Discover this week’s New Music Friday releases featuring Blaqbonez and Asake’s ‘Ikebe 3000’, BNXN’s EP closer, Lojay, DJ Tunez, and top Afrobeats tracks.
This week is headlined by Blaqbonez previewing his upcoming album with a catchy Asake collaboration, while BNXN closes out his Still In Charge EP and DJ Tunez continues his cultural partnership with Terry Apala. A relatively quiet Friday with a few standout moments across the list.
Blaqbonez ft Asake – Ikebe 3000
The lead single for NOMADINHO: 4TH PRIME, due October 16, arrives as a dance-ready Afrobeats record driven largely by its chorus. The Blaqbonez and Asake chemistry holds throughout, even when the verses lose some coherence. Catchy enough to do its promotional job ahead of the album.
BNXN – If You Like
The closing track on Still In Charge is quintessential BNXN, being smooth, unhurried, and putting melody first. Soft guitars and a relaxed rhythm give his vocal phrasing room to shine in a way the EP’s higher-energy tracks do not. A strong way to close a project.
Lojay – Money Lingo
An upbeat Afro-fusion record built on silky vocal runs and conversational Pidgin over driving percussion. ‘Money Lingo’ is at its best in the background. It rewards passive listening more than active attention, which limits how far it travels but does not undermine what it is.
Tml Vibez – Gentleman
Track six from A Street Kid’s Diary Disc 2 showcases Tml Vibez’s melodic street-pop approach over smooth Afrobeats production from Demmy. The execution is competent but the record does not assert itself strongly enough to stand out within the broader project or the week’s list.
DJ Tunez ft Terry Apala – Apala Groove
A direct continuation of the sonic partnership that produced Apala Disco, blending DJ Tunez’s contemporary electronic framework with Terry Apala’s indigenous Yoruba vocal cadence and traditional lyricism. The cultural collision works because both artists are fully committed to it. Rewards listeners with an appetite for Fuji and Yoruba musical traditions.
Txmmyily ft Famous Pluto, Zaylevelten – Lalakula
Built on weeks of TikTok snippet teasers, ‘Lalakula’ delivers a fast-paced club groove that will find its audience on the same platforms that built the anticipation. Beyond that specific context, the record has limited reach.
SHON ft Abefe – Lekki Epe (OLOMBE) II
An expanded second rendition of SHON’s July release, pairing a steady Afrobeats drum arrangement with smooth vocal melodies. It improves on the original without dramatically redefining it. An enjoyable listen for those already familiar with the first version.
