Best Songs of 2018 (Jan - Sept) So Far!
As we closed off the month of September we have now lived through 3 quarters of 2018. October signals the start of the festive season so before a load of new festive anthems start dropping I have decided to share my favourite tracks of the year up to this point. There are many tracks that get overlooked when the festive anthems drop so have decided to give them a platform.
This year year was an interesting year music wise, there were some superb comebacks and a number of new artists managed to make a solid mark on the music industry. The usual big guns were missing for most of the year, however I feel they gonna try to come back and take control of the festive season. So lets get to my top 10 tracks from 01 Jan to 30 September in no particular order.
Baba Harare - The Reason Why
This song has grown on me and right now it's one of my favourite tracks. The jam is growing in popularity day by day and it will continue getting many dancing deep into the festive season. The song is on an irresistible traditional jit sound which will get you on the dance-floor in no time. The theme is also funny, it captures the carefree vibe that is required of Jit tracks. It also came with some fitting visuals.
Janet Manyowa - Tomutenda Nei?
Mrs Manyowa switched from her usual worship songs to a more uptempo funky praise sound on this track and she executed it very well. The track sounds good, its lively, straight to the point and easy to follow, the overall production is done very well. She has proven how versatile she is and I see her dominating gospel music for years to come. She has also released another lovely jam with the legendary Mai Shingisai Suluma titled Muchengeti, however it was released late to be considered for this list.
Alick Macheso - Vane Zvavanoda
Alick Macheso - Vane Zvavanoda
The legendary guitarist showed he still has it with a superb album, many were writing him off but he defied all odds. The latest album Dzinosvitsa Kure contains 5 explosive tracks all laced with superb guitar work. Choosing one songs from the album is quite hard but had to settle for my current favourite Vane Zvavanoda. On this song Ba Sharo is highlighting the fact that when it comes to choices we all have different preferences hence one must be proud of their choices and stick by them.
Enzo Ishall - Handirare Kuden Kwenyu Futi
This is a very entertaining and well narrated song. This jam creates a very vibrant image in your mind as you listen to it, it's filled with a lot of humor and some simple but innovative wordplay. This is a track which many can relate to, social commentary at its best. Currently he is getting a massive load of airplay all over the country with his current hit Kanjiva but between the two I had to chose this one.
Mbeu has delivered my favorite album of 2018 so far; Hatizvimirire. The album is so so well done, well sung and produced. The tracks on the album go down very smoothly. Could have chosen a number of tracks, Kuti Unzi, Mumwe Wangu, Ziso..etc but I chose to select a track that is speaking a lot to me at the moment; Ndione. On this track Mbeu is admitting that he needs the guidance of the Lord, he needs the Lord to open his eyes so he can clearly see where he needs to make good in order to succeed. Love how the song first serenades you with the super lovely instrumental before the even more lovely vocals sweep you away.
ExQ feat Freeman - Nzenza
This may arguably be song of the year, its done exquisitely well. ExQ delivered a solid performance on the verses and Freeman was at his iconic best on the chorus. The song may have borrowed from Wizkid & Patoranking's This Kind Of Love but they executed it very well so I can forgive them. ExQ's Tseu Tseu album contained many hits but Nzenza takes the cake.
Zim Hip Hop had quite a interesting year, most of the noise and big tracks all came from Bulawayo. The City of Kings & Queens have taken the Capital of Rap from Htwn. On the forefront of that transition is ASAPH. He has had a very strong year, despite his album Twenty-Five not impressing me he made up for it with some solid features which takes us to this song. No Stress did not get the massive marketing that other tracks got but its a superb jam regardless and manages to still get commendable airplay more than 7 months after its release and that says a lot.
Celebrate Africa - I Really Love You (Makanaka)
This is one of those songs that I randomly bumped into one day and loved it from the first listen. Its a happy, uplifting track that will leave you grateful and with a big smile on your face. It produced very well, borrowing a lot from modern pop to create this beautiful praise song. This track is about saying Lord you are amazing.
Tembalami - Nyasha Dzenyu
Enjoyed Temablami's The Fight album, it's compact and showcases why he is regarded as the best when it comes to contemporary gospel music in Zim. Love a number of tracks but Nyasha Dzenyu is my favourite jam from his 2018 The Fight Album. It's a beautifully made track, it uplifts my soul and pushes me to into a worship mood every-time I listen to it. The lovely keyboard work laces the song very well.
Tocky Vibes - Mberiyo
Tocky has had an amazing comeback, the best comeback I have seen in years. I was not a big fan of him previously but his new found sound is lovely and amazing. He has released a ton load of tracks this year and among all those Mberiyo is my favourite track, it's a sound that perfectly fits Tocky's style and voice. On the track he is saying to his partner that lets not compare ourselves to the next relationship but lets move at our own speed, we shall reach the desired level in time. I love this jam.
5 Honourable Mentions:
Jah Signal - Shinga Muroora
Zim Dancehall has sort of reached a plateau stage and artists have to find innovation from various places to make hits. That is what Jah Signal has done this year, he is taking popular support songs and turning them into his own songs, a strategy that has seen him release widely popular tracks such as Mubako and Shinga Muroora. Choosing between the two is a tall order but settled for Shinga Muroora in the end. .
Takura - Jehovah
This guy is musically on point, he is not the best rapper out there or even the best songwriter but he knows how to make a good song. Takura knows how he wants his music to sound and that has given him an edge over a lot of other artists. Jehovah carries on the trap sound he has been pushing and it shines. His 2018 album SHTDi was a solid project, it however did not wow me as his past EP's did.
ASAPH feat Tha Dawgg & Fish F MaSwagg - Mambo
This song has kept hip hop alive and visible in 2018. It has been top of the charts for more than 6 weeks which makes it the best performing Hip Hop/Rap track for quite some time. ASAPH is the best storyteller we have in the country, his Kingsvilla album series can testify to that. His 2018 album Twenty-Five failed to reach his usual levels, its arguably one of his lesser projects but he made up for it with this single and a couple of solid features. On this track he switched from his usual storytelling mode to this sort of generic structure and he struck gold. The chorus is very catchy, his verses are well done and all that is laced with a catchy instrumental.
Nutty O - Boom Shelele
Have been a fan of Nutty O for a couple of years now and he has been growing with each and every release. His move to MTM came at a right time for his career, he is definitely benefiting from having a standard and reliable studio. This jam is one of the best dancehall tracks on 2018 and that says a lot given the level of competition in the genre. This is the track that has introduced him to many ghetto youths, finally it seems he may break from the "ane potential" phase and start dominating.
So ya those are my top tracks for 2018 so far. Feel free to comment with your top 10 tracks for the first three quarters of 2018.
Takura - Jehovah
This guy is musically on point, he is not the best rapper out there or even the best songwriter but he knows how to make a good song. Takura knows how he wants his music to sound and that has given him an edge over a lot of other artists. Jehovah carries on the trap sound he has been pushing and it shines. His 2018 album SHTDi was a solid project, it however did not wow me as his past EP's did.
This song has kept hip hop alive and visible in 2018. It has been top of the charts for more than 6 weeks which makes it the best performing Hip Hop/Rap track for quite some time. ASAPH is the best storyteller we have in the country, his Kingsvilla album series can testify to that. His 2018 album Twenty-Five failed to reach his usual levels, its arguably one of his lesser projects but he made up for it with this single and a couple of solid features. On this track he switched from his usual storytelling mode to this sort of generic structure and he struck gold. The chorus is very catchy, his verses are well done and all that is laced with a catchy instrumental.
Bazooker - Kumba Kwedu
With the big guys in Dancehall switching more towards pop music it has created a gap in the genre creativity wise, the big guys now just want to push the numbers so you find a lot of them copying and hopping among the current popular trends. The new wave of younger artists have managed to identify the gap and are delivering some extremely creative tunes and one such artists is Bazooker. His music is funny, offensive/inappropriate, direct and insane. His wordplay is crazy and very creative, his music will definitely make your jaw drop in shock (like did he just say that!!). His music is raw and that gives a refreshing vibe which is different to the big guys whose main aim now is dominating the charts.
Nutty O - Boom Shelele
Have been a fan of Nutty O for a couple of years now and he has been growing with each and every release. His move to MTM came at a right time for his career, he is definitely benefiting from having a standard and reliable studio. This jam is one of the best dancehall tracks on 2018 and that says a lot given the level of competition in the genre. This is the track that has introduced him to many ghetto youths, finally it seems he may break from the "ane potential" phase and start dominating.
So ya those are my top tracks for 2018 so far. Feel free to comment with your top 10 tracks for the first three quarters of 2018.
Proud_Zimbo
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