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Sarkodie, Amaarae leading the pack for Ghanaian music on Spotify with rap and afropop
As Spotify’s Wrapped data for Ghana came out in the first week of December, two artists are drawing special interest – one for the pole position he claimed on Wrapped, the other for Wrapped’s overnight positive effect on her fan base.
Rapper Sarkodie (also known as King Sark) claimed top artist of the year (with just two other Ghanaians in the shape of Kwesi Arthur and King Promise in the top 10), and took the top album spot for No Pressure, a 16-track album that represents a return to a more pure style of hip-hop for the acclaimed artist.
Sarkodie is not only one of the most awarded artists in Ghana, but also on the African continent, having received 107 awards from 191 nominations – including 25 Ghana Music Awards – over the past decade.
Less established, but trending ever upwards, is Ghanaian-American sensation Amaarae, in whom Ghanian music may have found the gem it’s been looking for to propel the country onto the global stage.
Ama Serwah Genfi, professionally known as Amaarae, has almost 230,000 combined followers across Instagram and Twitter, and these numbers are set to explode as the 27-year-old star shoots for the moon. With her track “Sad Girlz Luv Money Remix” featuring Kali Uchis and Moliy amassing over 70 million Spotify streams as of today — 20 million more since breaking the 50 million milestone mark in late November — “The Angel You Don’t Know” album-maker is fast becoming the Ghanaian musician the world knows.
On the local scene, the New York-born performer was nowhere to be found in Spotify’s Ghana Top 10 Most Female Artists. It was Gyakie who stood as the sole Ghana flagbearer in second position, behind Tems and ahead of Nicky Minaj, Doja Cat, Adele, Rihanna, Teni, Beyoncé, Tiwa Savage, Ariana Grande.
However, Amaarae has only started building steam locally and her almost-whispering vocal style may soon resound loudly on speakers across Ghana’s most vibrant areas and in the ears of the country’s Spotify users.
Her incredible rise on mega audio streaming platform Spotify is expanding into the realms of social media thanks to her army of fans. Celebrating Wrapped 2021 on December 1st, Amaarae tweeted:
“All the fountain babies worldwide. My sad girlz & sad boyz. Thank you all so much for streaming TAYDK so crazy. The love & support I receive from you all is second to none & I love u so much. Let’s make another classic next year & shake the world. Iove 4ever.”
On the launch of Spotify Wrapped 2021, Amaarae had 11.9 million monthly listeners. She has racked up over a million more and counting, since then.
Returning to Sarkodie, No Pressure’s popularity doesn’t appear to have come off the back of a host of bankable singles. Only “Coachella” (feat. Kwesi Arthur) is among the top 10 tracks for Ghana this year. Its position, at seventh, is four below the most-streamed single by a Ghanaian artist in 2021, in the shape of King Promise’ “Slowdown”. This suggests that the album’s success lies in what it presents as a coherent whole, rather than as a series of tracks.
Ultimately then, it’s yet further proof that albums still have a significant role to play on streaming platforms. The fact that Sarkodie is one of Ghana’s most decorated artists only underlines how important a great album can be and that if you have something worth saying (or rapping as the case may be), people will listen.
Buzz
King Promise thrills fans at sold-out show in Singapore
Ghanaian singer King Promise has made history by being the first Afrobeats star to headline a concert in Singapore. (more…)
Buzz
Ice Spice remix stamps Cash Cobain’s “Fisherrr” as the Song of the Summer
Billboard Rookie of the Month, and multi-hyphenate NYC star, Cash Cobain has just linked up with Ice Spice for the long-awaited video remix for “Fisherrr”(feat. BaySwag) [18m+ Streams]. After bubbling the past few years with R-rated anthems over his own ethereal production – creating the playful “sexy drill” sound that he’s pioneered and taken to mainstream heights, Cash Cobain is stamping himself as a serious song of the summer contender with this remix.
Following up his two smash singles “Dunk Contest” (8m+) and “Fisherrr” (pronounced, ‘for sure), Cash is primed for his moment in the spotlight –– hitting 1M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, Top 3 NYC Shazam Charts, having occupied the #1 + #3 slots of the NYC Apple Music Charts, hitting #45 on the Urban Radio Charts and counting, and now landing Ice Spice’s third feature ever –– in the words of COMPLEX, “the summer of 2024 is looking very slizzy”. On the highly-anticipated remix, Ice Spice is simply in top-tier shape.
Adding her signature magnetic ‘it-girl’ flair, charming cadence, and instantly-coinable one-liners, she bolsters the lightning-hot single into astronomical territory with the opening lines –– “Got an attitude but I’m feelingless, so I ain’t mad at you, And I’m tatted too on this fatty-tude, I’m the baddest boo”.
The long-overdue collab from the two Bronx natives is seamless, with her being a tailor-fit alongside the ethereal, dreamy production and silky smooth verses from Bay Swag and Cash. With the recent releases of “Dunk Contest” (watch Genius ‘Open Mic’) and now the Ice Spice-assisted remix for “Fisherrr” (feat. BaySwag), Cash Cobain is using his collaborative momentum from last year to continue elevating his signature sound, showcasing its influential and ever-growing widespread appeal in the process. In the words of Cash:“It’s a beautiful record. It feels amazing, it feels like NYC is back stronger than ever with me and Spice -– two Bronx legends. Get ready for the song of the summer.”
Last month, Cash took over NYC with his birthday show, ‘Slizzyfest’ at Irving Plaza –– a night that was slated as a stacked lineup of NY’s finest, with rumors of an A-list superstar surprise set. After chatter spread online and the hype reached a fever pitch, the crowd became too much to handle and the show was ultimately canceled –– but Cash wanted to give the fans their money’s worth so he ventured into Union Square and threw a makeshift show with his crew, a Bluetooth speaker, and hundreds of adoring fans (read ‘I Went to Cash Cobain’s Slizzyfest and All I Got Was That Classic NYC Feeling’ via Rolling Stone + statement in Billboard).
Also in Billboard, Cash recently teased potential collaborations with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (seen filming a music video here), Lil Yachty and more –– a surefire sign of the worldwide stardom soon to come. These recent releases arrive on the heels of a career-defining year in 2023 that closed with the production of PinkPantheress‘ “Nice To Meet You” (feat. Central Cee), which debuted at #20 on Billboard Hot 100 (he also starred alongside her in a nationally-syndicated Apple commercial for the new MacBook).
This was preceded by producing Drake’s “Calling For You” (feat. 21 Savage), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, DJ’ing at Travis Scott‘s Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet event, and releasing his critically-acclaimed debut solo album Pretty Girls Love Slizzy with Giant Music.
Please find links to stream the new “Fisherrr” Remix (feat. Ice Spice) below, and stay tuned for more announcements:
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Buzz
Tobinco Pharmaceuticals LTD donates drugs worth GHc 155k to Lekma Hospital in celebration of World Malaria Day.
In commemoration of World Malaria Day, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited exemplified its commitment to healthcare by donating an anti-malaria drug worth GH155,000 to the LEKMA Hospital in Teshie. (more…)
Buzz
Celestine Donkor Sets the Record Straight on Weight Loss Surgery Speculation
Award-winning Ghanaian artist, Celestine Donkor has addressed speculations regarding her potential pursuit of weight loss surgery, clarifying that she hasn’t made any decisions in that regard. (more…)
Buzz
Akua Music unveils heartfelt music video for hit single ‘Miss You Bad’
Akua Music, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her soulful melodies and emotive lyrics, has just released the highly anticipated music video for her latest single, ‘Miss You Bad.’ The video, directed by Joseph Amino, captures the essence of the song’s message and showcases the singer’s raw talent and creativity. (more…)
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