Apple Music’s Africa Rising ’24, Tyla and More Featured

The greatest and brightest up-and-coming musicians from throughout the continent have been featured by Apple Music‘s artist development initiative, Africa Rising, since 2020. Many of the biggest new artists on the continent, including Omah Lay, Rema, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Amaarae, have received their first worldwide exposure thanks to Africa Rising, which has been taking place while the world’s attention is firmly concentrated on Africa and its thriving music scene.

The Class of ’24, a roster of the upcoming generation of African superstars whose careers are certain to soar, is being revealed as part of Apple Music’s Africa Rising campaign, which is known for always being ahead of the curve when it comes to trend-spotting.

South African pop sensation Tyla, Nigerian teenage Afropop singer-songwriter QingMadi, Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter and producer Bloody Civilian, Nigerian rapper and singer ODUMODUBLVCK, Ghanaian R&B singer Mellissa, and South African street rapper Maglera Doe Boy are among this year’s Class of ’24 recipients.

On Friday, January 12, at 12 p.m., Nandi Madida’s Africa Now Radio show will highlight the Class of ’24 Africa Rising awardees.

“I’m just trying to live in the moment and thank God and everyone who supported me. I’m excited for my project to be released and for people to be exposed to more Tyla music, for people to come into my world and see a glimpse of South Africa because we’re dominating at the moment!” – Tyla

“I believe that this generation of African superstars are being heard to an extent that the past wasn’t. I feel excited to be a part of a new regime of African artists that are being accepted globally, that are being welcomed. And the fact that we are loved for who we are and we’re not trying to be someone that we are not. I’m also excited because my music will reach other parts of the world and I don’t have to water-down my music for the fear of who is accepting, I just have to sing and hope that my fans can relate to them.” – Qing Madi

“I think Afrobeats and the sounds of Africa will continue to resonate around the world because it’s such a diverse genre. African music is the source of other genres, and if you listen to music from Africa you can hear how many ways it’s interpolated, how many ways its been created is very diverse, so that’s why it’s resonating around the world because there are so many parts of it that different people can connect with.” – Bloody Civilian

“Nigerian hip-hop will definitely keep on growing because we’ve found a way to involve men and women – girls are now rapping to the bars and it’s so cool! We keep things fresh, we keep things interesting.” – ODUMODUBLVCK

“There are so many elements of sounds from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America that speak to my soul and inspire me. I’m a Ghanaian woman so I love guitars, and the overall feeling that I get when I take in the music as a consumer is phenomenal. But as a creator I’m really big on drums, and that’s one thing that all these sounds have in common is their percussions and their grooves, the drums have a life of their own and it’s a perfect tapestry for the music I like to make, the kind of music that makes you start swinging your hips before you even know it.” – Mellissa

“This is such a beautiful era for identification, people really sound like where they came from. There are even looks, depending on if they’re taking from South African culture and paying homage, but also taking what’s current in the culture and mixing it with South Africa flavours. So I’m very excited about the cultural aspect of it. I feel like it’s about to get bigger, which is great for getting the sound to the rest of the world.” – Maglera Doe Boy.

Discover the Africa Rising playlist here.