Bien (Ma Cherie), Octopizzo (Wapi Compe) Nviiri (Nikilewa), and Wakadinali (Sikutambui) have made it to Rolling Stones's top 40 Afropop songs of 2023.
Bien Aime becomes the first Kenyan to be featured twice on the magazine's annual end-of-year lists. The singer is celebrating his achievement noting the same.
At no.34, the magazine praised Nviiri for his track 'Nikilewa', noting how he blended Afropop, soul, and RNB.
At no 31, Octopizzo is a force to be reckoned with, according to the magazine. He was described as the face of Kenyan hip-hop.
"Octopizzo nails the balance between challenging norms in Kenyan rap and hip-hop and reflecting the temperament, desires, and realities of being Kenyan today."
At number 30, Wakadinali with their track Sikutambui, made it on the list thanks to their unapologetic use of sheng.
"Its heavy bass and cheeky lyrics made the track a fast fan favorite and a popular sound on TikTok in Kenya."
Coming at No. 20, Bien's song Ma Cherie is described as a song with winning lyrics.
"His vocals are effortlessly sexy, and presented from a new perspective over the song’s modern treatment of quintessential Lingala sounds."
The magazine explained how it curated the list of African stars.
"As genre lines blur everywhere, we thought of Afropop as a catch-all for music by artists who primarily live on or work for the continent, making hits that define scenes and communities there and in its diaspora.
We considered songs with musical elements distinct to African traditions, too, from language (like East African Swahili or West African pidgin) to production (like the log drum programming popularized by South African amapiano, or the distinct guitar in many Congolese standards).
This is a celebration of African genius, creativity, and spirit."
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