Biggest hits of 2024 so far

A collage of Ssaru, Prince Indah and Sofiya Nzau. From Mwaki to Tiktoker to Hizi Stance, the year is proving to be a warm one, with hits breaking streaming records and others ousting Afrobeat and Bongo Flava from charts. Here are some of the top tracks; Song: Mwanake Artiste: Fully Focus x Sofiya Nzau Fresh off the oven, the new 'Kikuyu House', as the collaborative four-song EP the two have done is called, is already in circulation, picked by radios and club deejays just days after it came out. The House version of the old Kikuyu song, on the heels of the hugely successful Mwaki, adds a fresh twist to a popular song known from Lodwar in Turkana to Waa in Kwale. Sofiya basks in the glory of auto-tunes and synthesisers that pitch her voice high without taking much away from her natural ability, creating her version of a song that was originally done by JB Maina, and redone in Boomba by Homeboyz, for Wyre. With a colourful video that features an ostentatious set and colourful ladies, Mwanake is the lead in an EP that also features remakes of Geithia Mundu and E Muoyo. And one thing Bongo Flava artistes have consistently proved to us is the magic of sampling old hits. Song: Nyar Jaduong Artiste: Prince Indah In less than two weeks, the contemporary Ohangla Prince has amassed more than 1.1 million views, with the song number one on YouTube's trending list. The song, shot with popular faces as the cast and essentially a dramatic mini-movie running past the eight-minute mark, is the prince's first release of the year. It is well on the way to surpassing 'Osiepe', an audio that clocked 5 million views on YouTube. Ohangla, which has been appropriated by the likes of Bahati and Nadia Mukami, is going mainstream by the day, with TikTok and YouTube shorts playing a huge part in introducing different genres to new audiences and markets. Don't be shocked to hear this on a deejay's mix this weekend. Song: G-Bag na Jug (G Baga Jat) Artiste: gadafee x Gotta City x Stoopid Boy Gengetone or Urban/Arbantone is here to stay. Structured around the horns that made Shaggy's Hey Sexy Lady stand out when it dropped 14 years ago, G-Bag na Jug is fresh, cryptic and catchy, another hook that parents might easily sing along without feeling some type of way. Song: Tiktoker Artiste: Soundkraft x Gody Tennor x Tipsy Gee x Kappy A slow burner, the song has built quite a steam from late October, climbing charts and getting so much airplay that few can claim not to have heard it. A true TikTok hit, the song, another Gengetone/Urbantone hit that successfully sampled an old hit, in this case, Jua Cali's Bidii Yangu, has amassed over 7.5 million views on YouTube. And that's just one platform. As of March 7, the song was Boomplay's number two song on its hit list, the topmost Kenyan song among a host of very many Bongo Flava and Afrobeat heavies. Song: Mwaki Artiste: Zerb x Sofiya Nzau A hit so good that they had to make an amazing video for it. That's Mwaki, a song that is arguably the most viral Kenyan song, and probably the biggest contemporary hit to have ever made it out of our borders. The song has 16 million audio views plus another five million views for the video, for a total of 21 million views in probably the quickest time any Kenyan video has ever done that. 21 million views is a high number that not many established artistes have managed to crack in their careers. It's a favourite on Trace Mziki where the video, which showcased Hells Gate in a new way, with almost 100 dancers taking centre stage, is played every hour. Truthfully, there is nothing more we can say or write about Mwaki. Song: Asante Artiste: Otile Brown x Rayvanny 'Mr Streams' blessed us with an album named Grace, after his late mother. In it, Otile brings in Rayvanny for a Swahili ballad slow burner love song that slowly and gently settles in your heart. Otile's winning formula is running into Bongo for collaborations that make him relevant in multiple markets, one that also birthed Woman with Harmonize, one of Kenya's best and most popular love songs. And the best thing about Asante is that he outdid Rayvanny. Otile claimed his spot as one of our best RnB sons, and all he keeps doing is reinforcing the claim. Song: Lifestyle Artiste: Bien x Scar Mkadinali One of the standout hits from Bien's solo album Alusa Why Are You Topless?, Lifestyle is about big boys flexing about women, money, swag, and living the good life. It was written for the club for sure, a one-off from an album that's heavy on love as a theme. Bien matches Scar's naughtiness with lines like 'Kipara bila pesa kidonda, Cheki dem yako anakutoka' and 'Usipandishe mrembo bodaboda, Hiyo ndio siku ya mwisho utamwona', while Scar, one of showbiz' bad boys keeps the vibe on, retorting with, 'Na si cheating kama wifey anajua' and 'Si ni funnier, vile hit song imefanya msupa atake kunizalia.' It's a good matchup; a great vocalist next to a punchy rapper, and the hook rings in your head on and on. This is for the culture. Song: Mukuchu Artiste: Gody Tennor x Spoiler xRanzscooby The Tiktokers are on fire, raking in the numbers, and deejay spins. Not just satisfied with the streams, this one has a whole choreography to go with it. Number 16 on YouTube's top music videos, it's closer to a million views in just a month. In essence, it is a dance video and respectable by the standards of the genre, with less raunchiness in the video and the lyrics, written in cryptic lines to hide its true theme, debauchery. Song: Men Can Lie Artiste: Vic West x Teslah x Brandy Maina x Ssaru Quite honestly, this is one of the best videos of 2024, with a great location, a perfect cast, a playful director, numerous visual appetizers, out-of-the-box props, and of course, a sprinkle of sexiness. Besides that, it's a perfect mix of production, singing, and rapping, a high-energy hit that is on rotation just based on its title. It's not safe for your shagz party though, with explicit lyrics that are raunchy, suggestive, and accusatory of men. Brandy Maina never misses, a standout star of recent times, just like Ssaru, arguably the most hardworking and consistent female rapper around. Song: Mali Safi Artiste: Nadia Mukami x Okello Max x Prince Indah Whether it's 'New Rhumba' or 'Slow Ohangla', I live that to you, but Nandi believes the song is 'a captivating fusion of contemporary beats and traditional Luo culture.' And a sure hit it is, a soothing Rhumba sound that Fally Ipupa would recommend, a love song written for your person. Dropped just before Valentine's, Nadia sings in Luo in a way that Akothee would smile at, while Okello and Indah, leading lights in contemporary vernacular music bring their full rizz in. You might not dance to it in the club, but you have heard it many times. Song: Hizi Stance Artiste: Wakadinali The Hip Hop kings will never miss out on any list that has 'best' 'most' and 'hot'. Produced by the in-house engineer Aress 66, the song is simply known for the phrase "Hi t-shirt ni ya white", which Domani chants almost eight times. They have explained what it means, but the group has wowed us with its unpredictability, a rap trio that never follows any rules, trends, or clout. They record, drop, and let you decide what you want, but out of Khaligraph, Wakadinali is the only Hip Hop act that guarantees a million views on every song they drop.

Biggest hits of 2024 so far

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