "COOL AS THE BREEZE/FRIDAY" (MV) should make the cut for this issue... until I saw the music video and almost cried because homesickness and stir craze. Big up the director Meji Alabi (who also co-directed the Nigerian chapter of Black is King 🔥).

18 — 🇬🇧 🇯🇲 — Hopping over to England for more Dancehall vibes with Cashh and WSTRN's "Wag1" (MV).

19 — 🇯🇲 — Back to yard (read: Jamaica) for Busy Signal's catchy "Ahh Haa".

20 — 🇺🇸 🇹🇿 🇨🇮 — Closing out our "songs for dancing" section is The.Wav, Gregory Stutzer, and LaChaleurl's Dancehall/Afropop-inspired "Vibration".

from Tiwa Savage's "Dangerous Love"

21 — 🇬🇧 — And back to London Town and transitioning to roots/dub-influenced Reggae with producer p-rallel and singer Greentea Peng's "Soulboy" (MV).

22 — 🇳🇬 🇺🇸 — Wizkid and H.E.R.'s sweet "Smile". Who knew these two could actually do I decent Reggae chune? I'm busting out Caribbean aunty moves over here.

23 — 🇯🇲 — Sevana's "If You Only Knew" (MV) has made her my new favorite Jamaican songstress. And this video (shot in Senegal 🇸🇳)!!??? If you like what you hear, sure to check out her EP 'Be Somebody'.

24 — 🇬🇧 🇳🇬 — Sam Smith and Burnaboy's "My Oasis" is smooth af. If you're not swaying or whining to this, are you even human?

25 — 🇬🇧 — Joesef and Loyle Carner's "I Wonder Why". Idk how this Scot has so much soul, but I'm not complaining; Joesef's definitely one to watch. Loyle too, if you weren't already familiar with England's chillest rapper.

from Chronixx's "COOL AS THE BREEZE/FRIDAY"

26 — 🇬🇧 — Lianne La Havas's "Please Don't Make Me Cry". Her first album in 5 years dropped mid-July and brought this previously unreleased gem.

27 — 🇬🇧 — New release from the Bluenote Re:imagined project! Poppy Ajudha's "Watermelon Man (Under the Sun)". Check out the original by Herbie Hancock to rediscover a classic and better appreciate Poppy's interpretation.

28 — 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 🇮🇷 — Shifting to R&B with Snoh Aalegra's "DYING 4 YOUR LOVE" (MV).

29 — 🇺🇸 🇯🇲 — Shifting to R&B with Alex Isley, Masego, and Jack Dine's "Good & Plenty". Alex Isley NEVER misses; write that down and frame it. Then go listen to her 'Wilton' EP and join me in Alex standom.

30 — 🇺🇸 — Mac Ayres and newcomer rapper Keys Open Doors's "Same Old Strangers".

from Sevana's "If You Only Knew"

31 — 🇬🇧 — Sam Will's groovy "Undercover". Also, check out his acoustic performance of the same track in this Mahagony session.

32 — 🇬🇧 🇳🇬 🇯🇲 🇺🇸 — Sinead Harnett, Masego, and VanJess's "Stickin'" is serious 90's R&B vibes.

33 — 🇺🇸 — Speaking of 90's R&B: Brandy's "Saving All My Love". This is Brandy's first album in 8 years, 'B7', brings me right back to my childhood Brandy obsession. Her breathy vocals are just- *chef's kiss*.

34 — 🇺🇸 — Hip Hop/Jazz supergroup Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington's "First Responders", off of their 'The Dinner Party' album.

35 — 🇩🇪 — Modha's Hip Hop/Jazz-fused "Flutaneous".

36 — 🇬🇧 — Emma-Jean Thackray and Blu's "Open (Remix)".

37 — 🇺🇸 — Joey Bada$$'s "Shine", from his latest 3-track EP 'The Light Pack'.

from AJ Tracey and Mabel's "West Ten"

38 — 🇬🇧 🇿🇦 — Ghetts, Jaykae, and Moonchild Sanelly's "Mozambique" (MV). I don't know how South Africa's Moonchild ended up on a Grime track, but it's a welcome surprise, especially after seeing her in 'Black in King' (she's one of the artists on "MY POWER").

39 — 🇬🇧 — A newly-released edit of Ghostpoet's "I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep", from a longer version of title-track off his latest album.

40 — 🇺🇸 🇬🇭 — Amaarae's "LEAVE ME ALONE" (MV).

41 — 🇬🇧 — James Blakes's dreamy "Are You Even Real?".

42 — 🇬🇧 — Mansur Brown's otherworldly "J amilla ", off of his 'Tesuto' EP. Before you ask, no, I did not only include this track because it's a variation of my name. 😂 It's just a perfect outro (and transition to track #1 if you've got this playlist looped).

from Amaarae's "LEAVE ME ALONE"

If you've made it this far, I want to hear from you! Hit reply and let me know what your favorite track/music video of this week's issue is. Also, never hesitate to recommend a song/album/artist — I love being put on!

🙏🏿

THE DANCEFLOOR

THE LOUNGE