Author: Keagan Baaitjies
Drizzy
Is Honestly, Nevermind a house album? Can it be considered anything else? One thing is for certain, Drake is doing something different. This is not the first time Drake has done something that is considered “out of his lane” or “Drake should be leaving this to others”. This is (partly) where he thrives.
On his 2012 release, Take Care, an album this writer believes to be a classic, there is a 4-song stretch, Headlines, Crew Love, Take Care and Marvin’s Room, which is just a flood of varying genres. A lesser artist may not have included these songs if it was not something they were known for, especially on the sophomore project. However, that 4-song stretch takes you from exultant trap, surreal soul and then key-driven indie electronica and finally settling on some melancholia. That run may be par for the course for today’s Drake but back in 2012 it was an indicator of someone that has profound confidence in their ability to be bold.
This album has also performed admirably commercially. Again, Drake is monoculture. The man was awarded Billboard’s artist of the decade so it comes as no surprise that he gets numbers out.
North of 200,000 album equivalent units moved. Just over 250 million streams making this the 4th highest streaming week of 2022, behind Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (356 million), Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (343 million), and Future Never Liked You (283 million). Some nice pub quiz trivia is that Drake (along with Bruce Springsteen and Barbara Streisand), is third on the list of artists with most number 1’s on the Billboard Hot 200 (the album chart). Only the Beatles (19) and Jay-Z (14) are ahead.
Last word on this project is that South Africa’s very own Black Coffee was an executive producer. Massive congratulations to him! Black Coffee has been near the upper echelons of house music the last 7 to 10 years so it’s beautiful to see him being tapped up for this project. Honourable mentions go to Tresor, who worked on 6 songs and contributed his vocals on 3 of those. Amandla!
Link to the album:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3cf4iSSKd8ffTncbtKljXw?si=9Id25eJ-R_CsD9LQjyb1Rg
Link to Falling back video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOreUnGoIMg
BREAK MY SOUL!
The Promotion for Beyoncé’s new project is well and truly under way.
She is the cover star for British Vogue’s July 2022 issue and in one of the paragraphs of that piece, the writer of that cover story, Edward Enninful, reflects, “Instantly, a wall of sound hits me. Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth. I want to get up and start throwing moves. It’s music I love to my core. Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul. As ever with Beyoncé, it is all about the intent. I sit back, after the wave, absorbing it all.”
Needless to say, if we are getting a dance album, judging by the first single Break My Soul we might be, it will be exactly what we need. In times of toil, you should dance. You need an escape and Beyoncé is providing one.
Beyoncé also has her 7th studio album on the way. It releases 29 July 2022 and I suspect that we may get one or two more single in promotion on this project before that release date arrives. The name is act I Renaissance. Her website also has merch available for pre-order (it will be shipped once we reach the album release date).
(Shop Beyoncé)
The refrain goes, ”You won’t break my soul”
Whom could she be referring? Well, it turns out Beyoncé is now the unofficial leader of the Great Resignation. She is definitely working but she acknowledges your burnout.
Break My Soul comes across as a dedication to house music as well as serving your notice period.
Link Below:
https://youtu.be/yjki-9Pthh0
If you are not so sure about my second assessment, let’s peep the lyrics:
“I just fell in love / and I just quit my job” or “Damn, they work me so damn hard / Work by nine / Then off past five.”
There’s also this refrain from legendary bounce icon Big Freedia, who last teamed up with Beyoncé on “Formation”:
Release your anger
Release your mind
Release your job
Release the time
Release your trade
Release your stress
Release the love
Forget the rest
Maybe it’s time to have a chat with your boss. Maybe this is the sign you were looking for.
Maybe not.
Maybe, since she’s still making music she refers to quitting in the spiritual sense.
Maybe you need to break your unhealthy habits to stop it from breaking your soul.
Whatever Break My Soul means to you, let us admire Beyoncé for advocating for her rights as an employee.
Project Releases
It is festival season, so more and more artists will be releasing projects in anticipation of performing live at a number of large music festivals.
If all things go as planned, I will cover some of the bigger festivals in the next issue. In the meantime, below is a list of projects that really caught my ear.
070 Shake – You Won’t Kill Me
https://open.spotify.com/album/6KQa2rAuOS2rX18xyA9eru?si=-HM3B-7FQcuDoHwJEPH5TA
Arin Ray – Hello Poison
https://open.spotify.com/album/75ROXu2vbXVKe3OLeW54yS?si=EkG_0gTpTKupc9ycZcJpSA
Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
https://open.spotify.com/album/50MzJhO0pMjTsfpeOmZ1so?si=4No0cB5dSuSPQvBegG9Aeg
Xxxtentacion – Look at Me: The Album
https://open.spotify.com/album/7vNqlfthayItIbI0Ssmfoa?si=vkvukfBOT_axqvN97NJ91Q
Curren$y & Fuse – Spring Clean 2
https://open.spotify.com/album/2fHVM7O9jg0Yfke5537Dbe?si=bOAtWJunQi2Kbev8uSnTIg
CyHi – EGOT The EP
https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZzmOGM0viirRaZVeQAgBJ?si=_DvJ7dp8RrCgcEBrzUpLbA
Kamaiyah – Divine Timing
https://open.spotify.com/album/6fZkrQzH9f86D5Y0YLuLJu?si=tSWoRLmhTp6xHP-Xy5PpVA
Shontelle – Boomerang
https://open.spotify.com/album/4Cq0NoQvX8T2ZP76mjnIMf?si=OrFdeXtbRaquO-DL18NKWg
Travie McCoy – The Bridge
https://open.spotify.com/album/4Xn4BzqAvXfqNql3EeTlhK?si=5Sq4OdW4Rf6K2sWq3jqmow
Marc E. Bassy – East Hollywood 2
https://open.spotify.com/album/0GBZW2OaNolRwORssQ3PSy?si=t4NeFce-QEOzSvtGwtdyXQ
Mahalia – Letter to you Ex
https://open.spotify.com/album/4IHthCcvRUuVuKtlclVSBY?si=t_FFloFQSKC1nwdzbUwd7g
Local News
Ndlovu Youth Choir
Their first studio album called Grateful released in April 2022. Now they embark on their first headlining tour of South Africa.
There is no doubt that the 20 choristers will be up for that challenge. The hard lockdowns over the past 2 years have hit performing artists and musicians very hard and so it passes that the Ndlovu Youth Choir will want to make up for all that lost time. This concert should allow audiences to indulge in their older back catalogue and even some of the newer hits such as their cover of Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, Grateful and some of their original compositions like Webaba Omncane.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir SA headline tour will kick off at Montecasino’s Teatro on Friday, September 30, Saturday, October 01 and Sunday, October 02.
Cape Town concerts at the Artscape Theatre Complex take place on Friday, October 7 on Saturday, October 08 and Sunday, October 10.
The Comedy Central Roast of Khanyi Mbau
This might not seem like such a big thing but it really is. Putting aside whatever you may feel about her, Khanyi Mbau will be the first African woman to be roasted on Comedy Central’s Roast of series.
The panel of comedians and celebrity personalities are yet to be announced but the role of roastmaster has been filled. Comedian, funny man and one-time Outsurance ad guy, Mpho Popps, is the choice. Mbau and Popps actually shared a screen together on Mzansi Magic’s Ayeye. Popps in no stranger to Comedy Central, he had an opening set during the Roast of Somizi and more recently had a set on the Netflix series Only Jokes Allowed so this feels like a natural progression.
Link to the trailer below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfJnhK3Bn7B/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=71b65878-58ec-495a-8f04-9afaf9a8bb31
Kings of Amapiano
We were supposed to get Scorpion Kings Live back in 2020 but due to an ongoing pandemic and restrictions placed on travel and entertainment, we would have to wait just over two years. Nevertheless, time has finally come. We will be seeing the Scorpion Kings Live!
The date has been set for 22 July 2022 and the venue will be the Sun Bet Arena in Pretoria. The duo will play a three-hour set and the concert will always feature some of South Africa’s very best musicians across varied genres. Ticket are available through Ticketpro and don’t worry, if you purchased a ticket 2 years ago, they are still valid. In anticipation of this concert, the duo have released an EP which I’m sure is intended to be an appetizer for what they have in store. The Project is called Scorpion Kings Live Sun Arena. There are appearances by Young Stunna, Ami Faku, Da Musiqal Chef, rapper Zingah and the late amapiano vocalist, Mpura.
Link below:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6N067E0wNZsTlyvgnTpJ9l?si=TzVFGpHNSWSv7uDGKdaZBQ
2020 feels like an eternity ago but since then both artist have been hard at work, producing stellar work over the last two years. There have been some star-studded appearances across the board and now time has come for them to display their talent on the world stage.
The duo also played a gargantuan 6-hour set in Barcelona for the Sónar Music Festival, which is the first stop for Maphorisa’s World Tour. His next stop is Brussels before he jets off to Netherlands, Croatia, Denmark and Portugal.
Kabza recently had an advertisement appear in Times Square for his latest solo project and even played a set at the Ministry of Sound in London.
References
https://www.complex.com/music/drake-honestly-nevermind-first-week-numbers
26 June 2022 – Complex; Brad Callas
https://www.vulture.com/2022/06/drake-honestly-nevermind-album-review.html
22 June 2022 – Vulture; Craig Jenkins
https://www.news24.com/channel/the-juice/news/black-coffee-hailed-a-heroic-figure-by-drake-in-tribute-post-20220627
27 June 2022 – Channel24; Bronwyn McKay
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/17/drake-honestly-nevermind-review-brand-new-moods-same-old-moans
17 June 2022 – The Guardian; Alexis Petridis
https://www.thecut.com/2022/06/beyonce-break-my-soul-quitting.html#_ga=2.114201347.529652428.1656412216-749477832.1656412216
21 June 2022 – The Cut; Danielle Cohen
https://www.thecut.com/2022/06/beyonc-is-back-with-an-album-and-merch-that-we-cant-see.html#_ga=2.114201347.529652428.1656412216-749477832.1656412216
16 June 2022 – The Cut; Asia Milia Ware
https://www.vulture.com/2022/06/beyonce-big-freedia-break-my-soul-lyric-meaning.html#_ga=2.77444113.529652428.1656412216-749477832.1656412216
21 June 2022 – Vulture; Jason P. Frank
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/beyonce-vogue-cover-new-music
July 2022 issue – British Vogue; Edward Enninful
https://www.thecut.com/2021/05/quitting-your-job-as-self-care.html
11 May 2021 – The Cut; Katie Heaney
https://genius.com/albums/Genius/2022-album-release-calendar
Genius Album Release Calendar
Date is set! Scorpion Kings gear up for highly-anticipated live show [listen] (thesouthafrican.com)
23 June 2022 – The South African; Naledi de Wee
Mpho Popps is fired up as roastmaster for upcoming ‘Roast of Khanyi Mbau’ (iol.co.za)
28 June 2022 – IOL; Alyssia Birjalal
Mam’Mkhize, DJ Zinhle and Moozlie rock BET Awards (iol.co.za)
27 June 2022 – IOL; Oluthando Keteyi
Ndlovu Youth Choir to headline first SA tour (iol.co.za)
11 June 2022 – IOL; Oluthando Keteyi
Khanyi Mbau to be first African woman for Comedy Central Roast | Witness (news24.com)
24 June 2022 – The Witness; Londiwe Xulu
Watch: DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small play 6-hour set in Spain (iol.co.za)
20 June 2022 – IOL; Shingai Darangwa
‘King of Amapiano’: Kabza De Small honoured with Times Square billboard (thesouthafrican.com)
18 June 2022 – The South African; Naledi de Wee
Date is set! Scorpion Kings gear up for highly-anticipated live show [listen] (thesouthafrican.com)
23 June 2022 – The South African; Naledi de Wee
Kabza De Small’s KOA II Part 1 is legit the album of the year (gq.co.za)
20 June 2022 – GQ South Africa; Staff Writer
