This week's New Music Friday delivers a cross-continental Rema feature, Niniola's return to her Afro-house roots, and a notable debut from Wizkid's 14-year-old son Champz, who continues to carve out his own musical identity. The list spans Afropop, gospel, and UK drill, offering more emotional range than most weeks.
Young Jonn and Tiakola Lead the Openers
Young Jonn's 'Glass in the Air' is pulled from his Dear London project and sits comfortably within the sonic world he has been building since his last album. The track is a Jiggy-inflected Afropop record over an up-tempo dancefloor beat, produced alongside Yung Willis. It would not feel out of place on his last album, which is both its strength and its limitation.
Tiakola's 'Best' featuring Rema is a French-Nigerian crossover from Tiakola's WpointM album, produced by London. Tiakola's melodic rap delivery and Rema's Afrorave cadence are a natural fit over the same production infrastructure both have thrived on separately. It works without being particularly surprising.
Shoday, Ayo Maff, and Fido Offer Contrasting Styles
Shoday teams up with Magixx on 'Che', a commercial Afrobeats record built around a TikTok-ready hook. The pairing of Shoday's street-pop energy with Magixx's R&B-tinted delivery creates a pleasant, romantic pop vibe that is well-executed for what it is.
Ayo Maff and Zinoleesky deliver 'Malaria', produced by Shallythechampion. The track compares falling in love to catching an unexpected illness, a metaphor that lands better in concept than execution. Zinoleesky's melodic bounce and Ayo Maff's street delivery create a competent mid-tempo record that does not fully capitalise on the creative premise.
Fido's 'For Me' is a stripped-back romantic Afrobeats record that moves away from the high-energy production of his previous work in favour of melodic storytelling. The restraint is deliberate, but the record struggles to hold attention across a full listen, making it better suited to background listening than active engagement.
Niniola Returns and Limoblaze Crosses Over
Niniola's 'Tika' is the week's most welcome return. After her emotionally raw Without You EP, she steps back into her Afro-house lane with a fast-paced, dancefloor-ready track anchored by her signature lively delivery. The return to form feels earned rather than forced.
Limoblaze and Johnny Drille collaborate on 'Already Loved', a gospel Afrobeats and alternative soul track that benefits significantly from Johnny Drille's guitar-driven vocal style. The faith-based storytelling is handled with enough care to cross over to listeners outside the gospel space, at least partially.
Cheque and Champz Close the List with Mixed Results
Cheque's 'Andale' blends trap-house and Afropop in a high-energy melodic record that leans on his vocal flexibility. However, the production is busy and the record does not settle into a clear identity, making it one of the weaker entries on this week's list.
Champz's 'Groove' is the week's most notable entry for reasons beyond the music itself. At 14 and stepping deliberately away from the pop template of his father Wizkid, Champz delivers a UK drill and Afroswing-influenced record produced by BG that is surprisingly assured for an artist his age. Worth tracking.
Myron's 'Favourite Song' featuring MAGE is an introspective record about loving someone through uncertainty. MAGE's production gives Myron the space to sit with the vulnerability of the subject matter, and the result is one of the more emotionally honest records on the week's list.
