Apple Music Announces Josh Blakk As The Up Next Artist In Ghana

Apple Music today announced the latest musician to be featured in its Up Next artist development program in Ghana, is contemporary Afropop singer-songwriter, Josh Blakk (real name Joshua Owusu Afriyie)

“I am beyond thrilled to be featured on Up Next Ghana,” he tells Apple Music. “It’s an amazing feeling to have my music recognized in a place so rich with culture and creativity and I am truly grateful. This honour inspires me to continue sharing my story through music and connecting with incredible fans across the world.”

Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, Blakk’s musical journey began at the age of seven when he started to learn how to play the guitar and the piano. Influenced by a multitude of genres including gospel, high-life, soul, hip-hop and modern R&B, Blakk has now cultivated a style that is nostalgic and captivating.

His debut studio album, O.N.E. (2023), is characterised by its haunting lyrics and evocative soundscape and quickly garnered him critical acclaim, catapulting him into the spotlight. His debut album also quietly and skillfully showcased Blakk’s versatility, with tracks that ranged from introspective ballads to upbeat anthems.

His latest album O.N.E. Deluxe (2024), available to stream on Apple Music, showcases his evolution and maturity as an artist, delving deeper into his personal experiences and artistic vision and features collaborations with some of the industry’s most renowned producers and artists.

As the latest Up Next act to be spotlighted in Ghana, Josh Blakk will be featured across Apple Music’s East Africa Up Next playlist available here. The curated Up Next playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. The playlist is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience.

The vast global Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Foushee and Tems.