Today, GRAMMY® Award-winning, global superstar Meghan Trainor recharges, re-energizes, and revamps her global smash “Made You Look” with a brand new Official Remix featuring Kim Petras. Listen to “Made You Look (Feat. Kim Petras)” HERE. The original highlighted her acclaimed new album, Takin’ It Back, out now. Listen to Takin’ It Back HERE.

About the track, Petras commented, “I had ‘Made You Look’ stuck in my head for months. It’s just so catchy and I felt like the song was like a warm hug. So I loved it right away, and then when I got asked to jump on it, I was really, really excited. I think Meghan is such a great pop songwriter, so it was an incredible experience. I’ve never worked with an artist who wanted to track me and comp my vocals and do it all together. She really is like a little angel and such a treasure and deserves everything that’s coming her way with the song and I just feel so excited and honored to be a part of it. We collaborated in a really special way that I won’t forget.”

This notably marks the first collaboration between Trainor and rising pop powerhouse Petras. Together, they lock into a bouncy call-and-response as Petras urges “Don’t be shy, just put your hands on me,” as Trainor’s towering runs ring out. It adds a whole new dimension to the fan favorite.

On the collaboration, Trainor gushes, “Kim is an icon. I have been a fan for a very long time and I am so excited to have her on ‘Made You Look.’ We had such a fun time in the studio together and she added the perfect energy to the song. She is a queen and I cannot wait for everyone to hear her voice on this song! She really brought it to a whole new level.”

“Made You Look” has exploded as a runaway hit and a major moment for Trainor. It has tallied over 353 million global streams. Simultaneously, the music video has clocked north of 87 million YouTube views. At radio, it continues to hold strong in the Top 5 at Pop.

She continues to breathe new life into the track. In addition to the Joel Corry Remix, she capped off the holidays with “Made You Look (A Cappella).” It gathered 6.2 million YouTube views on the accompanying video featuring friends Sri, Scott Hoying, Elyse Myers, and Chris Olsen.

So far, the song has soundtracked over 4 million TikTok videos and 308K YouTube Shorts. Apple Music touted it at #1 on its A LIST POP Playlist, and Spotify placed it on Today’s Top Hits Presents Best Hit Songs of 2022 and the Best Pop Songs of 2022. Billboard applauded it as “inescapable,” and Entertainment Tonight chatted with her about the track.

It sets the stage for more to come from Meghan Trainor in 2023!

Multitalented Ghanaian musician and producer Paapa Versa has released a new video and single titled “Lights go dim” on Friday, 27th January 2023, featuring fast-rising rapper KooKusi.

The music video, directed by MRCMulti.me, depicts both artists struggling to pursue their dreams while fighting their inner demons. 

The incredibly soulful song, produced by Paapa and mixed & mastered by Jayso, holds an inspirational message for all dreamers. “A sentence can change a life. A song can ginger a tired heart. This song is for anyone struggling to smile lately, deeply wounded by someone’s words, or simply trying to recover a joy they once had” the artist says. 

KooKusi has chalked many milestones since the release of his debut EP “5 foot 3” last year, and this collaboration marks another step in his remarkable rise.

The release of this song leads up to the release of Paapa Versa’s third studio album, “Versa Villa”. The artist will host an album launch and concert on Feb 17th 2023 at the Virtual Hub in Accra, Ghana. 

“Lights go dim” by Paapa Versa is now available everywhere:

https://paapaversa.fanlink.to/lightsgodim

Website: https://www.paapaversa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paapaversa

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/paapaversa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paapaversa

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/paapaversa

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paapaversa

This Week’s Episode Features a Conversation With Ajebutter22, the 5 Hottest Tracks of the Week, Africa Rising and Dadaboy Ehiz’s Favourite Track of the Week!

Tune in to Africa Now Radio with Dadaboy Ehiz this Friday, January 27th at 9a London / 10a Lagos/Paris / 11a Johannesburg / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.

Cover Star Interview
Nigerian rapper Ajebutter22 joins Dadaboy Ehiz via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest track, “Hear My Sound (feat. Melissa & Not3s).” He also discusses his new album, ‘Soundtrack To The Good Life,’ and his passion for working with emerging producers.
The Big 5
Dadaboy Ehiz shares the 5 hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Phyno & Olamide, DJ Neptune & Ruger, Zlatan feat. Seyi Vibez, Sjava, Q Twins & Mzukulu, and DJ Stokie & Dlala Regal feat. Mpura, Lebo Lenyora & Almighty SA.

Africa Rising 
South African soul singer-songwriter Lwah Ndlukulu is the latest artist featured from Apple Music’s Africa Rising playlist, a campaign which shines a light on the next generation of African superstars, and this week’s show features her singles, “Ngiyeza” and “Ithuba (feat. Siya Ntuli).” Listen HERE.

Dadaboy’s Song of the Week
Each week, Dadaboy Ehiz chooses his favourite track from one of Apple Music’s African playlists. This week he spotlights Rexxie, Naira Marley and Skiibii and their track, “Abracadabra,” from Apple Music’s Street Anthems playlist, showcasing the hits shaping Nigerian pop culture. Listen HERE (and find a roundup of all Dadaboy’s selections on Apple Music’s Dadaboy’s Playlist, HERE).

Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, January 27th at 9a London / 10a Lagos/Paris / 11a Johannesburg /  1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.

Ajebutter22 on ‘Soundtrack To The Good Life’

The album is about enjoying, about having a good time and living soft. I started really making the album, doubling down, a few years – like, the COVID period – and the world was really bleak, man. Everywhere was sad, everybody was feeling really down and depressed, and I didn’t want to make music that was overly deep or had too many think pieces. I just wanted us to be able to take our mind to somewhere where we’re having a good time.

Ajebutter22 on Showcasing Up-And-Coming Producers

I was in charge of the sound, like this is the first album I executive-produced 100% by myself. So I went out of my way to find producers online, on like different digital platforms and guess what? You see some of the producers that are doing crazy things, they’re Nigerian and nobody knows, nobody has heard of them. Some of these guys have 1000 followers, no big name but they’re really good and I’m like you know what, I have to put these guys on. I have to show the world we have all this talent here as well.

Ajebutter22 on His Time Away From Music

Me and BOJ dropped ‘Make E No Cause Fight’ volume 1 and 2 up until 2019, so I didn’t feel like I wasn’t making music, and in 2020 was like the COVID year so I didn’t really feel absent, but yeah I also withdrew a little bit from the music scene, because I was focusing on some things on the tech side.

Before it was a lot easier because I was working in a company as an employee, and now I’m a CEO. It’s crazy doing that, being responsible for people, actually being the main man. It’s like being from a player on the team to being the captain. I’m the captain now, so it’s not easy.

Ghanaian Gospel artiste, Manuel Bless, has released a new single titled “Superman”, an Afrobeats fusion faith based song full of praise to oneself and the creator who made him. (more…)

Music comes to musicians and songwriters through different means, as some get their lyrics while in the bath house, period of fasting, driving or at prayer meetings, others get theirs through dreams.

Over the years, artistes have shared their intriguing stories of how they got inspiration to write their songs.

Interestingly, fast-rising gospel musician, Nii Menz, known in private life as Anderson Nii Kwei Mensah has revealed that his new song dubbed “Nea Ote Me Mu” is a dream come true, a song he received in a dream.

According to him, the song was revealed to him in a dream,” it was around 2am one dawn, I was deep asleep, but found myself singing in a dream, I immediately woke up, I liked the melody and began to write verses for the song in accordance with the title revealed to him.”

Nii Menz added that he was very happy after writing the two verses for the song and proceeded to the studio to record the song to fulfil God’s revelation to him.

Touching on the message, he said “the song simply means ‘He that is in me’, the bible makes one understands that He that lives in us is greater than what we see outside.”

“If you have God living in you there is nothing one cannot do, and going by the direction and guidance of God, one can reach higher heights,” he said.

The gospel musician charged christians not to underestimate the power they carry because God created man in His own image.

Nii Menz said, even though it was not easy to mobilise resources, he decided not to give up, but to ensure the gift from God did not go to waste.

He promised of good songs and hard work in the years ahead, adding that gospel music has what it takes to lift Ghana music.

The song which was produced by Zapp Mallet is available on all digital platforms and comes with a video that was directed and shot by Good Luck pictures.